The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1918-11-20
BOCHE NAVY
b[UFFEO To
END Of WAR
Major BattIeSbips DlsmantIed
10 Build U-BOats,
LUCK CHEATED BRITISH
Entire Fleet Nearly Wiped 0W
at Skagerak,

moment when the finest vessels OF tbs
German navy are about TO be sur.
rendered to the allies to publish in tha
Berlin Tageblatt a sensational zrtieh
revelations regarding the
German fleet. Captain Pefsius says the
nope that the German fleet would be
able in a second Skagerrak battle 10
beat the British fleet rested upon the
bluff and lies OF the naval authorities
In August, 1914. Germany had 7bous
one million tonnage m warship, the
writer points out, while Great Britaia
had more than dopbie that. and, thanks
10 the mistakes ofvcn Tirpitz, the Ger
man material was quito inferior 10 ths
British In the Skagerrzk battle, he
declares, the German fleet was saved
from destruction partly by good leader
ship and partly by favorable weather
Had the weather been clear
or Admiral Won Seheer's leadership
been less able. the destruction OF the
whole German navy would have re-
suited.
Barely Escaped Destruction.
The long-range British guns would
have completely smashed the lighter
armed German ships. As Il vas. thu
losses OF the German fleet were enor.
mous. and on June |. Captain Persius
says, il was clear TO every thinking
man that the Skagerrak battle must be
the only. naval engagement OF the war.
On ~ sidss, continues the writer.
Adnirsl vop Tkpia Va G1p1>e =
eoassrvct oaly submarines, bsst ~ ~
NAMED obstinate. On October | (i9iSf)
several members Of the reicbssss made
an earnest appeal 10 the army command
not to the naval staff--with the result
that an order was issued terminating
the construction OF battleships in order
that the material might be used for the
making OF U-boats. In the meantime.
so great a scarcity Of material had
arisen that II became necessary 10 dis
arm a number OF the battleships and
take the metal. In this manner al the
beginning OF 1910, wenty-three battle
ships had been disarmed as we'll as one
newly built cruiser.
At the beginning Of this year. Captain
Persius states, the German navy con-
sisted only Of dreadnaughts and battle
ships Of the Helgoland, Kaiser and
Matkgraf types and some few battle
cruisers All the ships which Won
Tirpitr had constructed from 1897 to
1900 at a cost OF innumerable mil.
lions, had been destroyed. and the u
boats that had been constructed had
proved unable to fight against British
warships.
Admiral Won Capelle during his period
as head OF the navy, says Captain
Persius. constructed very few subma-
rines of the large type. but in official
quarters il was still stated that Ger
many possessed an enormous number
OF U-boa,s and that the losses were
virtually nil.
Size Of U-boat Fleet
That was not true. the writer admits.
In 1917. he states. eighty-thfee subma-
rines were constructed, while sixty-six
we're destroyed In April, loN Ger
many had 10 submarines and in 0e-
tober, 1918, she had l6 and In Jupe OF
the same year llj, according to Cap.
tain Persius' figures.
Only q small percentage OF these sub
marines we're actively operating at any
given time, Captain Persius declares,
In January, 1917. for instance, when
conditions we're favorable for subma.
rine work, only II percent were active
while 70 percent were In harbor. y
percent under repair and 20 percent
"ineapaeita,ed." I,
Submarine crews, he says. were not
sufficiently educated and trained and
they looked with disuust upon the
weapon In the last months, he reveals
/, was very difficult to get men Tor
submarine work. as experienced seamen
looked upon the submarine wasfAse -
political stupidity.
Captain Persius tells Of the nutiuy
that broke out st the beginning of thlb
month when the German navy wos
ordered out for attack Had ~ soIs
mer. ebeyed, the Ausiies femafkA ~
Vulnerable lives ~cuid have besa ~
and he declares that every tkiskiue
man, therefore. u Of the cplrlca int