Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1916-06-09
ALLIES.
MAY FORCE BIC.
FIGHT NEAR KEEL.


coast in the Baltic and neutralize the
strategic advantages of the Kiel canal,
according to vice-Admiral Degouy OF
the French navy.
The first of the necessary operations
to accomplish this, he points out, would
be an attack upon the canal by an
aerial force of 120 to $50 units divided
into fiotillas of 20 to 80 machines each.
One of the flotillas would attack the
bridge of Grunthal, one the viaduct Of
Rendsburg, and another the bridge of
Levansau, while three other f1otillas
held in reserve, would repeat the at
tack after an interval of "a to 40 hours.
The first fiotillas would resume their
attack after the time required for TAX
ing on fresh supplies and the reserve
flotillas would follow again as be-
fore.
This continuity of attack from the air
upon works known to be vulnerable by
reason of the instability of the soil in
certain places and the insufficient re-
enforcement of certain bridgheads af-
ter the enlargement of the canal,
would, Admiral Degouy declares, as
sure obstruction of sufficient duration;
whatever defensive measures the Ger
mans might take against these con-
certed attacks would not prevent fruit
full results.
While the base from which such air
assaults might be made is only limited
at by Admiral Degouy, an operation
speedily executed would, according to
his theory, make possible landing
at isolated points on the German coast
and its sufficient fertilization so as to
fully protect the establishment of an
immense aviation camp within 60 to
80 miles of the canal terminus.
The forcing of the straits and mine
fields would involve considerable loss
from submarines and mines before the
Entente fleets would get into effect
i've contact either with the German bat
tie feet or the defenses of the Elba,
the admiral declares, but he did not
think this should be considered as pro-
hibitive of the effort. Admiral Degouy
discards the hypothesis that it would
be possible to surprise the German
fleet under present conditions; its
mobility would be such that it could
meet an attack at either end of the
canal, since it requires only twenty
four hours to pass through the Elba
al d the canal to the Grand Belt.
The Entente Allies could put into
action Ito vessels of the line, of which
&c are dreadnaughts and 20 are pro-
tected cruisers, against A German
dreadnaughts and three or four battle
cruisers, according to the admiral's es-
! innate. The Russian fleet is not in
cluded in these figures, but Admiral
Deguoy points out that even if the
Russians could not join the British
and French fleets they would detach a
certain number of the big German
units so as to enable the allies to pre-
sent at both ends of the canal stimuli
taneously forces outnumbering the
entire German fleet.
This estimate takes no account OF
probable losses in approaching the po-
sitions, and hence the admiral holds
that effective operations of the air
feet on the canal is an essential condi-
tiCn of successful attack. The fore
ing of the Grand Belt and Langeland
Belt in sufficient strength to blockde
the ford of Kiel, and the forcing from
west to east of the Fehrmann Belt
Admiral Degouy declares, is, notwith-
standing the mine field and subma-
rines, far easier than the forcing Of
the Dardanelles, and entirely feasible
with the cooperation of an aerial
fleet.
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