Omaha daily bee., 1916-07-18
TELLS OF LESSONS
DRAWN FROM FIGHT
Rear Admiral Knight Thinks
North Sea Battle Shows
Fast Cruiser Useful.
NOT DIsCREDITED ANY

Jaiy AZ iNSpohsN
to a request by Secretary Daniels for
an opinion OF what lessons might be
drawn, for the naval expansion pro-
gram from the Jutland battle between
the British and German eeets. Rear
Admiral Knight. OF the naval war col.
lege has replied thai. far from dis
crediting the battle cruiser, although
vessels of that type bore the brunt
Of the losses in the engagement, the
fight added a new era to the field OF
the usefulness Of the fast fighter.
The battle has not changed the ad-
miral's opinion that dreadnaughts are
still and will continue to be :!.e back
bone Of any lighting fleet, but it has
caused him to recommend that IL
congress is to add only four capital
ships to the first line, all should be
battle cruisers.
Due to Battle Cruisers.
Had the success which Admiral
Jellicoe claims to have had almost
within his grasp, been actually OBJ
tanned, it would have been entirely
due to the battle cruisers, and the
loss of three OF these would have
been a small price to pay for useh a
result In other words, the battle of
Jutland, so FIR from discrediting the
battle cruiser, has added new area
to its possible field of usefulness and
we may now say Of it, that in addi-
ton to its use for scouting and
screening and for operating as fast
wing against the fanks OF IN enemy's
feet, it may be used for holding an
enemy feet until our own main feet
can come up. That it may be sub
ject to heavy losses in accomplishing
the task does not make the task less
useful and brilliant.
"My reply is, then that my view Of
the value of the cruiser has been
somewhat enhanced by the results of
the battle off Jutland, so far as these
results are known"
At this point the admiral referred
to his testimony before the house ma
val committee in which he declared
it in his opinion that the battleship
would contiue to be the backbone of
every efficient fighting feet in spite
Of any developments which could be
foreseen.
Views Not Modified.
1.-THE battle off Jutland" Admiral
Knight contiued, "has not led me to
modify those views, but learn that
in the four months that elapsed since
these were expressed the battleship
design to which | looked forward at
that time has advanced so rapidly
that it is possible to introduce this
year the improvement which had in
mind as likely to be ready for next
year; and for this reason, l am glad
of the opportunity to make one
change in my accommodation as fol-
lows:
"If the number OF capital ships to
be provided for this year is four, I
recommend that all shall be battle
cruisers.
"If the number is six, I recommend
four battle cruisers and two dread
naughts.
III the number is eight, I recon-
mend four battle cruisers and four
dreadnaughts.
"If the n-mber is ten, recommend
six battle cruisers and four dread
naughts.
Il desire to invite attention to the
marked difference in conditiins under
which the British and German navies
have been operated in the North Sea
and the condition under which the
United States navy would operate in
case OF war with an enemy beyond
the seas.
Area Of North Sea.
"The North Sea is only about $50
miles wide and the same distance in
length. Practically its whole area
can be kept under constant observa-
ton by scouting craft of various
types, supplemented by Zeppelins and
aeroplanes. Fast ships can pass from
the British to the German coast be-
tween daylight and dark.
1T results from the above condi-
tions that there is no such demand
in the present war for vessels of the
battle cruiser type as would exist in
war in the Atlantic or Pacific, nor is
there my opportunity for these ships
to give evidence of their value in the
primary role for which they are in
tended"