Ten days after the Armistice ended World War One, the Royal Navy saw the entire German fleet surrender in the Firth of Forth. It was the greatest gathering of warships the world had ever seen.

Nine German battleships, five battlecruisers, seven light cruisers and 49 destroyers of the German High Seas Fleet surrendered to the Allies off the east of Scotland.

Prior to the surrender the Grand Fleet, the Royal Navy had sailed into the North Sea, forming two massive columns six miles apart.

Just  before 1000 they met the German High Seas Fleet, turned 180 degrees and formed an escort on either side of the Germans as they led them into the Firth of Forth. By early afternoon, the German ships were anchored, under guard, east of Inchkeith.

The Commander-in-Chief Admiral Sir David Beatty led his battleships and battlecruisers,  joined by more than 150 cruisers and destroyers in what was called Operation ZZ.

Although arrangements were in place for the surrender, the Royal Navy remained on a war footing. Beatty gave orders that his ships were to be ready for action with guns ready to be loaded at a moment's notice.

The Germans had been instructed beforehand that their guns were not to be loaded and everyone but the engine crews were to be on the upper deck.

Admiral Beatty also ordered the German ensigns to be taken down at sunset and not hoisted again without permission.

The capital ships present consisted:-

Commander in Chief Admiral Sir David Beatty

 in HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH 

1^ST Battle Squadron (Admiral Sir Charles Madden)

in HMS REVENGE

plus

HMS EMPEROR OF INDIA

HMS IRON DUKE

HMS BENBOW

HMS MARLBOROUGH

HMS CANADA

HMS RAMILLIES

HMS RESOLUTION

HMS ROYAL OAK

HMS ROYAL SOVEREIGN 

2^nd Battle Squadron (Vice Admiral Sir John de Robeck)

In HMS KING GEORGE V

plus

HMS AJAX

HMS CENTURION

HMS CONQUEROR

HMS MONARCH

HMS THUNDERER

HMS AGINCOURT

HMS ORION

HMS ERIN 

4^th Battle Squadron (Vice Admiral Sir Montague Browning)

In HMS HERCULES

plus

HMS COLOSSUS

HMS BELLEROPHON

HMS COLLINGWOOD

HMS NEPTUNE

HMS ST VINCENT 

5^th Battle Squadron (Vice Admiral A C Leveson)

In HMS BARHAM

plus

HMS MALAYA

HMS VALIANT

HMS WARSPITE 

Battlecruisers 

Commander-in-Chief Vice Admiral Sir William Pakenham

In HMS LION (as part of 1^st BCS)

1^ST Battlecruiser Squadron (Rear Admiral Sir Henry Oliver)

In HMS REPULSE

plus

HMS RENOWN

HMS TIGER

HMS PRINCESS ROYAL

HMS LION 

2^nd Battlecruiser Squadron (Rear Admiral Sir Lionel Halsey)

In HMS NEW ZEALAND

plus

HMS INFLEXIBLE

HMS INDOMITABLE 

Flying Squadron (Rear Admiral R F Phillimore)

HMS FURIOUS

HMS VINDICTIVE

Also present were HMAS Australia (as part of the 2^nd BCS)

USS New York, USS Arkansas, USS Florida, USS Texas, USS Wyoming (as the 6^th BS Squadron)

        FORTY c 6 x 4 ins PHOTOS