The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-03-24
BRrTXsR xAvAI MANEUvREs
what the Last Series or Them Teaches =,
to scouting aAd Torpedo warfaro

to scouting aad Torpedo Warfare.
WASHINGTON. March 23.-The Blue Book in..
issued by the British Admiralty. describing
the partial mobilization and manuuvrss NJ
last year, dwclls on the need OF tho eisu-e,,
study OF such exercises In order to make them
most fruitful. and in fact. now gives clearer
idea OF the summers operations than could bs
obtained during their progress. As inter.
preted by this Official report. the exercis.s
carry lessons OF interest md value to our
country as we'll as to Great Britain.
The celebrity OF the mobilization was shown
by the fact that within i've days after the or.
der for 1t had been received all tho ships and
torpedo boats. containing an aggregate Of
G.543 men. Ind reached the prescribed r,acss
OF assembly ut tho Downs, Portland. Torbay.
and Falmouth. 1t was desired to study IN
particular the scouting and lookout services
OF fast Throwing fleets and the methods OF for.
pedo-boa warfare. Accordingly 1t was de.
clded TO have two distinct sets OF mantruvrea
the principal one employing tho largest mum.
Dor OF ships. which we're divided into the
Northern and Western fleets while tho SEQ.
ondary was carried on by two squadrons,
styled tho Red and the Blue. which operated
in ST. Georges Channel.
One OF the most interesting points develored
by the scouting mannuvrcs related to the
method OF testing the value Of information
whore the evidence is conflicting and scauty.
An illustration OF this point. as furnished by
the official report. Is % follows:
Ne sPss s? a.. 3, en- Of n
steamers coming down in two groups which To ths
belief tina. they misn, be portion e ne snemys
cosed and passed on the in,sll!cence to the senior On
Ssr zen. the rama. so%manisa,s 'i % tho
oa ,Ss !" . as sf'GSS ' st ; ss
the enstwarh Apparently on Tue heels ,of ths
hsr min sSs f.las reisIn,ns from inm"t"Si;:
information from, German .teamer mat i've mei-ot.
had been seen sontn OF Brighton The next 'ntt.
sssny s"s sc% the 81 G
Me- as fss f Ss 10 nS t.;
had och hsn mi r. ss a MT ,s
S.en ~ .
ia sss. nd
French Sosst Three ndsnsndsnt sets Of wn.
TGs my WAS Msrssy
Tsse%; Ss III
aySd detection ~ near rI har"nr and hal ,ssn
dense that sGdsiron Of tic enemy lad passed east
md information to tina, sIer. was brought
and ons ss had pa.e sss 81 ST.
But perhaps for our own uses Just now tbs
carried on in St. Goorses, Channel are tho
nGuSres., is as to tho value ,"f tho class
Of vessels known aT torpedo-hoatca1sh-
siyely against torpedo boats. Congress- it
will be remen bered. provided in the act q
cruiser: but the appropriation was. not large
enough to secure offers to build it with the
speed required. Secretary Tracy accordingly.
in his last annual report. urges an increase
OF tho Appropriation for this purpose. and dc.
clares in general OF the torpedo cruiser that
psdo be- commerce destroyer. or a FLOCK
ads runner and can destroy 3. an enemys tor,
ss anu d1ty Is to S an
Of t9rpedo. beat flotiIl". and to act as u tor
In the British mnnnuvres Rear. Admiral
Erskine. describing tho first expedition 81 the
Haven on, the, very light night Of July 22;23.
remarks that there was no chance OF eludin9
a Ss but tra @
more ,catchers or Tuskar Rocks" It was also
up nstcrn. OF on tho quarters, OF the ships
nssailcd. instead of from ahead. as was in
a s ing at night the exact bearings Of
ship that has put out her lights or masked
weather her favored tho torpedo boats. the bril-
liant moonlight was against them: The
moon. lasted eight days. and there were
9sSbt sght9ens 9ut ts dnyshs n sye
things that must be calculated upon in actual
hostiities undertaken in northern ATTITUDES
at that season.
The report. however while generally con-
ceding that tho value OF offensive operations
against torpedo boats by catchers was proved
by the manpuvres. warns us not to decry tho
value of the boats or to carry the official de-
auctions too FIR. caPt. p u thinks that
sh % not Sens wns
tho difficulty Of Judging distance at night
Rear Admiral Erskine also makes these de-
auctions:
think it has been shown that on several occasions.
both and in harbor the boats have been able to
emde the catchers and to approach tho fleet with"S
the where the battle SHIPS were encountered A.
zen. and uaking the conditions as they would have
been in war; think IL fair to assume that the resn.t
would have been Total Of he ships, and
that the attacking bAtt would have come out OF the ac-
tion, in those instances comparatively nnsca he'd.
claim FOR the Blue S1nadron that r they b.ys
In constant touch with the eHemy's ships, the
movements OF the Red Squadron have been
and perKistently hhrassed. on two successive nights
in Luce bay the boats. even in clear ana moonlight
night. have managed TO evaie the catchers aud 10
A. the s,owest boat in the hotn whose specd wasre
ducrd to maximum of thirteen knots. WAS enabled e
deliver right and left blow with her torped"es araInss
tn!y escaped capture hal not the delay In pick
irg up her t"rpedoes taken place. and Ind she not
therefore fallen into tho hands OF catcher on return
voyage in broad daylight
The Inference seems warranted that for our
hnrbor defence we need both tOrpedO boats
to act against nm enemy,s fleet OF battle ships
against a torpedo flOtin with which he might
opn IN IA n fleet