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152 for the return of the landing force of seamen and marines. Ships that were coaling cast off their colliers, and before noon the fleet had sailed.

Shortly before midnight of April 5th the Oklahoma led the way into Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The 6th was spent in coaling, taking aboard full supplies of stores and ammunition, and sending ashore the boats and all superfluous ship's furniture. On the 7th, shortly before dawn, the fleet, stripped for action, had sailed to the eastward, to "find and destroy the enemy."

Overnight, Admiral Willard, Commander-in-Chief of our fleet, had thrown out to the eastward a strong scouting force—such as it was—strong in numbers, but utterly inadequate for its purpose. It consisted of the three armored cruisers Washington, North Carolina, and Tennessee and four divisions of destroyers.