The Wahpeton times., 1914-12-17
WIRELESS N..WhR
Upon Il the Fate Of a Battle Fleet
May Often Depend.

May Often Depend.
SEARCHING FOR THE ENEMY.
The cruissrs Take the Lead and Act 40
Scouts, Keeping In Touch With One
Another and Report BY Wireless g
the 0attIsships That Fellow.
Very few people realize the great Inn.
portance Of wireless telegraphy In time
OF war or strained relations-for In
stance, feet Of battleships at sea
while their country issat war with an
other power. Each ship in that feet
has its wireless installation, adjusted
30 that they can send and receive sig
mails and messages to other squadr0ns
at sea or in harb0r and to stations
ashore. One ship Of that feet is al
ready in direct touch with the navy de-
partment. The chance of interference
from an enemy's ship is reduced so as
to be almost not worth counting. Each
ship in battle feet is responsible for
some station ashore or for cruiser
squadron or flotilla or torpedo boat de-
str0yers. All foreign intelligence and
the movements of foreign ships go to
the capital by telegraph, cablegram
and wireless from different parts of
the world, and from thence it is trans.
mitted to the admiral in charge Of the
feet, who directs his ship accordingly.
The whole safety Of battle feet
depends on wireless telegraphy in time
Of war.
When number of battleships are
steaming along, perhaps looking for
the enemy, it would not do for them
to run into superior number of the
enemy's battleships. To guard against
this great number of cruisers are
sent out ahead and spread number
Of miles across. The duty Of these
ships is to keep a thorough lookout
and report to the ship in the battle
feet looking out on their particular
zone. This ship in turn reports by
semaphore or Morse lamp to the ad-
miral Of the battle feet. The cruisers
are sometimes assisted BY torpedo
boat destroyers. Now, II thirty Of
these ships are used it will be readily
seen that the area Of their vision is
enormous, and it would be almost i'm
possible for feet to pass unobserved.
Immediately any Of the ships sight
the enemy's squadron they would re-
port at once by wireless, stating the
number Of ships sighted, with their
speed. latitude and longitude, etc. The
admiral would then give his orders
also by wireless. II the admiral de-
termines to attack he directs the cruis-
efs to steam at full speed and take
refuge behind the battle deet.
Let % suppose we are reconnoiter-
ing in hostile waters. The cruisers
are ordered to spread themselves out
IN the vanguard Of the deet on look
out duty. They steam along without
lights Of any description. These great
vessels, invisible as the night can make
them. are brooding on the troubled wa
tiers. Yet they are very alive. Cease
lessly they communicate one with an
other, for in each vessel, hidden as far
as possible from external view, is the
soundless and padded wireless room.
Here the operator is at work, the elec-
trio lamp glowing brilliantly above
him. but messenger enters with an
Older from the commander. Imme-
diately as the handle II the door is
touched and pulled open by the entrant
the lights go out. and pitch darkness
prevails until once again the door is
closed behind him and automatically
the lights are switched on. That is
part Of the secrecy which prevails on
battleship in time Of war.
The men on lookout duties are sta
toned in various parts throughout the
cruiser. Their duty is to keep their
eyes open. as there is always chance
that one Of the enemy's destroyers may
come rushing along at a speed of some
thirty miles an hour, shoot torpedo
Into the ship and get away unscathed.
At the best Of times 1t takes cunning
gunnery TO strike vessel going at
this speed, but In the darkness posi-
bilities Of the marauder's escape are
increased tenfold, and only the eyes Of
the crew and watchers can, as far as
possible. safeguard mishap. As soon
as anything is sighted it is reported to
the battle deet. This is done by the
wireless, and the operator is compel
led to work at high pressure, for he has
to read every message cruiser sends.
inform his captain and himself get in
touch with the feet If his officer should
desire to send reply. Then there is
the admiral Of a feet to he considered.
The operator must keep good lookout
In case some battle order should be
transmitted from this important quar-
ter.
All this time, remember, the ship is
, cruising at imminent risk not only
from the actual attacks Of q secret en-
emy, but from the danger Of floating
mines and even aerial attack. It re-
quires no little personal courage, there
fore, for the operator to remain in that
closed wireless cabin, whence, should
disaster occur, there Is no chance of
escape, and all the time he must keer