Bridgeton pioneer., 1914-12-24
ADMIRALS NOTED
IN.MANY BATTLES.
Sturde0 Made Name In Egypt,
Won Spec OFT Chile.
LATTER NAVAL STRATEGISE.,

German Commander Was Said to Have.
Played an important Part In Draw
ing Up Naval PIars, Which Went Into
Effect Immediately on Outbreak Of
the Present War.
Vice Admiral Sir Frederick Charles
DOveton Sturdee. commander in chief
Of the British squadron which has
crushed the German fleet near the Falk-
land, islands, is veteran of the Egyp-
tian campaign of thirty-two years ago
and considered one of the ablest Offi-
GERS in the royal British navy. Untfes
a few years ago he was assistant di-
rector of the important naval intelIf-
gence department of the admiralty at
Whitehall. London.
His rise to commander of the Sec
ond cruiser squadron. to which p0sk
he was appointed in 1912. was rapid
and was marked by service which
brought forth favorable comment on
the part of his superiors on several
occasions and twice won him tho
gold medal of the Royal United
Service institution. He was appointed,
!! rear admiral In command Of the frsk
battle squadron in 1910 and In 1912 re-
ceived the post he now holds.
Vice Admiral Sturdee was born ON.
June 8, 1859. He entered the navy I'm
1871. and his first important war serv-
ice was in the famous Egyptian cam.
paign of 1882. as a result of which ho.
wears the Egyptian medal. with the
Alexandria clasp. for his services ins
the British bombardment of Alexan-
dria and for the same service he wears
the khedive's big star. After his re-
turn to England from that campaign
in 1889 he was married to Miss Marion
Adela Andrews.
Wins High Honors.
In 1893 Admiral Sturdee was detail
ed as assistant to the director OF na-
val ordnance. and in 1899 he was pro-.
NOTED to be captain. In the same
year he commanded the British force,
which landed in Samoa. and his sery-
| Ice in the Samoan campaign won him
another decoration. He is member
of the United Service Club of London,
and his home is at Dalkeith Cottage
Intes Green. England
Admiral Won Spec, the commandee-
| of the German cruisers in the engage
ment with the British squadron, was
noted as a naval strategist and waa
said to have played an important part
| In drawing up the German naval plans
which went into effect automatically
at the outbreak of the war and en-
| abled German cruisers which were
widely scattered over the Pacific 30,
come together In spite of the fact that
their communication with Berlin has
been cut OF. and 1t was impossible for
their commanders to receive orders
/ from headquarters. :
Sealed Map Of World.
While the details Of the plan are un-
known. Of course. 1t is said that each
commander had been supplied with q
| sealed map Of the world when the plan
| was drawn up several years ago and
that on each map were tiny dots I'm
various parts OF the Pacific to which
| the commanders were to steam with
all speed the moment war was de-
| clared. On their return to the dots
that indicated the place they would 30
| Joined by other warships. 1t is said;
the cruisers were to meet merchant
| men at specified points to receive coal
and provisions. making it unnecessary
for them to put into any port antfa
they had been joined by enough fight
ing ships to make their power formida-
| ble
The carrying out of this plan made
it possible for the German squadron.
| consisting of the ScharnhOrst, Gneise-
nau, Dresden. Nurnberg and Leipzig,
| under the command of Won Spec, 10
| meet and defeat the British squadron.
| consisting of the cruisers Monmouth.
| Good Hope and Glasgow aMSA tho
transport Otranto, under Rear admiral
| Cradock. off the Chilean ctrt..r .n Nov.
| l. This great victory was ..;sht aE tia
| time to have been due to thp f;te that
| the German ships were Suppressed t0 ha
| scattered and. as the Gertnai, ,-shle e@
| North and South America h;t,l been
| cut at the Azores. unable Ito learn
| from Berlin where they uighi meet
other ships of the German t,-.t