Page:America Fallen!.djvu/161

 XIV

SEEKING THE GERMAN FLEET

it came about that I witnessed the greatest naval battle of all history from the fire-control platform of the flagship Oklahoma is readily explained. In the previous year I had offered for the consideration of the Navy Department a system of "director firing," which had been rejected on the ground that its mechanism was too delicate to stand the shock of battle.

The Department was developing a system of its own which gave great promise of success; and, in recognition of my interest in the subject, I had been invited to witness the final tests of the installation during the spring target practice of the Oklahoma. 149