New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-02-24
British Navy Doubted
Value in Peace, but Finds
Worth i'm War.
VORACIOUS OF COAL,
BUT DO THE WORK
Speed the Cardinal DeSideratum.
Combined with Sufficiency
of Gun Power.

cient gun power to cause the necessary
destruction. is now the cardinal prin-
ciple of British naval strategy, and
battlc-cruisers. an unknown quantity
at the beginning of the war, have
proved the excellence Of this principle
TO the satisfaction Of every man
aboard the battle -cruiser feet. which
was visited this week in the North Sea
by correspondent of The Associated
Press.
he new battle-cruisers before the
war were not exactly objects of pride
70 their officers and crews, on account
OF the voracity with which they CON
sumed coal. Service on them was not
popular, and government harassed
with demands for reduction IN naval
expenditure had no reason TO favor
these refnemerts of the supcrdread-
nought school.
To prove that the battle-cruiser has
redeemed its unfortunate early reputa-
ton, il is My necessary to point TO
the activities of this type of fighting
craft since the war began. Battle
cruisers brought Won Specs career TO
a full stop, and they were the only big
ships which succeeded in getting into
the North sea engagements
First Line of Offence.
1t is not surprising, therefore. that
these monsters. the biggest hghting
machines shoat, are now ldollzed by
the officers and men who fight them. A
squadron at the opening OF the war,
the battle cruisers now form the
nucleus Of Great Britain's first line
feet Of naval offence. There are many
new ships among the light cruisers at
tached to this squadron, but virtually
every battle-cruiser in II mas been
FLOODED" TO use the navy's equivalent
for the srmy's baptism of fire, and me
sailors manning them show the pride
! and poise of veterans.
When the mist lifted for a few min
utes as the correspondent stood on the
control bridge Of one of the battle.
cruisers. the fastest fleet capable OF
actual offensive operations ever gath
cred together under one fiay appeared
in view.
There were more than one hundred
war vessels in the fleet. arranged IN
souadrons, with battle-cruisers. sur
rounded BY their screen Of faithful de
stroyers. occupying the place of honor
1 but with every section, down to the
humble. rusty. but italy necessary.
GOLFERS. on the mark for a flying start
/ if the eagerly awaited coming ont OF
the German feet is signalled.
Dreadnoughts as Bait.
One lone drcadnought, powerful
enough to meet almost any foe, but
painfully slow in comparison with the
other units of the feet, swung IT
anchor. The officers on the bridge
jokingly explained that she formed the
third line TO come on and pick up the
pieces; or, IL necessary. TO be sent out
as bait for the wary German fleet.
The mobility Of this feet has thrown
OH it much of the patrol work in the
North Sea, and il is accepted as 4
matter Of course that should the Ger
man warships come out IT Will be the
first unit OF the British navy to feel
I the shock Of battle. as IL will. on &C
count of its speed. be able 10 get into
action before the superdreadnought
battleships reach the scene. Hence. its
claim to be the first line Of offence,
with the superdreadnoughts second
and the old battleshps Of the pre-.
dreadnought period forming a powerful
third line reserve.
Increase in the size of the big guns
does not worry the officers of the bat
tle-cruisers. who say that, since their
l3.5-inch guns can sink battieship
as far as the range can be found, any
bigger guns would add TO the weight
of the ship and reduce the space avail
able for turrets. without sufficient cor
1 responding advantage. These officers
/ talked about the much herelded Ger
man l7-inch gun in speculative way.
but, even admitting the possibility OF
mounting II on warship, they did not
show any great concern.
Ships Surprise Officers.
This feeling OF confidence in their
ships is not a matter of theory, for the
battle-cruisers are the veterans OF this
war. In destructive power they have
done only what was expected OF them
but in their power of resistance they
have more than surprised their officers.
The battle cruiser Lion, which
fought the greater part of the Dogger
Bank action as Nice-Admiral Sir David
Beatty's flagship, is the most note.
worthy example of this unexpected
power of resistance. High explosive
shells rained on this ship from stem TO
stern. and, although they ranged in size
from the Blucher's s-inch TO the Der
reached a spot vital enough TO interfere
/ WIFI bHt sup P"NN'
This she'll struck the engine room
and by letting salt water into the
steam pipes of the port turbine reduced
the Lions speed from twentyseven to
eighteen knots, but left her still power
full in defence, as only one OF her big
guns was out of action at any time
during the fight This gun, one Of the
I forward turrct pair, was damned foI
n time in its easement By an s-inch
she'll which struck the top OF the tur-
ret's armor and bent 1t down against
the gun.
The officers and crews of the fleet
look surprisingly unworn, and II they
are bored by the monotony Of the Ions
wait between actions they do not sho"
it, One reason for the lack of boredom
is explained BY the fact that naviga
ton. which in peace times is matter
OF routine, has become in the dark a
fascinating sport One navigator said
he dreaded return 70 ship and shore
lights, and asserted that even in peace
times many of the lights ordinarily used
could be dispensed with. with advan'
tage 20 the proficiency of the navy.
Not much hope was expressed that
the German navy would come out, but
raids arc not only expected, but looked
forward To with eagerness as provid-
ing another opportunity TO demonstrate
the capability of the battle-cruscr.
9Th ARMED STEAMER HERE