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Arriving in Scapa Flow on 11 February 1918, TEXAS operated as part of the Royal Navy's 6th Battle Squadron. American officers commanded the American ship's and the battle squadron, but the overall American admiral followed Royal Navy operations. TEXAS and NEW YORK were the most powerful American battleships in Europe for only the coal burners were sent, for the British Isles did not have enough fuel oil for the oil burners. The North Sea map and the other maps through 11 November were created with MapInfo.  The ship's latitude-longitude entries in the Log Book which were merged with course and-or speed entries in the Log Book. I purchased the complete 1918 deck log (1,100 pages) from the National Archives. The microfilm copy has been converted in digital form. BB35 operated out of Scapa Flow, Orkney Isl and Firth of Forth, Scotland sailing 12,257 miles during 62 sorties, of which 10,625 miles were covered during the 18 sorties that were greater than 185 miles. The other 44 sailings were less than 81 miles. The 18 sorties used 7,720 tons of coal.  The cost to maintain TEXAS in service in 1917 was $1,018,000 and in 1918 was $1,516,000. (Based on the average cost of all US battleships - 1918 US Navy summary).

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Boilers In Port Upon return from a sortie, 10 of the 14 boilers were shut down and coal was brought aboard. Though a lot of mechanical equipment was aboard, it still took a small army of these guys and their shovel to get the job done. TEXAS did burn fuel oil with coal at high speeds, with each boiler having six Peabody oil burners. Cubic foot fuel storage:  Coal: 124,341; Fuel Oil: 19,540.

Both Norway convoy escorts

30 June to 2 July TEXAS was escorting minelayers to add mines to the North Sea mine belt the British had made to block supply ships from entering German ports. The Deck Log records the second submarine encounter occurring on 30 June, at 1626, when the WYOMING reported a submarine and fired. TEXAS went to torpedo defense but saw no submarine. Shortly after, a periscope was sighted and at 1725, 5"/51 cal gun #21 gun fires one shot and the 3" anti-aircraft gun atop one of the cranes fires two shells. WYOMING also fires at the periscope.

28 May 1918, a kite balloon was brought aboard, from the kite balloon station, at Rosyth Scotland. The balloon was a two-man observation platform that floated 800 - 1000 feet above the ship. Each occupant was provided a parachute. A telephone was connected from the balloon to the bridge. One ship in a squadron would tow the balloon while sailing in the North Sea. During a 11 June balloon deployment, the balloon broke lose. Best estimate for the removal of the balloon is September - October 1918

Feeding The Crew A massive task for the number of people aboard had increased buy 400 since the commissioning but the amount of space for food preparation had not changed. By law, the Navy could not spend more than 40cents a day to feed a sailor (which is $5.12 in 2005 dollars). For a listing as to the provisions aboard when TEXAS left New York for Scapa Flow, click on the "rations" link at the top

Personnel inspection by the Captain photo date is 17 August 1918

Baseball:

Though the world was at war, America still celebrated the 4th of July. The Sheffield Star reports the TEXAS baseball team played a combined US Army team, in Sheffield, England, before 25,000 people. BB35 had defeated the other US ships and was playing the top US Army team. Neither the "Star" or the book "North Sea Days" records the score but "Days" states the Army won and the Army team had 4 major league and 4 minor league players. Looks like the Army had to stack the deck to beat BB35

Football

Was also widely played.

On 9 October, the BB35 team played the team from NEW YORK with NEW YORK winning 20 to 0

Exercises were conducted with the Grand Fleet, on 6 - 8 July (map right). With British Admiral Beatty aboard HMS Queen Elizabeth, TEXAS, NEW YORK and ARKANSAS, sailed with the Grand Fleet to conduct tactical exercises, in the North Sea.

	29 August: Franklin D Roosevelt Visit
Several VIP visits were made in late August and September, while in Forth of Forth First, a 29 August visit from Franklin D Roosevelt, Assistant Secretary of the Navy (later President). British Admiral Lord Jellico, First Lord of the British Admiralty came aboard 7 September

Ship's Band  in front of the "Great Iron Bridge" over the Firth of Forth

Medical No TEXAS sailors injured during the firings at the suspected submarine periscopes but accidents and disease did claim lives. The ship's deck log does not contain any entries regarding influenza.

The harsh environment of the North Sea sent TEXAS to a Royal Navy dry dock, in Jarrow Slake, England, which is just east of Newcastle The dock was operated by "Smith Dock Company Ltd" (1907 - 1988). Sister ship NEW YORK was here in February and then the rest of the American Squadron in April and May. Entering the Royal Admiralty Floating Dry Dock on 20 October: *** Hull was painted *** Airplane platform installed atop Turret 2 - though no flights were made from it until 10 March 1919 *** Exposed navigation position atop the Chart House was enclosed, known as the Pilot House. The 1918 structure is the same one today. The 1912 Joiner drawings show the Pilot House but the structure was not built during the ship's construction. Departing dry dock 4 November, TEXAS returned to Firth of Forth.

The armistice of 11 November 1918 had the TEXAS in Firth of Forth. That evening the searchlights were turned on from 1900 to 2230. At 1930, the first motor sailer (boat) manned by the band and a large party of men left the ship and passed around the Fleet flying American, British and French flags. At 2245, at the request of the crew, Captain Blue made a short address to them. At 2300, the ship was piped down and darkened. At 2300, Captain Blue also released all brig prisoners for the night.

Some happy sailors for they will soon be going home

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Started 11 May 1999 Chuck Moore, FTV (1st Texas Volunteers) BB35 volunteer group