Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-01-04

New York Jan. 4.-Does the
appointment OF. Vice ADMIRAL Sir
Rosslyn Wemyss as first sea lord
of. the British. admiralty fore
shadow a change in allied naval
strategy? Will the long contern-
plated direct attack on German
H. naval bases be the result? Can,
the mine fields and hatterieh OF
Heligoland. be successfully at
tackled? II 80. how?
l put these questions to Rear Adj
fr1iral Bradley A. Fiske. former aid
for operations of the U. S. navy, pres
lident of the naval institute. and in.
scope sight that has revolutionized
naval gunnery, and many other naval
appliances.
1.-THE history Of warfare, shows that
whore decisive battles have been
fought. It. was in practically every
case the result of a strong attack
against. q. point that vas vital to the
enemy and yet comparatively weak"
answered Admiral Fiske.
That is the essence Of successful
strategy.
Noting this, we an realize that
lGermany's weakest point is her navy,
that 1t is vital to her, and that, there.
fore. q strong attack should be made
upon it.
"The whole German navy is now
concentrated in the region Of Kiel
and Wilhelmshaven; she has. 80 to
speak. all her naval eggs in one bas-
ket.
"Her naval power lies behind great
mine fields. justsas the garrison ~ a
fort in times p94t was protectedabe.
hind !thee.thick 4Nalls~0f ASfoEt. s.HaS +.
Sss.rRut when, an attacking force
found that it could not break through
the walls Of the fort, 1t utilized seal
ing ladders to climb over; and these
German mine fields, il they cannot be
broken through, can be flown over
with airplanes.
81 believe that air attacks on a
scale sunciently great would smash
those German eggs.
mo military defeat now posi-
BILE could injure Germany as
much as would the destruction Of
her fleet. :.
That fleet could not possibly
be replaced.
without it, Germany . could
not even put up a pretense OF
hope for. achieving the ambition
for world domination with which 4.
she commenced this war, or a
chance of maintaining e a
mediocre place in the family Of
nations.
apparently the submarine cam.
naign is losing some Of its effective.
ness.
4. sBut whether or not the U-boat.
thAve. bee1aheaten. We; have Ept to re.
menftter that .the subnrarineadsSonly
one az manysnayal weapons iNfd'2hava
strategy recognizes the fact that &c
long as an enemy's fleet exists as q
uing menace, from which an attack
Of some kind may be expected at any
moment.
"For this reason, no mere drop ii
the curve Of submarine sinkingl
should bind US ia the desirability o,
sinking or disabling the German
fleet. ' h
"rhe possibility Of doing this lie'
. "The~ distance from England L
: Kiel is only 375 miles. and frop
northeastern France to the sand.
! place is only 400 miles: while. tn,
distances from these, points to viii,
helmshaven are only 27o and sot
| miles respectively.
"A. squadron Of caproni airplane'
recently made, a trip of S75 mile'
without stopping.
Airplanes capable of carrying
Ifull-sized t%orpedoes from England Z,
: Kiel. of discharging them and re
turning successfully can be construct
ed, II they do mot already exist.
= I'm my opinion all the element
LOT a successful direct attack upoi
1.-The German navy and its, bases an
Eavailable. The appropriate mechan
Eisrns for the work already have beei
Invented. ~ i
!, The effect Of the destruction o
y Germany's fleet could not be cal
culated. 1t would certainly en-,
the submarine n and probabl,
end the war"