Winning a Cause: World War StoriesThompson, John G. (John Gilbert)
History
Winning a Cause: World War Stories
Thompson, John G. (John Gilbert)
Readers -- History; Readers -- World War, 1914-1918
The Allied fleets were anchored on the night of November 20 in the
Firth of Forth above and below its famous bridge. The United States
was represented by the _New York_, the _Florida_, the _Arkansas_, and
the _Wyoming_, and France by a cruiser and two destroyers. Ships from
Canada, New Zealand, and Australia were also in line. There were
nearly four hundred warships in the Allied fleet, including sixty
dreadnoughts, fifty cruisers, and over two hundred destroyers.
At four o'clock on the morning of Friday, November 21, the great Battle
Fleet weighed anchor and one by one steamed out to sea. It was, even
in the darkness, a wonderful and thrilling sight, an exhibition of sea
power never before seen in the history of mankind.
Picture that scene in the gray darkness before the dawn. Mile after
mile of mighty dreadnoughts and swift cruisers and destroyers weighing
their anchors one by one until four hundred mighty engines of war
slipped almost silently from their places, each leaving a trail of
black smoke behind. As you imagine the scene as it would appear to the
eye, can you realize its significance and what it all meant? Do the
people of the United States fully understand that but for England's
magnificent fleet their great coast cities would have been bombarded or
obliged to pay a ransom; and that without the Grand Fleet the war would
have been lost to selfish autocracy? Let us never forget England's
service.
The German line, each ship flying the German naval flag at the main
top, consisted of thirteen of the dreadnought or superdreadnought
class, seven light cruisers, and fifty destroyers, and was over twenty
miles in length. Each column of the Allied fleet was almost twice as
long as this. Over them flew a British naval airplane.
The surrendered ships, guarded on both sides, steamed on towards the
anchorage selected for them near May Island at the entrance to the
Firth of Forth; and reached there about two o'clock in the afternoon.
Admiral Beatty from his flagship, the _Queen Elizabeth_, issued the
following signal to the fleet: "The German flag will be hauled down at
sunset today. It will not be hoisted again without permission."
[Illustration: From left to right, Admiral Sir David Beatty, Admiral
Rodman, King George, the Prince of Wales, and Admiral Sims on the deck
of the U. S. Battleship New York, the flagship of the American warships
at the surrender of the German navy.]
A little later Admiral Beatty sent the following signal:--
"It is my intention to hold a service of thanksgiving at 6 P.M. today
for the victory Almighty God has vouchsafed His Majesty's arms. Every
ship is recommended to do the same."
And to every ship he sent a message reading:--
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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