10 YEARS AGO

Hokitika Guardian, 15 January 1929, Page 7

10 YEARS AGO

SURRENDER OF THE GERMAN FLEET. ADMIRAL BEATTY’S SIGNAL. Over ten years ago, on November 21st, 1918, the 9 battleships, 5 batthcruisers, 7 cruisers, and 50 Destroyers of tlie German Fleet selected for in ternment surrendered to the Grand Fleet at Rosytli. About 4 a.m. the enormous iforce ot the Grand Fleet (which included a di vision of United States battleships and the French cruiser Amiral Aube) began ibs seaward movement from Rosyth. it lay behind the elaborate, system of booms and defences which had been constructed to protect that port against destroyer and submarine attaca. These booms were so vast in scale that they resembled the works of giants. Very slowly the long line of immense battleships passed under the Forth bridge, which towered above hut which the topmasts of the largest vessels only just cleared. It was a grey, misty morning. Gradually the fleet formed up in two lines, a northern and southern one, between which the Germans were to steam. AT BATTLE STATIONS. I’ll all the ships every preparation was made for battle, except that the guns were not loaded and were trained in a fore-and-aft position—that is to say, not turned towards possible targets. Officers and men were at the fire-tiontrol stntions; on the bridges everyone was in his battle station. The position where the Germans were to appear was lat. 56deg. llmin. N., long. 10deg. 20min. W., about seventy miles east of Rosyth, Towards it was sent in advance the 6tli Light cruiser (Squadron, with instructions to direct the movement of the German main force and order them to proceed, if possible, at a speed of 12 knots. The main force of the Grand Fleet steamed east till 9 a.m., when it was beyond the rendezvous; it then turned west and proceeded very slowly to allow the Germans to come up. A few minutes after 9 they came into view. They were led by the British light cruiser Cardiff, towing a kite balloon; and a small British airship scouted overhead. They kept good order, and in most cases the ships were well painted. The big German ships were led by the battle cruiser the Seydlita, with the flag of Commodore Taegert flying ; the four other battle cruisers followed astern. Then came the battleships, led by the Friedrich der Grosse, with the flag of Rear-Admiral von Reuter, and last of all the light cruisers and destroyers, shepherded by some 250 British destroyers. LAUGHING CREWS.

As the two fleets drew together the German ships took up their appointed position between the British lines. There was no interchange of salutes, but their crews laughed and waved their hands to the British destroyers when these steamed near at hand to them. To these overtures there was no response. At nbout 10 knots the great procession moved in towards Rosyth. In the air there was something funereal; on that day was closing the twenty years of naval rivalry between Great Britain and Germany which had begun with the German Navy Act of 1898. It had ended in a fashion which none could have anticipated, for many men imagined that the German Navy would fight to the last and perish in Battle, if it could not win. HAULED DOWN AT SUNSET. At 11.4 a.m. Admiral Beatty, who was in command of the whole Allied force, made his historic signal: “The German Hag will be hauled down at sunset to-day, and will not he hoisted again without permission.” In the afternoon the two fleets reached Rosyth, and the Germans anchored under Allied guard, though by the terms of the armistice the Allies wore not permitted to place crews on hoard them. On the return to Rosyth Admiral Realty, in the Queen Elizabeth, was cheered by the crew of the battleships in the Grand Fleet as they passed him to take up their moorings, while he stood on the bridge and waved recognition. And at 4 p.m., as the lnigle rang out “ making sunset,” he had the crew of the Queen Elizabeth piped aft and, after thanking them, made them this very brief speech, “I always told you they would have to come out.” The red, black and white flags in the German Fleet stood out sharp against the misty autumn sky when the hour of sunset came. Every eye watched them, and as the sun sank scarlet into the sea they came gently down. Thus ended the last act of the Great War.