Operation ZZ

Operation ZZ was the name given to the British Grand Fleet's sortie to accept the surrender of the German High Sea Fleet on 21 November, 1918. Taken from the papers of Admiral The Honourable Sir Matthew R. Best, who commanded Royalist on the day. In his diary he described it as "A nevertobeforgottenandevertoberemembered day."

Order of Battle

Grand Fleet
Fleet Flagship
Ship	In Command
Queen Elizabeth	Admiral Sir David Beatty, G.C.B., G.C.V.O., D.S.O. (Commander-in-Chief, Grand Fleet.) Vice-Admiral Sir O. de B. Brock, K.C.M.G., K.C.V.O., C.B. (Chief of Staff.) Commodore, First Class The Hon. H. Brand, Ad C., C.B., C.V.O. (Captain of Fleet.) Captain A. E. M. Chatfield, C.B., C.M.G., C.V.O.
Tender:— Oak	Commander D. Faviell, D.S.O.
First Battle Squadron
Revenge	Admiral Sir Charles E. Madden, K.C.B., K.C.M.G., C.V.O. (Second-in-Command, Grand Fleet.) Commodore, Second Class M. H. Hodges, C.V.O. (Chief of Staff.) Captain G. P. Ross, C.B.
Resolution	Captain O. Backhouse, C.B.
Royal Sovereign	Captain H. M. Doughty, C.B.
Royal Oak	Captain Crawford Maclachlan, C.B.
Canada	Captain H. D. R. Watson, C.B., M.V.O.
Emperor of India	Rear-Admiral W. C. M. Nicholson, C.B. Captain C. W. R. Royds.
Benbow	Captain A. K. Waistell, C.B.
Marlborough	Captain C. D. Johnson, D.S.O., M.V.O.
Iron Duke	Captain E. La T. Leatham, C.B.
Blonde	Captain G. G. C. Wood-Martin.
Absent refitting:— Ramillies	Captain E. P. F. G. Grant, Ad C., C.B.
Second Battle Squadron
King George V	Vice-Admiral Sir John M. de Robeck, K.C.B. Captain Hon. L. J. O. Lambart, D.S.O. (Chief of Staff.) Captain A. V. Campbell, D.S.O., M.V.O.
Ajax	Captain D. M. Anderson, C.M.G., M.V.O.
Centurion	Captain D. L. Dent, C.M.G.
Erin	Captain W. M. Ellerton, C.B.
Orion	Rear-Admiral W. E. Goodenough, C.B., M.V.O. Captain E. J. A. Fullerton, D.S.O.
Thunderer	Captain T. D. Pratt, C.B.
Monarch	Captain S. R. Drury-Lowe, C.M.G.
Conqueror	Captain J. W. L. McClintock, D.S.O.
Agincourt	Captain H. L. Mawbey.
Absent refitting:— Bellona	Captain T. E. J. Bigg.
Temporarily attached:— Fearless	Captain C. J. C. Little. (Capt. (S) 12th S.M.F.)
Fourth Battle Squadron
Hercules	Vice-Admiral Sir Montague E. Browning, K.C.B., M.V.O. Captain A. Lowndes. (and as Chief of Staff).
Neptune	Captain J. R. Segrave.
St. Vincent	Captain E. Reeves, C.B.
Colossus	Rear-Admiral D. R. L. Nicholson. Captain C. P. Beaty-Pownall.
Bellerophon	Captain F. H. Mitchell, D.S.O.
Boadicea	Captain E. H. Edwards, D.S.O.
King Orry	Commander H. T. Mosse.
Refitting:— Collingwood	Captain C. C. Fowler, Ad C.
Absent:— Dreadnought	(Paid off 7 August, 1918).
Fifth Battle Squadron
Barham	Vice-Admiral Arthur C. Leveson, C.B. Captain R. Horne, D.S.O.
Malaya	Captain L. C. S. Woollcombe, M.V.O.
Valiant	Captain H. T. Buller, M.V.O.
Warspite	Captain H. Lynes, C.B., C.M.G.
Blanche	Captain F. A. W. Buller, D.S.O.
Sixth Battle Squadron
New York	Rear Admiral Hugh Rodman, K.C.B., U.S.N. Captain Charles F. Hughes, U.S.N.
Texas	Captain Victor Blue, U.S.N.
Wyoming	Captain Henry A. Wiley, U.S.N.
Florida	Captain Thomas Washington, U.S.N.
Arkansas	Rear-Admiral W. H. G. Bullard, U.S.N. (In Command.)
Absent, not yet joined:— Nevada	Captain Andrew T. Long, U.S.N.
Battle Cruiser Force
Lion	Vice-Admiral William C. Pakenham, K.C.B., K.C.V.O. Commodore, Second Class H. F. P. Sinclair, C.B. (Chief of Staff.) Captain A. J. Davies.
First Battle Cruiser Squadron
Repulse	Rear-Admiral Sir Henry F. Oliver, K.C.B., K.C.M.G., M.V.O. Captain W. H. D. Boyle, C.B.
Renown	Captain A. W. Craig, C.B.
Princess Royal	Captain J. D. Kelly.
Tiger	Captain A. A. M. Duff, C.B.
Second Battle Cruiser Squadron
Australia	Rear-Admiral Sir Lionel Halsey, K.C.M.G., C.B. Captain Thomas N. James.
New Zealand	Captain L. A. B Donaldson, C.M.G.
Indomitable	Captain E. K. Loring.
Inflexible	Captain J. R. P. Hawksley, C.B., M.V.O.
Light Cruiser Force
First Cruiser Squadron
Courageous	Vice-Admiral Trevylyan D. W. Napier, C.B., M.V.O. (Vice-Admiral, Light Cruiser Force.) Captain A. Bromley.
Glorious	Captain C. B. Miller, C.B.
First Light Cruiser Squadron
Caledon	Rear-Admiral Walter H. Cowan, C.B., D.S.O., M.V.O. Commander H. S. M. Harrison-Wallace.
Phaeton	Captain J. E. Cameron, C.B., M.V.O.
Galatea	Captain C. M. Forbes, D.S.O.
Inconstant	Captain F. A. Marten.
Royalist	Captain Hon. M. R. Best, D.S.O., M.V.O.
Second Light Cruiser Squadron
Birmingham	Rear-Admiral J. A. Fergusson, C.B. Captain E. A. Taylor.
Sydney	Captain J. S. Dumaresq, C.B.
Melbourne	Captain E. A. Rushton.
Yarmouth	Captain C. Asser.
Absent at Kola:— Dublin	Captain Hon. R. A. R. Plunkett-Ernle-Erle-Drax, D.S.O.
Third Light Cruiser Squadron
Chatham	Rear-Admiral A. T. Hunt, C.B., C.S.I. Captain T. J. Hallett.
Birkenhead	Acting Captain A. M. Stancomb.
Chester	Captain R. N. Lawson, C.B.
Southampton	Captain Basil V. Brooke.
Fourth Light Cruiser Squadron
Calliope	Rear-Admiral A. F. Everett, C.B. Captain P. L. H. Noble.
Cordelia	Captain Hon. A. L. O. Forbes-Sempill.
Cambrian	Captain C. A. Fountaine.
Constance	Captain C. S. Townsend, C.B.
Comus	Captain J. M. Casement.
Absent refitting:— Caroline	Captain O. E. Leggett.
Sixth Light Cruiser Squadron
Cardiff	Rear-Admiral Edwyn S. Alexander-Sinclair, C.B., M.V.O. Captain C. H. Sinclair.
Ceres	Captain H. G. E. Lane.
Calypso	Captain B. S. Thesiger, C.B., C.M.G.
Cassandra	Captain E. C. Kennedy.
Caradoc	Captain W. M. Kerr.
Seventh Light Cruiser Squadron
Cleopatra	Rear-Admiral G. H. Borrett, C.B. Captain Hon. A. C. Strutt.
Undaunted	Captain E. W. Denison.
Aurora	Captain H. W. Bowring.
Penelope	Captain L. R. Oliphant.
Absent refitting:— Carysfort	Acting Captain A. Lambert.
Flying Squadron
Furious	Rear-Admiral Sir Richard F. Phillimore, K.C.M.G., C.B, M.V.O. Captain W. S. Nicholson, C.B. (and as Chief of Staff).
Vindictive	Captain H. E. Grace.
Absent:—Argus	Captain H. H. Smith, D.S.O.
Absent:—Pegasus	Commander W. D. Phipps, M.V.O.
Absent:—Nairana
Absent:—Canning	Acting Lieutenant-Commander V. L. Wiles, R.N.R.
Second Cruiser Squadron
Minotaur	Rear-Admiral Edward F. Bruen, C.B. Captain C. N. Tindal-Carill-Worsley.
Absent:—Shannon	Captain A. C. S. Hughes-D'Aeth, C.B.
Absent:—Cochrane	Captain J. U. Farie.
Absent:— Achilles	Captain W. F. Blunt, D.S.O.
Destroyer Flotillas
Castor	Commodore, Second Class H. J. Tweedie. (Commodore F.)
Third Destroyer Flotilla 11 Destroyers. 11 absent.	Captain (D) H. E. Sulivan, D.S.O.
Eleventh Destroyer Flotilla 17 Destroyers. 4 absent.	Captain (D) B. M. Money.
Twelfth Destroyer Flotilla 13 Destroyers. 7 absent.	Captain (D) The Hon. W. S. Leveson-Gower.
Thirteenth Destroyer Flotilla 23 Destroyers. 7 absent.	Captain (D) A. B. S. Dutton.
Fourteenth Destroyer Flotilla 23 Destroyers. 7 absent.	Captain (D) H. R. Godfrey, D.S.O.
Fifteenth Destroyer Flotilla 17 Destroyers. 9 absent.	Captain (D) R. G. Rowley-Conwy.
Twentieth Destroyer Flotilla 8 Destroyers. 3 absent.	Captain (D) B. Curtis, D.S.O.
Twenty-first Destroyer Flotilla 4 Destroyers. 6 absent.	Captain (D) H. E. Sulivan, D.S.O.
French Forces
Amiral Aube	Contre-Amiral Maurice F. A. Grasset Capitaine de Vaisseau Louis Jules Petit.
Magon	—
Enseigne Roux	—