The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-09-06
BY FREDERICK PALMER.

London, Sept. For the first time
the veil of secrecy over the British
naval history has been lifted, and dur
ing the past week your correspondent
visited the grand feet and naval base
At one of tho bases were dry docks
capable If docking the largest dread
naughts which have been built since
The war began,
was shown maps with marked
points where German submarines had
been sighted. and the results are clas-
sifea under captured" supposed
sunk" and sunk" When bubbles
Were observed rising for a long time
in the same spot where the water
: was smooth. II WIS taken for granted
that The submarines career had been
ended
When the officers were asked How
do you get them" the answer was,
som times by ramming. sometimes
hv gunfCe sometimes by explosives
ami in other ways which we cannot
reveal"
All ri the officers aboard the bat
fieshiU and the armed cruisers are
enyfous OF those engaged In submarine
hunting which is regarded a great
sport Professional opinion expressed
as the reason why the Germans are
ready tr forsgO subna rins attacks on
liners is the want Of submarines and
,ne porsonnel necessary 10 carry on
the campaigning, The admiral COM
mandng at an important naval base
stated that England had twenty three
hundred trawlers, mine sweepers and
other aux.liaries outside of regular
service on dutv against the blockade
from the English Channel 70 Iceland
10 keep the North Sea clear. Then
their TeServtsts crews have displayed
rhe utmost zeal in their important part
in overcoming this kind Of naval war
fare.
AS our destroyer. after short
cruise at sea following the coast.
turned around . headland and into
the harbor where the grand feet was
anchored. we saw a target being towed
in the customary manner to serve for
some target practice by "A number Of
cruisers
I'VE keep at 1T al the time" an
officer gT7f-.rr7r't; r re cruisers, tt1s
praetice firished. took their place in
the feet formation along sn immense
field Of grey shapes al anchor, all in
precise order which as we drew nearer
became line after line II dreadnaughts.
stripped For Action.
f11ver1 r71e tTuuSfI E-tT2aDatf, bAck
from The DaFdaHeilex looked small
fer her tonnage and power unless COM
pared with the Infexible, the flagship
OF Inc Falkland Islands battle or the
yessela ~ the light cruiser squadron
which had just come from "seeping"
IN the N0rsh Sea. as scouting is called,
Every deck was stripped for ac-
fion and had steam up. and as oiir
destroyer threaded lts way through
the ships, the turrets were seen turn
sing tA4e ael,na elevated ard lowered III
the course Of drills. The sea planes
which were sailing over the fleet had
! iheir hons on "A. famous Atlantic liner
" " asaal has carried many .fhousands If
sF-tssssef4aar~a In their places In the hat.
tie cruiser squadron. which is known
az the cat squadron" were the Lion
and Tiger which sank the Bluecher
in the North Sea battle.
This seems sufficient denial OF the
Sherman report that the Tiger is at
srthe bottom" said the officer
Locking strange among the home
Eenpas types ~ ter gunships which
= aNfohsed tn the regular British navy
was q Turkish twelve-incb dread
= taasght taken over at the outset Of
the war
A. we approached the flagship CUR