midnight
He undressed , extinguished the light in his cabin and climbed into bed . Aboard practically every ship in the fleet , almost the same scenes were enacted that night . Officers and men alike remained up for hours , awaiting possible word that the armistice had been signed . But at midnight no word had been received , and while the big ships moved about their patrol work , the men slept -- those of them who had no duties to perform at that hour . Only the officers and members of the crew watch , and the night radio operators , remained awake . To Jack it seemed that he had just closed his eyes when he was aroused by the sound of the Essex 's signal whistle . It screeched and screeched .