The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1915-01-01

Flayeo an Important Fdrt IN bTaw'
ing Up Naval Plans. Which Went Into
Effect Immediately on Outbreak Of
the Present War.
Vice Admiral Sir Frederick Charles
Devotion Sturdee. commander in chief
Of the British squadron which has
crushed the German fleet near the Falk
land islands, is a veteran of the Egyp.
tian campaign of thirty-two years ago
and considered one of the ablest Off
GERS in the royal British navy. Until
a few years ago he was assistant di.
rector of the important naval intelli
gence department of the admiralty at
Whitehall. London.
His rise to commander Of the sec.
ond cruiser squadron, to which post
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 the
gold medal of the Royal United
Service institution. He was appointed
rear admiral in command of the first
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 in
1871, and his first important war serv
ice was In the famous Egyptian cam
paign Of 1889, as result Of which he
wears the Egyptian medal. with the
Alexandria clasp, for his services In
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 ma
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 serv.
Ice in the Samoan campaign won him
another decoration. He is a member
of the United Service Club Of London,
and his home is at Dalkeith Cottage.
Intes Green, England.
Admiral Won Spec, the commander
of the German cruisers In the engage
ment with the British squadron, was
noted as naval strategist and was
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 to
come together in spite of the fact that
their communication with Berlin had
been cut off. and it was impossible for
their commanders to receive orders
from headquarters
Sealed Map of World.
While the details % the plan are I'm.
known, of course, 1t is said that each
commander had been supplied with a
sealed map of the world when the plan
was drawn up several years ago and
that on each map were tiny dots in
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 be
Joined by other warships. it is said,
the cruisers were to meet merchant
men at specified points to receive coal
and provisions, making 1t unnecessary
for them to put into any port until
they had been Joined by enough fight
ing ships to make their power formula
BILE.
The carrying out Of this plan made
1t possible for the German squadron |
of the Scharnhorst, Gneise
nau, Dresden. Nurnberg and Leipzig |
under the command Of Won Spec, to
meet and defeat the British squadron
of the cruisers Monmouth.
Good Hope and Glasgow and the
transport Otranto. under Rear Admiral
Cradock. off the Chilean coast on Nov
|. This great victory was said at the
time to have been due to the fact that
the German ships were supposed to be
scattered and. as the German cable to
North and South America had been
,ut at the Azores. unable to learn
rom Berlin where they might meet
)ther ships Ut the German fleet