Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-06-03

| yard today expressed the opinion that low
visibility" undoubtedly played an import
| ant part in the German sea victory III
there was low visibility, they state that 1t
Is probable that a flotilla of torpedo de-
| stroyers and submarines was enabled to
| creep up within a distance of 1000 yards OF
the English fleet and sink several vessels
before their location was discovered.
It was explained by a naval officer that
| low visibility meant poor visibility, which
| he said might have been due to the ap-
proach of evening or to thick or misty
weather.
INDIAN" STRATEGY.
Naval officers also advanced the opinion
| that the English fleet might have been lured
| into a mine field or nest OF tordedoboat
| destroyers and submarines by n squadron
of German scout cruisers. In any event,
they are certain that the big German naval
victory was brought about by typical In
dian ambush strategy" on the part of the
German commanders.
More ships were sunk or crippled In the
German English engagement than are now
present at the Philadelphia Navy Yard. 1t
was stated by naval officers that only one
ship now lying at the Philadelphia yard
would have been at all eligible for the
great combat across the seas That vessel
is the superdreadnought North Dakota,
which is equipped with 10 12-nch guns
Other ships lying at the yard, naval Off
GERS say, would have only been In the
way and would probably have been sunk
quickly by shellfire.
SHIPS HERE USELESS.
The North Dakota compares favorably
with the British battle cruiser Indefatiga-
ble which was lost during the engagement.
Other ships lying at the Philadelphia Navy
Yard, which naval officers described as 80
much junk" are the reserve fleet battle
ships Illinois and Wisconsin, the submarine
Mother" Dixie, the obsolete cruiser Chi
cago, the Iowa, Indiana and Massachusetts,
veterans of the Spanish-American War; the
Terror and Mlantonomah, obsolete moni-
tors; the Minneapolis, which naval officers
say is of no value because 1t has tremen-
dous coal consumption.
There are also four destroyers at the
yard, which might have been serviceable In
the engagement,
BRITISH BADLY BEATEN
All of the officers interviewed expressed
the opinion that the English received n
worse licking than the press dispatches in
dicate. They base this view on the fact
that the Germans had time enough to pick
up English survivors.
''It is evident" said one officer, that the
German ships put the British ships TO fight.
for we read how the Germans picked up
English survivors, but there is no record
of the English saving Germans. am also
of the opinion that the Germans engaged
the main English fleet"
Asked as to range, the officer said: ut is
probable that the battle began at range OF
eight or ten miles, and during the hottest |
period of the fight the range was probably |
from three TO four miles. 1t is safe to say
that the Germans got in some effective work |
with torpedoboat destroyers and submar-
ines. do not believe that the Zeppelins |
played very important part in this bat |
tie. AS l understand 1t the battle began |
about dusk, and the Zeppelins are of very
Ia af would haan
very hard for Zeppelin crews to drop bombs |
on moving objects like ships.
probably the English feet was making |
one of its sweeps of the North Sea when |
1t encountered the German fleet"
SUBMARINES USED.
Another officer, who is a torpedo expert, |
said: Because OF thick weather torpedo |
boat destroyers and submarines were prob
ably able to get close in and do some deadly |
work The maximum range of a torpedo is |
from 10000 to $4,000 yards.
But accuracy is uncertain at the max |
imum range. At the maximum range the |
torpedo is subject to the influence of cur |
rents. and its speed Is cut down.
But under favorable weather conditions,
torpedoboat destroyers and submarines |
could have crept in close TO the English
could work terrible havoc with the English
fleet. for every torpedo discharged would
find it's mark.
From the standpoint OF naval strategy,
II is evident that the English commanders
were badly outplayed at every turn of the
game. The Germans have shown Them |
selves expert at the old Indian ambush
game
with feet of scout cruisers the Ger
mans could have lured the British feet into
a mine field or nest of torpedoboat de-
stroyers and submarines. II would be right
in line with their tactics to do this.
certain that the victory will spur the Ger
mans on TO other naval exploits"
An officer expressed the opinion that more
was used In the 24-hour engage
ment than Is now assembled in ali Of the
arsenals and naval magazines OF the United
States Government, Another oficer said
he did not believe this could be true.
"Warships." he said. have a IInnitad
capacity as to ammunition. For Instance.
a 12-inch shell weighs about 1900 mounds
So you see you can only get a limited mum |
Der OF these shells aboard ship. Az soon
as ship exhausts It's supply Of ammuni-
tion IL Is virtually out of Commission Tor |
the time being. It must withdraw from the
battleline and another ship takes It's nIacs %