Twenty-three—­The following German surface warships, which shall be designated by the allies and the United States of America, shall forthwith be disarmed and thereafter interned in neutral ports, or, for the want of them, in allied ports to be designated by the allies and the United States of America and placed under the surveillance of the allies and the United States of America, only caretakers being left on board—­namely:  Six battle cruisers, ten battleships, eight light cruisers (including two mine layers), fifty destroyers of the most modern type.  All other surface warships (including river craft) are to be concentrated in German naval bases to be designated by the allies and the United States of America, and are to be paid off and completely disarmed and placed under the supervision of the allies and the United States of America.  All vessels of the auxiliary fleet (trawlers, motor vessels, etc.) are to be disarmed.  Vessels designated for internment shall be ready to leave German ports within seven days upon direction by wireless.  The military armament of all vessels of the auxiliary fleet shall be put on shore.

Twenty-four—­The allies and the United States of America shall have the right to sweep up all mine fields and obstructions laid by Germany outside German territorial waters and the positions of these are to be indicated.

Twenty-five—­Freedom of access to and from the Baltic to be given to the naval and mercantile marines of the allied and associated powers.  To secure this, the allies and the United States of America shall be empowered to occupy all German forts, fortifications, batteries, and defense works of all kinds in all the entrances from the Cattegat into the Baltic, and to sweep up all mines and obstructions within and without German territorial waters without any question of neutrality being raised, and the positions of all such mines and obstructions are to be indicated.

Twenty-six—­The existing “blockade conditions set up by the allies and associated powers are to remain unchanged, and all German merchant ships found at sea are to remain liable to capture.  The allies and the United States shall give consideration to the provisioning of Germany during the armistice to the extent recognized as necessary.

Twenty-seven—­All naval aircraft are to be concentrated and immobilized in German bases to be specified by the allies and the United States of America.

Twenty-eight—­in evacuating the Belgian coasts and ports, Germany shall abandon all merchant ships, tugs, lighters, cranes, and all other harbor materials, all materials for inland navigation, all aircraft and all materials and stores, all arms, and armaments, and all stores and apparatus of all kinds.

EVACUATED ALL BLACK SEA PORTS

Twenty-nine—­All Black Sea ports are to be evacuated by Germany; all Russian war vessels of all descriptions seized by Germany in the Black Sea are to be handed over to the allies and the United States of America; all neutral merchant vessels seized are to be released; all warlike and other materials of all kinds seized in those ports are to be returned and German materials as specified in clause twenty-eight are to be abandoned.