The Goldfield news and weekly tribune. [volume] (Goldfield, Nev.) 1911-1947, 1916-06-24
ALLY SHIPS CAN
BLOCKADE CANAL
FRENCH AUTHORITY SAYS AIR
SHIP FLEETS WOULD
EFFECT THIS

PARIS, June 4. The allies
could extend their blockade to the
German coast in the Baltic and neu-
tralize the strategic advantages of
the Kiel canal. according to Vice
Admiral Degouy of the French nav
The first of the necessary opera
tions to accomplish this. he points
out, would be an attack upon the
canal by an aerial force of 100 to
$50 units divided into flotillas 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 flo
tillas, held in reserve, would re-
peat the attack after an interval of
"a to 40 hours. The first flotillas
would resume their attack after the
time required for taking on fresh
supplies and the reserve flotillas
would follow again as before.
This continuity of attack from
the air upon works known to be
vulnerable by reason of the insta-
bility of the soil in certain places
and the insufficient reinforcement of
certain bridge heads after the en-
largement of the canal. would, Ad-
miral Degouy says, assure obstrue-
ton of sufficient duration; whatever
defensive measures the Germans
might take against these concerted
attacks would not prevent fruitful
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 pos
sible a landing at isolated points on
the German coast and it's sufficient
fo~rtification so as fully to protect
the establishment of an immense
aviation camp within 60 to so miles
of the canal terminus.
The forcing of the straits and
mine fields would involve consider
able losses from submarines and
mines before the entente fleets
would get into effective contact
either with the German battle fleet
or the d~efenses of the Elba, the ad-
miral declares, but he did not think
this should be considered as pro-
hibitive of the effort. He discards
the hypothesis that it would be
possible to surprise the German fleet
under present conditions; it's mo-
bility would be such that it could
meet an attack at either end of the
canal, since it requires only "a
hours to pass through the Elba and
the canal to the Grand Belt.
The entente allies could put into
action 10 vessels of the line, of
which 76 are dreadnaughts and 2S
are protected cruisers, against A
dreadnaughts and three or
four battle cruisers, according to
the admiral's estimate. The Rus
sian fleet is not included in these
figures, but the admiral points out
that even if the Russians could not
join the British and French fleets
they would detach a certain num-
Der Of the big German units so as
to enable the allies to present at
DOtH tIuS VI the Cdndl SlmuItdne-
ously forces o~utnumbering the en-
tire German fleet.
This estimate takes no accoun. of
probable losses in approaching che
positions, and honca the admiral
holds that Elective operations OF
the air fleet on the canal is al os-
sential condition o. a successful at
tack. The forcing of the Grand
Belt and the Langeland Belt in suf-
ficient strength to blockade the
fjord of Kiel and the forcing from
west to east of the Fehrmann Belt,
he declares, is, Notwithstanding the
mine field and submarines, far cas-
Ter than the forcing of the Darda-
nells, and entirely feasible with the
cooperation of the aerial fleet.