CHAPTER XXVII
PREPARING FOR THE SURRENDER
ALTHOUGH the armistice had now been officially signed and fighting hadceased, under orders from Admiral Beatty, commander of the Grand Fleet,every ship was still stripped for action. While it appeared thateverything was open and above-board, the British admiral intended to takeno chances. He recalled other German treachery and he was not at all surein his own mind that the enemy might not attempt some other trick.
Two days after the signing of the armistice, upon instructions from theadmiralty, Admiral Beatty got in touch by wireless with the German fleetcommander in Helgoland, Admiral Baron von Wimpfen. With the latter AdmiralBeatty was to arrange for the surrender for such portions of the GermanHigh Seas Fleet as had been decided upon by Marshal Foch and the Germanarmistice commission.
All day the wireless sputtered incessantly aboard the flagship, whileother ship commanders within radio distance listened to what was going on.Jack was among these. He relieved his radio operator for the day and tookthe instrument himself.
"The German fleet," ticked Admiral Beatty's flagship wireless, "will steamforth from Helgoland on November 19 and move due west toward the Englishcoast, where the British fleet will be stationed to await its coming."
"Shall we dismantle our guns?" asked Admiral von Wimpfen.
"Yes."
"And what of the size of our crews?"
"They shall be large enough to handle the vessel. That is all. The crew ofeach ship shall be reduced to the minimum."
"And how about our submarines?"
"They must be surrendered first."
"But the surrender cannot be completed in one day."
"I am aware of it," replied Admiral Beatty. "As I have instructed you, thefirst of the German fleet will leave Helgoland on the night of November19. By that I mean the submarines. They must steam on the surface. Thefirst flotilla to be composed of twenty-seven vessels."
"I understand," returned the German admiral.
"Very well. My ships will be stretched out in a fifty-mile line on eitherside of your ships as they approach and will fire at the first sign oftreachery."
"There shall be no treachery, sir. You have the word of a German admiral."
"Very well I shall acquaint you with other details from time to time."
This was the conversation that Jack heard that day.
At noon on November 18, Jack, together with other commanders, receivedword from Admiral Beatty to steam toward Harwich, on the English coast,and to take his place in the long line of ships that would be gatheredthere to receive the surrender of the enemy fleet.
Excitement thrilled the crew of the Essex. They were about to witness oneof the greatest events of world history and there wasn't a man aboard whodidn't know it. Nevertheless, there was no confusion, and the Essexsteamed rapidly westward.
"Hope we get up near the front of the line," said Frank to his chum. "Alsothat we are close to Admiral Beatty's flagship."
"Here too," said Jack. "It will be a sight worth seeing."
"Rather."
"Well, we can't kick no matter where they place us, you know. I suppose Ishall receive the necessary instructions in plenty of time."
Jack did. The instructions came the following morning, while the Essex wasstill possibly a hundred miles off the English coast.
"You will report to Admiral Tyrwhitt," Jack's message read, "who willassign you to your station."
Jack immediately got in touch with Admiral Tyrwhitt by wireless. Thelatter gave his position and informed the lad that his place in line wouldbe next to the Admiral's flagship.
"I thought Admiral Beatty would be up toward the front," said Jack.
"He probably will," was Frank's reply. "I have it figured out like this,from what you have told me of the fact that the submarines will besurrendered first: Admiral Tyrwhitt probably will receive the surrender ofthe U-Boats, while Admiral Beatty will receive the formal surrender ofAdmiral von Wimpfen himself."
"Maybe that's it," Jack agreed.
It was well after noon when the Essex sighted the flagship of AdmiralTyrwhitt, the Invincible, and reported for duty. Jack receivedinstructions to lay to just west of the flagship. He obeyed.
From time to time now other vessels appeared and reported to AdmiralTyrwhitt and were assigned places in the long line.
Suddenly there was a cheer from the crews of the many ships. Jack glancedacross the water, as did Frank. And then the latter went wild withexcitement.
Steaming majestically toward them came five great battleships flying theStars and Stripes.
"So the Americans will be in at the finish," said Jack.
"You bet they will," declared Frank. "We're always in at the finish."
"Well, you deserve to be this time, I guess," said Jack with a smile.
"We always deserve to be," declared Frank.
"So?" replied Jack. "I'm not going to argue with you about it."
"It wouldn't do any good," declared Frank. "Let me tell you something. Ifit hadn't been for the United States this war wouldn't be over yet."
"Is that so?" demanded Jack. "Why wouldn't it?"
"Because all the British and French together don't seem to have been ableto lick the Germans."
"Rats," exclaimed Jack. "We would have done it in time."
"Maybe so, but there is nothing sure about it It was the Americans whoturned the tide at Chateau-Thierry."
"They did some wonderful work, I'm not gain-saying that," Jack admitted."But I can't see that it was any more remarkable than what the Canadiansdid at Vimy Ridge."
"Well," said Frank smiling, "while the Canadians are really Britishsubjects, nevertheless they come from the same part of the world as theYankees. They're made out of the same pattern."
Jack smiled.
"I seem to have spoiled my own argument there, don't I?" he said.
Frank grinned too.
"You've got to admit," he said, "that when the Americans start a thingthey go through with it. They never turn back."
"True enough," Jack admitted, "but to my mind it takes them a deuced longtime to get started."
"They just want to be sure they're right first," Frank explained.
"Have it your own way. But those five American ships approaching now lookmighty good, I'll admit that."
"I never saw a more beautiful sight," declared Frank, and he meant it.
Majestically the American warships steamed along, the leading vesselflying the flag of Admiral Sims. They approached almost to the flagship ofAdmiral Tyrwhitt and the guns of the two flagships boomed out an exchangeof salutes. Then the American flotilla slowed down and swung to leeward,and took its places in the long line.
"Going to be quite an event this surrender, if you ask me," said Frank.
"It certainly is," Jack replied. "I understand King George and Queen Mary,together with many other distinguished British, French, Americans andItalians, will be present to witness the surrender."
"Including ourselves," grinned Frank.
"Well, we're probably not such big fry," Jack commented, "but we've doneas much--and a whole lot more--than a good many of them, if you ask me."
"My sentiments exactly," declared Frank. "And for that reason we're justas much entitled to be in at the finish as any of the rest."
"More so," said Jack quietly.
"Well, we'll be there. So we have no kick coming."
All day great vessels of war continued to arrive and take their places inthe line. As far as the eye could see long gray shapes lay in thewater--two lines of them--with perhaps half a mile between. Through thisspace the German warships would pass when they came out to surrender.
When the eye could no longer see ships, the presence of other vessels wasnoted by smudges of smoke on the horizon. The line of ships, or rather thetwo lines, Jack and Frank knew, stretched almost to the distant shore.
"Yes," said Jack, "it's going to be quite an event."
Suddenly the guns of every ship
burst out with a roar. The flagship ofAdmiral Beatty was approaching down the line from shore. Aboard it, everyman of the great fleet knew, besides the admiral, were King George andQueen Mary of England; and it was the royal salute that was being fired.Even the American ships joined in the greeting.
The guns of Admiral Beatty's flagship were kept busy acknowledging thesalutes. On every deck handkerchiefs and caps waved frantically as theflagship passed.
As the vessel drew abreast of the Essex, Jack and Frank, standing togetheron the bridge, made out the forms of the King and Queen of England on thebridge.
Both lads doffed their caps, and Jack ordered the royal salute fired bythe big guns of the destroyer.
The vessel trembled under the detonation and the crew seemed to go wild asthey cheered at the top of their voices.
The flagship passed on.
A mile or so to the east, the flagship slowed down and turned into line.
"And that's where I suppose she will remain until after the surrender,"said Jack.
The lad was right.