Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-09-06
VEIL OF SECRECY
TAKEN FROM FLEET
Correspondent Visits England's
Fighting Ships and Mighty
Naval Base.
ALWAYS READY FOR ACTION
Men Impatient for Time When
Kaiser's Vessels Will
Venture Forth.
ALWAYS READY FOR AcTIoI
ny FREDK. PALMER.

time the veil of secrecy over the BRIT
ish naval operations has been lifted
and during the past week the corre-
sPohaent has visited the grand fleet
and the great naval bases.
AT one naval base 1 saw dry docks
eapaoie OF docking the largest Dread-
"ous".s' quit since the war began. /
"aS SHOWN maps marking the points
German submarines had been
sishted. and the results OF att.ct,
e.ass.heo under Captured" supposed
sunk and sunk" When hubhIes 49,
observed rising for a long time in the
same SPOT In smooth water, Il IS takon
for granted that the career of suh.
marine has ended
When officers were asked "tJo, At,
you get them?" the answer was. "Som.-
t'hies nE ramming, sometimes by gun.
nie' sometimes by explosives, and in
o'her ways we can not tell"
SUBMARINE HUNTING
REGARDED AS SPORT
All the officers aboard the battlesb;ns
and armed cruisers are enviou. -,
those engaged in the submarine hunte
which are regarded as great sport.
Professional opinion Expressed
the reason the Germans are ready to
ioreso their submarine attacks on
nners is that they want their sub
marines and their personnel to carry
on q campaign
INC 'dmirai commanding at one OF
tne important naval bases stated thar
England had 1900 trawlers n,ina
a.sePers and other auxiliaries outside,
rhesresufaf services on duty In the
work of;mafntaining the blockade fron,
the British Channel to Iceland ana
Keeping the North Sea clear. He said
'heir reservist crews had been most
Jealous In their important part in over
coming the kind of naval warfare Ger.
many has waged
AS our destroyer. after the cruise ar
sea, Following the coast. turned the
headiand into the harbor where the
grand heet was anchored, I saw a tar
set oeins towed in the customary man.
ner LOT the hring practice of some of
the cruisers.
we keep at 1t all the time" an off
Ger explained.
The cruiser practice finished. tbev
took their places in fleet formation
aTong the immense field of grew shanos
al anchor in precise order, which 40
we drew nearer. became line after line
Of Dreadnoughts
SHIPS ARE PAINTED TINT
THAT MELTS INTO SEA
In tint that seemed to melt into
the sea. even the Queen Elizabeth. hack
from the Dardanelles, looked small for
her tonnage and gun power until COM
pared with the 1nfiexible, the flagship
OIL the faikland Islands battle. or the
vessels OF the light cruiser squadron
n tnot
the North Sea, as scouting is called
Every deck was stripped for action,
steam was up in every ship, and IS orr
destroyer threaded its way among The
ships OF the feet. in the turrets we're
seer turning guns being elevated and
lowered in the course of drills.
The seaplanes which were sailing
over the fleet had their home on
famous Atlantic liner, which has car
RED many thousands Of passengers.
In their places in the battle cruiser
squadron which is known in the nayy
as the cat squadron" were the Lion
and Tiger which sank the BIucher in
the North Sea battle.
This seems sufficient denial of the
German report that the Tiger is at the
bottom of the sea- said an officer
Looking strange among the homo
geneous types of ten-gun ships which
belonged to the regular British navy
was Turkish twelve-inch Dread
nouGht. taken over at the outset of
the war.
AS we approached the flagship of the
commanderin-chief an officer point ed
our Sir John Jellico as one of two Off
GERS promenading the quarter deck. He
carried telescope under his arm. From
the quarter deck he can keep an eve
on all those grey monsters which form
the fighting part of his command while
others Of his host are aboard.
QUICK OF MOVEMENT
AND TANNED DY EXPOSURE
Quick OF movement and ship tanned
by years exposure on constant duty,
only broad band Of gold lace differenti-
ated him from the other officers as he
received his guests at the gangway.
Whether it was Beatty, Sturdee or
any other Of his squadron commanders
tina. one met, their youth was most
striking. Jellico at fifty-seven is the
senior Of them all, which includes vice.
admirals at forty-four. He is never
without that telescope under his arm.
officers say. when he is on deck, and
nothing which the young officer on
watch sees misses his eyes.
The admiral escorted his guests
through the ship. showing the men Mt
drill. and was most interested In call
ing attention to a special machine for
practice by gun spoilers In firing where
the results of each shot were displayed.
This is the hest we have until the
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