Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-06-23
ALLIES COULD
EXTEND BLOCKADE
Possible to Neutralize Strategic
Advantages of Kiel
Canal

Paris. June %. - Correspondence OF
The Associated Press). The allies
could extend their blockade to the Ger
man coast in the Baltic and neutralize
the strategic advantages of the Kiel
Canal, according to Vice-Admiral De-
gouy, 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 twenty to thirty ma
chimes each. One of the fiotillas would
attack the bridge of Grunthal, one the
viaduct of Rendsburg, and another the
bridge of Levansau. while three other
flotillas held in reserve would repeat
the attack after an interval of twenty
four to forty hours. me fl. flotilla
would resume its attack after the
time required for taking on fresh sup
plies and the reserve fiotillas would
follow again as before.
This continuity of attack from the
air upon works known to be Vulner-
able by reason of the instability of the
soil in certain places and the insult
flcient reinforcement of certain bridge
heads after the enlargement of the
canal, would, Admiral Degouy declares.
assure obstruction of sufficient dura-
ton; whatever defensive measures the
Germans 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
his theory make possible a landing at
isolated points on the German coast and
its sufficient fortification so as fully
oprotect the establishment an inn
mense aviation camp within sixty to
eighty miles of the canal terminus
Would Involve Loss
The forcing of the straits and mine
fields would Involve considerable losses
from submarines and mines before the
entente fleets would get into effective
fleet or the defenses of the Eibe, the
Admiral declares. but he did not think
this should be considered as prohibit
discards the hypothesis that it would
be possible to surprise the German
fleet under present. conditions; it's mo-
bility would be such that II. could meet
since 1t requires only twenty four
hours to pass through the Eibe and the
canal to the Grand Belt.
The entente allies could put into ac-
tion 110 vessels of the line. of which
seventy-six are dreadnaughts and
tweintytei{ght inst Are projected cruisers
naughts and three or four. battle cruis-
ers. according to the admiraps esti-
mate The Russian feet is not included
in these figures, but Admiral Degouy
points out that even If the Russians
could not Join the British and French
fleets they would detach a certain num-
ber of the big German units so as to
enable the allies to present at both
ends of the canal simultaneously 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 fleet
on the canal is an essential condition
of successful attack. The forcing OF
the Grand Belt and the Langeland Belt
in sufficient strength to blockade the
ford of Kiel and the forcing from west
to east of the Fehrmann Belt, Admiral
Degouy declares, Is, Notwithstanding
the mine field and submarines, far
easier than the forcing of the Dardan
elles, and entirely feasible with the CO.
operation of an aerial fleet.