This necessitated a slowing down in the speed of the German craft, but at length the work was accomplished and Frank and his men, and all others belonging aboard the Essex, returned to their ship.
"All serene, Jack," Frank reported.
"Very well, I shall so inform the admiral."
He scribbled off a brief message, which he sent to the radio room.
Now, with the submarines well along the line, the British fleet began to move—escorting the U-Boats toward Harwich. The fleet would return the next day to receive the surrender of the larger enemy war vessels, but to-day it meant to make sure that the submarines were taken safely to port.
There was one brief halt while the German admiral in command of the flotilla went aboard Admiral Tyrwhitt's flagship to make formal surrender of the submarines. He was accompanied by two members of his staff.
Admiral Tyrwhitt received him on the bridge. There were tears in the eyes of the German admiral as he said:
"Sir, I surrender to you this submarine fleet of the Imperial German navy."
He extended his sword.
Admiral Tyrwhitt waved back the sword and accepted the surrender in a few brief words. The German admiral turned on his heel and walked to the rail. There one of his officers held out his hand to a British lieutenant who was nearby.