Division 9 of the Atlantic Fleet, composed of the New York (flagship), Wyoming, Florida, and Delaware, was detailed for service with the British Grand Fleet, rendezvoused on November 24, 1917, in Lynnhaven Roads, Chesapeake Bay, and sailed for its destination the following day.
The division took the northern passage and was 13 days en route, 4 days of which were spent in holding its own against a 90-mile gale off the Newfoundland coast. On December 7, 1917, the American battleships anchored with the British Grand Fleet in Scapa Flow, Orkney Islands, after a rousing reception, and on December 26 were designated the Sixth Battle Squadron of the British Grand Fleet.
From the time of its arrival to November 29, 1918, this squadron, with the addition of the Texas in February, 1918, and the substitution of the Arkansas for the Delaware in July, 1918, operated with the British Grand Fleet, basing most of the time in Scapa Flow and the remainder of the time in the Firth of Forth (Rosyth). The squadron took its regular turn at convoy duty, patrol duty, target practice, and fleet exercises with all the other squadrons of the British Grand Fleet.
The squadron was at sea on an average of from 8 to 10 days each month and followed the procedure of the Grand Fleet in all respects, even going so far as to shift to the British method of signaling.
Maj. Nelson P. Vulte was division Marine officer of this division the entire time it was a unit of the British Grand Fleet.
With reference to the operations of this division the Secretary of the Navy in his annual report made the following statements:
Assigned one of the two places of honor and importance in the battle line, this American division did its full share of the Grand Fleet’s work, including patrol search for the enemy, protection of convoys, mining, and other forces, and, most important of all, in the repeated attempts to engage the German High Seas Fleet, for which the ships of the Grand Fleet were kept in the highest state of efficiency and readiness. Our battleships were attacked six times by submarines. On one occasion, off the Norwegian coast, four torpedoes were fired at the Florida and two at the Delaware, and at another time three were fired at the New York. Not one of our vessels was hit, and the only damage done was to the New York, which while leading the division into Pentland Firth, was rammed by a submerged submarine. Two blades of her propeller were broken off, but officers and crew were convinced that the blows from the propeller sank the U-boat.
The American battleships occupied a prominent position in the north column of the Grand Fleet on the occasion of the surrender of the German High Seas Fleet, on November 21, 1918, off the mouth of the Firth of Forth and assisted in escorting it into that port where the German vessels were searched and later dispatched under guard to Scapa Flow, Orkney Islands, for internment.
The American vessels did not accompany the surrendered German war vessels to Scapa, but were detached from the British Grand Fleet on December 1, 1918, and sailed from Rosyth for Portland (Weymouth). The day after the surrender of the German Fleet the Nevada, which had been serving with Division 6 of the Atlantic Fleet in Bantry Bay, Ireland, joined Division 9, at Rosyth and proceeded with it to Portland.
The Annual Report of the Secretary of the Navy makes the following remarks concerning Division 6:
Division 6, composed of the Utah (flagship), Nevada, and Oklahoma, was based on Berehaven, Bantry Bay, Ireland, its principal duty being to protect our convoys from possible enemy raiders. This division made two trips into the Channel, escorting convoys when enemy submarines were reported in the vicinity.
Maj. Leon W. Hoyt was the division Marine officer of this division during its entire stay in European waters.
The Nevada joined the American battleships of Division 9 the day after the surrender of the German Fleet off Rosyth, near Edinburgh.
Division 9 joined Division 6 at Portland Bill and both divisions left that port in time to assist the Pennsylvania in escorting President Wilson, on board the George Washington, into the harbor of Brest.
On December 14, 1918, our battleships sailed from Brest for the United States, arrived off Ambrose Lightship the afternoon of Christmas Day, and the next morning steamed into New York Harbor where they were accorded a great demonstration. The naval review was followed by a land parade of all the returning officers, Bluejackets, and Marines.
Col. (Brig. Gen.) John T. Myers was the fleet Marine officer of the Atlantic Fleet from before the outbreak of the war to August 23, 1918, being relieved on that date by Col. Frederic L. Bradman who continued on that duty until after the armistice.
Col. John F. McGill was force Marine officer of the Battleship Force and later force Marine officer of Battleship Force Two until August 14, 1918, when he was relieved by Maj. Harold C. Wirgman, who continued as such until the force was suspended in September, 1918.
Lieut. Col. James McE. Huey was force Marine officer of Battleship Force One from September 3, 1917 to December 29, 1917, when he was relieved by Maj. Edwin N. McClellan who continued as such until March 28, 1918, when the Marines were temporarily withdrawn from the force.
Maj. Richard H. Tebbs, jr., was force Marine officer of the Cruiser Force.
Col. Richard M. Cutts was fleet Marine officer of the Pacific Fleet from November 1, 1916 to October 14, 1918; and Lieut. Col. Charles B. Taylor from October 15, 1918 until after the armistice.
The Marines of the Brooklyn, flagship of the Asiatic Fleet, participated in the activities around Vladivostok, Siberia, in 1918.
In June, 1918, Vladivostok, and practically all of Siberia, was under the control of the Bolsheviki. The Bolsheviki, assisted by German and Austrian prisoners of war, were resisting the advance of the Czecho-Slovaks, who were trying to reach Vladivostok. In that city on June 29, 1918, there were approximately 12,000 well-organized Czecho-Slovaks, only about 2,500 of whom were armed or equipped. On the foregoing date the Czecho-Slovaks in the city took it over from the Bolsheviki after a three hour battle near its center, and on the afternoon of that day Rear Admiral Austin M. Knight, commander in chief of the Asiatic Fleet, ordered a detachment of American Marines ashore to guard the American consulate and to act as part of an Allied force composed of British, Japanese, Chinese, and Czecho-Slovaks, to patrol the city.
In July, 1918, Marines from the Brooklyn acted as guards over German and Austrian prisoners of war on Russian Island, about 5 miles from Vladivostok, while Marines from the same vessel constituted part of an Allied military force of American and British marines, Japanese and Chinese bluejackets, and Czecho-Slovak soldiers, which was organized to prevent a threatened strike and disorder among the workmen in the Russian navy yard at Vladivostok.
The Albany was at Vladivostok from April 2, 1919, until relieved by the New Orleans on July 25, 1919. Each of these ships, while they were anchored off Vladivostok, kept a small guard of Marines at the United States Naval radio station on Russian Island.
Col. Carl Gamborg-Andresen was fleet Marine officer of the Asiatic Fleet from August 25, 1915 to July 17, 1917; Col. Louis McC. Little from July 18, 1917 to April 25, 1918; and Col. Eli T. Fryer from that date until after the armistice.