New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-09-07
BRITISH FLEET.
In ENDLESS LINE.
PUTS TO SEA
Leaves Its Haven for an
Unknown Errand in
Northern Waters.
VESSELS, REPAIRED.
PRIMED FOR BATTLE
Led by Destroyers, to Ward off
Submarines, Great Column
Sails Forth.

London. Sept 8 delayed in trans
missior).-During his visit TO the
British fleet in the last week the cor
respondent. after boarding all the moro
important ships, witnessed a magnifi-
cent spectacle that Of the whole force
putting 70 sea.
Officers in Vice-Admiral Sir David
Beatty's flagship. the Lion. which has
received the toughest handling in bat
tie Of any major British ship ahoat,
told Of the difficulty they had at the
opening Of the action in persuading
the young commander to descend from
the bridge. where he had an unham-
pered vision, TO the armored protec-
ton Of the coming tower. They told
Of the success of destroyers in foiling
all efforts of submarines TO reach the
crippled Lion as she was being towed
a speed of FIVE knots after sinking the
German cruiser Bluecher
The places in which the Lion was
hit during the North Sea battle were
not discernible in some instances, ow-
ing TO reconstruction of the section
where the shells burst. In other cases
the location was evident. patches hav-
ing been placed over the injured
plates. A very small percentage Of the
German shells hit. at the 1S,000-yard
range Of the early stage Of the battle
officers say. but the screams Of passing
salvos and the crack of their own guns
caused a terrific tumult in the ears Of
those stationed OH the bridge.
The Tiger. sister battle cruiser OF
the Lion. had fewer scars to show as
a result Of the North Sea battle.
big Lizzie" Primed for Fight.
On the Queen Elizabeth the only
signs of her experiences at the Darda-
nelles >iible were a section Of new
blanks on deck. where shell pene-
trated, and dent from a glanclng shot
on one Of her 15-inch guns.
The InfeXible, the flagship IN the
Falkland Islands battle, suffered less
injury there than at the Dardanelles,
where she was struck by a mine and
was under heavy fire from shore. A
niece Of the mine is kept in the ward
room as a souvenir, and all the ships
which have been in action had frag-
ments of German shells set in mount
ings as mementoes Officers referred
70 British naval preparations for TAX
ing care of damages from battle.
But we had few repairs TO make,
and our energy and resources were
given 10 the rapid construction of new
fighting units, which continues to in
crease our preponderance over the Ger
man feet" one officer remarked.
The correspondent heard repeated
and sympathetic references to the sac
rifces and hardships of the army dur
ing the grilling year of war, while the
battleships marked time in their long
wait.
But If battle comes for US 1t will
not last long" an officer said. Every
days waiting only sharpens our eager
ness"
A Vast Colorless Flotilla.
The only color visible in that vast
assembly Of fighting ships stretching
into the misty horizon or standing out
against the green background of the
harbor was the blue Of the crews uni
forms and an occasional signal flag
futtering from the halyard.
While on the flagship of Admiral Sir