Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1917-11-30

BrlLlsn 1T0AW S~ NsS
so.-The head of;the British admiral
u, speaking the other day in the house
OF COMMONS, nung ont q challenge to
The Germany navy. He said,a"I dis
close no secret, or IL 1t is a secret !
d~isclases q fact which, would be clad
the British grand fleet In it's northern
base lies behind NO. shore sdefenees.
hye relies on its own strength alone"
There are people in the United
States who do not appreciate the ac-
tiyfties, ofsthe British navy in It's home
waters. who think that it lies In idle
ness, like the German high seas fleet,
behind impenetrable landlocked bases
For the purpose of removing this i'm
precision. tho Associated repre-.
sentative was asked to visit the grand
heet, i've on board the f1rst-line bat
tieships, end observe just what sort
az Z dayss work It puts I'M day after
day and Week after week.
CeaseleO activity is the motto OF
tho grand fleet. Neither men nor ships
are permitted to gather rust or barn
aches. From its base at the northern
tip Of the British Isles, 1t sweeps day
and night the 100000 square miles OF
the North sea ~on.ceasefees vigil. In UNI
hax6ing hopes that n day its watch
ing viii be rewarded by a meeting with
the enemy under circumstances where
in he cannot, avoid battle. Moreover.
this sweeping OF the North sea IL no
more aimless patrol. In the most
casual moves Of ships and mon there
is always a directing mind and a di-
recting plan. The North sea is as wen
swept in relation to its size as the
drawing room OF a W~ell-ordered house.
THE, ~anorpv,o coaafI}nQ ia still the Rrif,
ish naxy's frontier.
The harbor which has been the
home Of the grand feet for three years
is probably the finest Of its kind in
the world. The whole area comprised
In this British northern base is about
equal to the hundred-odd square miles
which the Germans evacuated in
France last spring. The ~battleship
squadrons, for example, within their
own particular section Of this great
base, have room for every kind Of
practice maneuvers, including target
practice.
On a sunny afternoon the corre-
spondent saw eight fbattleships at tur-
ret or target practice, a detachment
OF cruisers in maneuvers, q seaplane-
balloon ship at work under conditions
stimulating those of actual warfare,
and of around the edges, various op-
r. VAS NY CSOAS 0AAA0A1 VI a.
and auxiliaries.
Night target practice, which also
is conducted within the hafbor, is al
ways an interesting sight. The battle
ships steam down the nine-mile course,
Suddenly a ~searchlight picks up a tar
get. Instantly every turret is trained,
every gun directed. Then a button il
pressed somewhere, and the guns
speak as with n voice insa gigantic
broad side that awakens the1echoes in
the hills.
There is an infinite variety to the
turrets practice on a big b%attleship.
The officer in charge of the turret
speaks: An enemy shell has come in
through the tyyfet, killing men mum.
bers l, 3,a4 and e.. Right gun disabled,
C~onnectiQn with. rest of ship lost. Car
ry N: The dead mem. flo or to one
side and watch their comrades work
as they would in actual battle, Thar
Is HI zest Of a game t it.
The officer speaks again: Shell haa
hit tuTTet, killing all men except mum
bers ! and 3. Number 3 is seriously
wounded. Ammunition hosting ma.
chinery disabled. Fire started in pile
OF waste behind gun. CarrxLon." The
singled unwoundF man left in thu
turretr must now ehdeavor to keen the
guns in action single-handed, beside,
dealing with q fire and a seriousl,
wounded man, The dead men" STAND
along the edge of the turret and watcf
their comrades efforts to carry on
with interest and amusement.
It tB+ play, but play with q deadl,
enictency behind it for it is intended
that IN actual battle, there shall no
be single possibility with which
theee*men will not be ready to deal.