Item 01: Sir Charles Rosenthal diary, 25 September 1914-31 December 1918 - Page 491
Primary tabs
Transcription
[Page 491]
Thursday 21st November
This day is easily surely the greatest in the Naval History of the World, for the proud and boastful German Fleet has under its own steam and manned by its own officers and men arrived in British Waters and has handed surrendered itself over to the British Navy of glorious and stainless fame. Never was victory so complete and never humiliation so great. It was a proud privilege to watch this wonderful surrender especially as I saw it all from the Bridge of our own HMAS "Australia", which as leader of the 2nd Battle Cruiser Squadron and flying the Flag of Rear Admiral Halsey was well placed from a spectacular point of view. As a representative of the British and Australian Army together with other officers and men of the Australian Corps, I paid my tribute to the ceaseless watchfulness, bravery and daring of our own British tars and their ships.
At 3.10 AM "Australia" was under weigh. I came up on deck in case anything of interest could be seen. The most gratifying feature was the clearness of the morning. The fog had dispersed and it seemed as if Providence had specially vouchsafed a clear day for this dramatic scene of the supremacy of right over wrong.
Gradually ships took up their allotted Stations as shown on opposite page. Little could be seen of the Grand Fleet other than our own Squadron for the lines of ships was were 6 miles apart. Several evolutions were performed prior to meeting the German Fleet.
Early in the afternoon the Cardiff was sighted leading the line of German ships and towing her observation balloon. The air service was represented by air ships and many aeroplanes. Unfortunately from the "Australia" only a local view could be obtained, the whole convoy covering as it did a depth of 20 miles. The German Flagship "Frederick der Grosse" together with "Konig Albert", "Kaiser" and "Kron Prinz William" could be clearly discerned but the remaining German ships were lost in the distance. The whole proud Fleet turned and took up Station as shown on sketch page 487 [21st Nov. 1918], escorting the German Fleet to Inch Reith where they were to anchor.
The 2nd BCS of which "Australia" is the Flag ship was detailed together with 1st B.S., 2nd Light C.S., 3rd Light C.S., and destroyers as detailed by Commodore Tweedie as guard over the German Fleet when anchored so during the afternoon our Squadron took up Station in rear.