Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1916-06-15
COMPARE RIVAL NAv|ES
Did Germans Skater English
Supremacy in Battle of Jutland?
Grent Brftnins Lead in BattIeship
strength Decreased since War BE.
gan-Losses In Tonnage and
by Classes.

'" y" way 81 sndtter the tyrannical
supremacy of the seas of the English
fleet as Kaiser Wilhelm boastfuly as.
serted on Monday to the sailors Of the
fleet when II reassembled at wilhelms-
haven? Has Germany crippled the
English fleet to such an extent that
henceforth the German nation must be
Acknowledged to be at least on equal
terms with England az naval power,
Ihese are two of the oft-recurring
queries as to the real significance in
the terms Of naval power and control
on the seas attaching to the Jutland
encounter, says the Brooklyn Eagle.
terman enthusiasts may we'll be con-
tent with the outcome Of the battle, IL
1t has raised Germany from its place
as second naval power of the world to
position in which 1t can claim at leasta
equality with the English as n naval I
power.
on the official admission of losses Of
snips in the encounter. the balance Is,
III laVor Of Germany, as far as this en-
Tagement is concerned. Germany has
OFFICIALLY admitted the loss Of eleven
ships. England's government has off,
cially admitted the loss of fourteen
ships Advantage is even more in Ger
many's favor, when an account is taken
OF the tonnage losses Of both nations,
Germany claims the loss in tonnage is:
Germany, Go,720 tons. and England,
ll7.750 tons.
Taking the sum total Of the naval
losses by both nations during the war.
Germany appears to have lost moro
fhon
sells captured by England are classed
with those actually lost in engagements.
Inc reports show that Germany has lost
seventy-four vessels, while England has
lost seventy-three. In addition to these
known losses, Germany is reported to
have lost twenty-five other vessels. as
compared with eight reported losses by
England.
But, in the matter Of tonnage the
total losses for the war to date tell
different tale. The balance of this
reckoning is entirely in Germany's IA
vor as England's naval losses have been,
as rule, In big ships. while the Ger
man losses have been in small vessels
AS consequence, the tonnage losses Of
the English are approximately 100000
tons. The German losses amount to an.
proximately 275ooO tons.
One impartial critic of the situation
has declared that to date In the world.
war. considered from the naval view.
point, the dreadnought strength Of the
two nations is relatively the same as it
was before the war started: that Ger
many has decreased Englands lead in
battleship strength considerably, so that
England is now only twice strong in
this field, instead of two and one-half
times strong as It was before tho
war; that England's strength In heavy
cruisers has increased from five to ten
times that Of Germany; but that Eng.
land is now only half as strong in bat
tie cruisers as Germany, whereas before
| the war the two navies were equal In
| this class.
| In 1914 England had fifty-eight battle-
ships built and fourteen in procvess Of
construction It's total tonnage in this
class was approximately 100000 tons.
During the war II has lost nine battle.
ships OF approximately $4,000 tons.
| This leaves the English navy now with
| forty-nine battleships-not including
those constructed since the war began
with a tonnage Of approximately ss5. 900
tons. This includes dreadnoughts and
SUPERB thoughts.
Germany in 1914 had thirty-five bat.
tleships built and six building. The ton.
mage Of these vessels was approx.
mately 10000 tons Germany has lost
only one battleship since the war began,
its tonnage being 1920, Germanys bait
teship strength Is, therefore. practical.
ly unimpaired.
OF battle cruisers England had ten
at the outset Of the war, Of 2l5,0O0 tons
gross. OF which it has lost three ves-
sells, of a gross tonnage Of 5000 tons.
Germany had seven Of these vessels at
the outset Of the war, of 10000 tons.
gross approximately. Not one OF these
vessels has been lost by Germany. 80
that at the present time both nations
have seven battle cruisers, but the tom
mage balance is In Germany's favor al
the ratio of 10000 to $4,000 tons (ap>
proximately)
England had forty-seven armored
cruisers in 1914, with a gross tonnage OF
approximately 900, 900 tons and Germany
had nine of these vessels with a gross
tonnage OF approximately 10000 tons,
England has lost eleven Of these Yes.
sells, with a gross tonnage of 1884, oc
tons. leaving It's present strength az
thirty-six vessels and 365. 100 tons. Ger.
many has lost six of the armored cruis'
ers, of gross tonnage OF $500 tons
leaving it's present strength five vessels
and 5000 tons.
Sixty-five light cruisers built and
twenty in course of construction. with
gross tonnage of S50.0oo tons, were
registered in the British navy in 1914
Five Of these vessels whose tonnage
was $4,000 tons, have been destroyed
since the war began, leaving the pres
ent strength Of tho English navy ir
this class as eighty vessels and SO, 00t
tons Germany had forty-three of these
vessels In commission at the outset OF
the war and six building, with a gros.
: tonnage OF $4,000 tons approximately
Fifteen of these vessels. with a gros,
| tonnage Of 53,0no tons, have been lost
leaving Germany's strength in this elias!
. as thirty-four vessels and $4,000 tons.
In the remaining classes of vessels
1 all Of small tonnage, Germany has suf
Z fered greater losses than England
/ relatively. England has lost 10 out o.
{ aS7 destroyers. whereas Germany ha.
lost IL out of las destroyers. England
lost eleven of its ninety-six submarines
Y while Germany has lost fixe out o.
thirty-eight of its submarines, Their,
have been reports Of the loss OF sever
other German submarines in addition L
the five known to be lost,
!, The gross strength in tons of tn,
English battle fleet before the Julian,