Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1916-03-07
Wilbur S. Forrest, United Press Cor
respondent, Writes the Free.
man, Tribune About It.
ALWAYS READY FOR BATTLE
With the British Battle Cruiser
Squadron Somewhere in the
North Sea. >

feDTudry, Z4.-StanQlnS placlul.
at anchor, but in formidable battle
array, the British navys lighting
veterans" of the battles Of Heligo
land and Doggerbank We're still
waiting for the Germans to come out
today. f## "
Great, long grey warships, theil
engines ready to turn the propellers;
1.-THE greyhoundish scout cruisers
and swarms of diminutive black de-
stroyers and torpedo boats, all fully
manned and ready for action, ap-
peared anxious and willing today to
be off in chase or battle.
By courtesy of the British Admir-
atty l was able to see at close range
the real reason why there has been
no naval warfare in the North Sea
since January "a, 1915, when the
German Butcher was sunk and the
Derrfinger, Moltke and Seidlitz
were forced to run. to cover in the
German minefields. Since that time
the German fleet has remained at
home. sI
Preparedness personified in ships
and men, the British squadron is
ready to remain thus for years, if
necessary, according to the officers
and men with whom i talked.
Well ahead in the battle line is
the Tiger, roo feet of the same fight
ing cat that showed her teeth to the
Butcher in the .Doggerbank action.
A denied armor plate just above the
waterline, mark of final shot from
the Butcher, is lasting momento
still carried by the Tiger. The shell
was from one of the Teuton's II
inch guns, the Tigers officers de-
clare. 1t failed to penetrate the
nine inch belt of Krupp armor while
the Tigers ~ inch guns were per-
forating the equalled "krupp-armor-
ed' German battle cruiser.
Berlin still believes the Tiger was
sunk in this action. A possible fore
cast of future German naval warfare
in the North Sea and an explanation
of why the German belief is firm
that the Tiger went down was civ.
EN- by one of the Tigers officers.
When the Butcher turned her mas
sive hull to view, Zeppelin appear
ed 10000 feet above and dropped
bombs in the vicinity of the boats Of
the British feet busy picking up the
Blucher's survivors.
Observers on the air ship saw the
Blucher's death struggle and assum-
ed that it was the Tiger The word
was carried back to Berlin and offic-
tally announced to the world before
Germany saw fit to announce that
the Butcher was sunk. 1t was the
same old Tiger, however which the
writer inspected from stem to stern
today; and seeing is believing.
Not far astern the Tiger stood the
other member of the Battle Squad
ron's cat family 1t was the Lion,
bristling with guns, big and small,
primed and ready for any emer-
gency. Nearby lay the New Zea-
land, gift to the navy from New
Zealanders in 1910 and which made
a record trip around the world just
before the war. The Princess Royal,
700 trim feet of fighting ship, also
was nearby, keeping silent company
with the other fleet units, the iden-
titles of which must remain Admir-
atty secrets -. . 90
+, The Battle Cruiser Squadron is
waiting for something out of the air
which will set dozens of engines rae
ing toward the open sea and cause
hundreds of officers, gunners and
stokers and thousands Of seamen to
jump to their battle stations. Less
than ten minutes after the prepare
Il
the leading scout cruisers will be
tearing out to sea. Close behind, "a
few moments later, will come the
speedy battle cruisers, primed for
the long awaited but ever welcome
action.
Every four days some of these
lighter craft, scout cruisers and tor
pedo boats, iamble seaward to take
their patrol stations where the wire
less ears can be nearer the German
coast. 1t is these craft that will
give the signal. Their diversion in
the meantime is hunting the elusive
submarine, many of which, 1T was
learned today, have cruised their
last in quest of the Battle Cruiser
r ~ -'-s.< s,-s', eSs9n. Heavy nets, set
welt TO De l. ~, ca,,oa,.o,,,s