Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-02-12
BRITISH FLEET
IN NORTH SEA
HAS FEW SCARS
First Line Offensive Force Is
Ready For Instant
Action
VETERAN FIGHTING CRAFT
Have Borne Brunt of Sea Fight
ing From Dardanelles to
Falkland Isles

Somewhere in the North Sea. via
London. Feb. 12.-Great Britain's first
line offensive fleet, an Incompatible
ombination of speed and gun power
ready for instant action, was inspected
yesterday by a party of French and
American correspondents, and a rep
resentative of the Associated PreSs was
permitted to view from the bridge of
a torpedoboat the naval unit which is
expected to meet the first shock of
German attack.
In the fleet were virtually all the
veteran lighting craft which have been
in action in this war, but they showed
few scars With the exception OF an
occasional dent in their armor. The
pride of place was held by battle
cruisers which in engagements from
the Falkland Isles to the Dardanelles
have borne the brunt of the sea fight
ing. Unpopular with officers and men
before the war because they were con-
stantly coaling, and never more eau
| tiously praised by the proponents of
the superdreadnaught policy, these
huge fighting machines hold the pre-
mier position in the British navy. in
which warship speed is now regarded
as the first and most important prin-
ciple of naval strategy.
Prowling Destroyers
As the launch with the visitors on
board turned toward the line of bat
tie cruisers against the horizon they
could see the 'eyes" of the fleet, in
the form of few prowling destroyers,
which keep up incessant watch, not
only to protect their mighty sisters
from submarine attack but catch the
| first view of any adventuresome Ger
man warship which might poke its
nose into the open North Sea.
Looking through the mist could be
seen the giant tripod masts which
identified the fleet as including the
very latest type of battle cruisers, and
soon the launch was at the foot of
the boarding ladder of a huge battle
cruiser which got its baptism of fire
at Helgoland Blight and later bore an
honorable share in the Dogger Bank
action.
The visitors We're permitted to en-
ter any portion OF the ship they
chose.
The party then launched as guests
of the divisional rear admiral who
was using the cruiser as his flagship.
After luncheon the correspondents
were taken on board the famous crui-
Ger Lion which was Admiral Beatty's
flagship in the Dogger Bank battle.
| With the exception of a dent in her
forward turret and a similar scar just
above the water line. this show vessel
of the British navy displays little sign
of the terrific hammering she got
when three German battle cruisers
concentrated their fire on her.
Carefully mounted in the companion
way is an 11-inch uneXploded shell
which the Zydlits hurled through the
Lions armor below the water line.
No evidence has ever been found to
justify the story that the Lion was
| torpedoed, but her officers and crew
are still marveling at the slight harm
done her vital parts by the rain of
heavy shells.
The shell which did the most dam
age did not penetrate the armor cas-
ing of the engineroom, but dented it in
so far that salt water got into a
broken feed pipe. This reduced her
speed from 81 to IS knots and forced
her to withdraw from the battle, in
which any vessel speeding less than
25 knots had no chance of keeping the
range of the fleeing Germans
No sign was left of the 12-inch
shell which blew in the bulkhead of
the admiral's quarters after going
through the deck, except the casing
and cap occupying the place of honor
among the Lions trophies.
Even the captains bathtub, which
was hurled overheard by the explosion
of an S-inch shell which probably
came from the Inflated Bluecher, has
been replaced. The enginerooms of
ever having been in battle. The tur-
bines looked as if they were just out
of the shop.
Men Kept Scattered
The officers of the Lion explained
that the reason there were so Few
casualties was due to the fact that
the men were so scattered about the
ship during the action that an eXplod-
ing shell was not likely to kill more
than one or two at a time.
a torpedoboat picked up a portion
of the party from the Lion and the
remainder from the almost equally
celebrated Tiger. which looked like a
commissioned ship despite the
many times she is reported to have
been sunk.
The oil-burning topedoboat tore
along the impressive line of battle
cruisers with it's interested civilian
passengers on the bridge eXclaiming
with interest as through the mist the
great ships bearing historic names and
which were made memorable by their
own feats were passed in the battle
formation in which they expect to
meet the German fleet.
Beyond the battle cruisers, long
! line of light cruisers lost itself in the
| fog. Some of these vessels are vet
Grams and show signs of the rough
/ patrol work they are called upon con-
stantly to do but many are newly
| commissioned and have yet to wear
/ the scars of service.
| Speed, now the fetish OF the navy.
reached the zenith with these light
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