New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-05-25
FLEET
HIDDEN In THE
ORKNEY ISLANDS
Naval Base Is North of
Scotland, Far from
WilhelmshaVen.
nv Cable 20 I'll. Tribune J

Rotterdam. May 24.--The British
North Sea fleet is in the Orkney Is
lands, north of Scotland. For more
than two months there has been no
Official news given 10 the world as TO
It's whereabouts or what it was doing.
Strenuous efforts have been made TO
conceal its location. The fleets great
work IS done. 1t destroyed every
German commerce raider IL drove
every enemy ship to harbor.
There remains only one task the
destruction Of the German fleet.
British naval policy long ago assumed
definite shape Britain believes con
fidently that her fleet will annlhilate
the enemy when they meet, but the
Admiralty thinks that this meeting
viii take place only when the Ger
mans are ready 10 fight in open sea.
Until then the British fleet Will re-
main safe in port. II will not risk
unremunerative loss by permitting
isolated divisions TO cruise in the
North Sea. sure targets for the active
German submarines. Consequently the
British feet lies at anchor just as far
from the German naval bases as It can
get. Dut II Is ItdOys - Nv
question about that.
By years of labor and the expendi-
ture Of much money the English navy
has transformed the barren, desolate
Orkney Islands into one Of the strong
est naval positions In the world. II
is Great Britain's Kiel Canal and Will
hclmshaven all in one. The great feat
ure about this base is its inaccessibl %
ity. The harbor is practically land
locked. broad and deep. Il has a per
feet bottom for an anchorage, and It's
entrances are naturally deep. They
are narrow and crooked, but easy 20
navigate
American Saw Armada.
The mate OF an American mer-
chant ship held at Kirkwall, in the
Orkney Islands. pending examination,
slipped ashore He made a complete
circuit Of the Kirkwall mainland, and
from the top OF mountain which
overhangs the landlocked harbor. he
had an excellent view OF the great
hidden naval base. II is his graphic
account Of II which is here presented:
"If one looks at the map one Will
see that the Orkney Islands inclose a
great circular sheet of water, when
has only four outlets TO the sea. This
is Scapa Flow. There are four large
islands. which ring around this bay
How. Kirkwall. Pomona and Westra.
Each is a great jumbled pile Of rock
rising sheer out OF the sea 10 Il con-
siderable height The straits that con-
meet the sea and Scapa Flow twist and
turn yetwcen great ellis much like me
fjords Of Norway. Scaps Flow cannot
be seen from the sea. p.,
"Such is the refuge OF the British
feet. To make this natural fortress
more secure. the British marines have
nIanted coast defence batteries IN con
cealed spots along the tops OF the GINS
on all four islands.
when the American ship was az
Kirkwsll there were more than seventy
great warships lying an anchor under
the lee Of the Island Of Hoy. rory OF
these were dreadnoughts and battle
cruisers Thirty were older battle
ships and large armored cruisers. IN
other parts OF the bay were varships
Of other types.
ITO the left OF the bsttleship feet
was an armada Of more than 100
wicked looking destroyers, while stu!
farther TO the left was a feet OF armed
merchantmen, probably 10 be used as
transports. Behind the dreadnought
feet. built out from the sandy shore,
was a long wharf with several small
buildings upon IT. To this wharf a
Acet Of submarines was tied in groups
OF four.
The large units Of the feet have
not been ont % Scapa Flow for some
thing more than six weeks. Ihey e'l-
IDENTIFY intend 20 summer in northern
ATTITUDES. II is probable that un less
the German feet come out TO ngnt
IN. British fee. will remain in Scaps