The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1917-12-01
BRITISH GRAND FLEET
is ALWAYS BUSY


Correspondence of the Associated
miralty, speaking the other day in
the house of commons, flung out a
challenge to the Germany navy. He
said, al disclose no secret, or If it is
secret / disclose fact which /
would be glad to tell the enemy,
when / say that the British grand
feet in it's northern base lies behind
no shore defenses, but relies on its
own strength alone"
There are people in the United
States who do not appreciate the &C.
tivities of the British navy in it's
home waters, who think that it lies
in idleness, like the German high seas
feet, behind impenetrable landlocked
bases. For the purpose of removing
this impression, the Associated Press
| representative was asked to visit the
grand fleet, live on board the first
line battleships, and observe just
what sort of days work it puts in
day after day and week after week.
Ceaseless activity is the motto of
| the grand fleet. Neither men nor
ships are permitted to gather rust or
barnacles. From it's base at the
northern tip of the British Isles, it
sweeps day and night the 100000
square miles of the North Sea, on
ceaseless vigil, in unfagging hope
that one day its watching will be re-
warded by meeting with the enemy
under circumstances wherein he can
not avoid battle. Moreover, this
sweeping of the North Sea is no mere
aimless patrol. In the most casual
moves of ships and men there is al
ways directing mind and a directing
PLAN The North Sea is as well swept
in relation to it's size as the drawing
room of well-ordered house. The en-
emy's coastline is still the British
navy's frontier
The harbor which has been the
home of the grand fleet 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,
l have room within their own particu-
lar section of this great base, for
every kind of practice maneouvres,
including target practice.
On sunny afternoon the cores
pondent saw eight battleships at tur-
ret or target practice, detachment
of cruisers manoeuvres, a seaplane-
balloon ship at work under conditions
Stimulating those of actual warfare,
and off and around the edges, var
ious operations by innumerable small
craft and auxiliaries.
Night target practice, which also
is conducted within the harbor, is al
ways an interesting sight. The bat
tleships steam down the nine-mile
course. Suddenly searchlight picks
up target. Instantly every turret
is trained, every gun directed. Their
button is pressed somewhere, and
the guns speak as with one voice in q
gigantic broadside that awakens the
echoes from the hills.
There is an infinite variety to the
turret practice on big battleship
The officer in charge of the turret
speaks: can enemy shell has come ir
through the turret, killing men mum
bers 1. 8. and 6. Right gun disabled
Connection with rest of ship lost
Garry on" The "dead men" file off tt
one side and watch their comrades
work as they would in actual battle
| There is the zest of game to it.
The officer speaks again: "Shell ha:
hit turret, killing all men except mum
bers 1 and 3. Number is seriousl!
wounded. Ammounition hosting ma
chinery disabled. Fire started in pile
of waste behind gun. Garry on!' The
single unwounded man left in the tur
ret must now endeavor to keep the
. guns in action single-handed, beside.
dealing with fire and seriously
!; wounded man. The "dead men" stanC
along the edge of the turret anc
watch their dead comrades efforts tx
"carry on" with Interest and amuse
ment.
! 1t is play, but play with deadly
efficiency behind it for it is intended
that in actual battle, there shall mo-
be single possibility with which
, these men will not be ready to deal.