The sun., 1916-11-12
By ROBERT G.. sKERRETT.

"HE smoke octopus is Germany's
newes addition to her battle
feet. with It's aid the Kaiser's
s~trategists count upon Earring Great
Britain,s sea power worse than they
did in the Jutland battle.
As was told at the time, low visi-
biiity hampered the British battle craft
The handicap was Of natures making
and due to the drifting fog bank In the
North Sea. The Germans propose to
simulate natures work so that they
can have a sheltcring veil at will be-
hind which TO manGuvre to the dis
comfort, II not the destruction. of the
enemy. This Is ono OF the most strik-
ing lessons taught by the Jutland bat
tie. The idea Is not strictly new. but
he that Germany intends to
employ are novel.
There was a time when It was
n-ecsssary to sec tho mark in order to
score . hit. but this Is not apparently
a. case now. Means Of directing gum
~ from aloft enable the marksman.
GAoodns through . curtain Of mist. to
SooeS effectively upon his invisible
1AevSl A British oficer writing Of the
SuH,aaA batfiA In which no served.
oa16s
BupsotNSiy unpleasant was . period
= 0ats a hour during which We were
Onools 10 sss the enemy. while they
oOu1d - u most clearly. Thus We
Vsgo unable to irs . shot and had to
~ content with steamins through .
>osnAdo Of shell hre without ioosins of
oeuA. which was somewhat trying"
IN that case Il was tho position Of
he setting sun that did the trick.
Ths advantage altered with the shift
ing q the oontsndins squadrons and
the same observer tells what followed
n this fashion:
sHoweven about $3.50 the sun 81
housttsd up the Germans and COM
pistsly turned the tables as far as1ighs
ws concerned and for a period OF
some twenty minutes We rave them a
most terrific dressing down, which VI
trust they will remember. Then down
came the mist again and We had &c
close them to four miles in the at
tempt to see the enemy. and four mile.
Il Of course about as near as like.
to get to the foe. as torpedoes ther
come into play"
That bank Of fog happened along By
chance. The lifting Of the veil a while
previously exposed the hidden German
ships. The Kaiser's naval men ART
bent upon either keeping the advan'
tase which atmospheric conditions giv'
In the first place or creating clouds o
smoke that will hang like an impene
trabls curtain between themselves an
their quarry. The commander Of tn
German high sea fleet played his gam
Of hide and seek with consummat'
adroitness and the way In which h
managed TO make cover for his night
ing craft is suggestive Of the possible
development of these tactics in tn
nsxt sea action.
A. . British critic has put II, 81
long ~ daylight lasted the German
asstroyers and light craft did all tina
was possible to protect their mali
CoeosA. First they sent UP barrages o
smoke which. mixing with the fog an
mist, made q barrier inpenetrab,e I
sight, secondly. they darted in group
q four or i've out Of this screen (
launch torpedoes against the advancinj
British shipa A . result tho Germa'
0sot was we'll OF in it, flight befor
- John Jellicoe could either locat
session or shake OF the destroyer
~ IN organized pursuit."
IA confirmation Of this Sir John Jel
oeee In his oficiai report Of the Julian
oGktls describes what happened whe