The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1919-04-02
HUN NAVY CRAVEN
JELLICOE SHOWS |
British Officer Surprised by Cau-
ton Of Foe Curing First
OF War.
GRAND FLEET IN DANGER
Short Of Cruisers, pestroyers and Had
DefenseIess Bases in Early Months
Of onfIict--Deseribes Hip Bat
tie Of Jutiand.

tie OF Jutiand.
LOndOn.-The dangers to which the
British grand fleet, short OF cruisers,
.lestroyers and with defenseiess bases.
was exposed during the first two and
one-half years Of the war, owing to the
German use OF submarines. mines ana
torpedoes, is described In book writ
ten by Admiral Vlscount Jellicoe, Tor
mer commander of the fleet, covering
the activities of 1914-1G.
Admiral Jellicoe points out that the
German high seas feet possessed IS
destroyers. compared with AZ for the
grand fleet. and reveals that, owing TO
the submarine menace, the grand fleet,
In the fall Of 1914. moved from Tough
Swiftly and only returned to the North
sea when the anchorage in Scapa Flow
became reasonably safe.
Neither in October, 1914, nor in May,
1916, Admiral Jelllcoe says. did tho
British margin of superiority Justify
him IN disregar1ing the cnemy's tor
pedo fire. The situation gradually I'M
proveh after 1915. especially Us thu
light cruiser and destroyer forces with
/ the grand fleet Increased steadily after
the battle OF Juhand. considerably re-
ducing the danger OF successful tor
pedo attack, while The inclusion or
class X submarines made 1t probable
that the enemy would suffer more
severely from submarine attack than
! the British.
Tables Are Turned.
Regarding 1918, Admiral Jellicce
says:
"The position was assured and We
could have afforded 10 take risks which
In 1ol6 would have been unwise. II
the German fleet had come cut 10 bat
tie. a terrible punishment awaited
them"
/ Oncthlrd Of the admlral's book IL
devoted 20 the battle OF Jutland. In
summing up the lessons of the battle,
Admiral Jelllc6e dwells upon ''th9 dan
GER involved IN leaving toe much to
chance Ia feet action, beeapsc our feet
WAS the one and only factor vital TO
the existence OF the empire. ana, To-
decd. 10 the allied cause"
IKE had no fsssrge.oal.idc the bait
4 tis feet, which, scals.-ss, ANY way re-
place Il In the .eyenl OF disaster or
oven should its hb.sin q, superiority
br elluiuatod.' the admiral continues
Admiral JeRicoe PAYS he knew that
Ills sh'ns were lnadeQUatciy protected
With ermor compared TO the German
vesscla NJ the battle c'-liser type
while he German Nee, IN he hattie
n Jutland was far better on N the
number Of destroyer'. In addition. the
Cerm6ns possessed "a nosi eclclenl
srmorElercing she'll"
Describes Ris Battle.
The admiral continues:
"Nyi'ea the battle fleets tppsoachs
mere was n difference OF reckoning
between the British battle neet ant
tho battle cruiser squadron. due &
the cruisers having bgcn engaged tol
Fcversl hours and having repeatedly
altered shelr course. Hence, .Astead Of
, being encountered right ahead thc enc
. my appeared on the starboard how
/ InSlart action was necessary the ad
fnlral ssyS. and he decided to dCploy or
The port wing division. thus compelling
). The Gnrnnns 10 turn OF TO siarbtard 4
, avoid being crossed This maaeuver
E which las been described as masterl!
). by reviewers, threw the enemy int
r ccmplsie confusion. The German com
maudcr in chief realized that his onl,
D hope 10y In escape proil,Iug by nj
J. supcrlo-lty ir torpedo craft, low visi
o billty. 'hc approach OF darkness an
n the proximity of his bases and min
fields.
The enemy at this period fred nun
tlreds of torpedoes as German officer
y have since stated. ADMIRAL JCllicoe cor
tinucs, and although the Germans ver
= IN the gravcst peril, the position OF III
/, grand feet itself was menuced by d.
s temlred torpedo attacks In ihic
weather. But the British fleet by tuTi
n Ing IFS battle line fonr times duriu
/; the action, the admiral says. got clea
i Of the torprdocs, which were roc'a
IL toward the riritisr ships, and dcfcutc
n the Tactics apou which the German
Il based their hopes.
After estimating the relative slrenct
u ~ The two fleets early In thu war, 81
mlral Jclllcoc expresses surprise tn
= tie Germans we're 30 cautious gu
!. says:
y, "It this country IN The future dt
! ciled 10 rely for snfety against raid
or Invasion on tie fleet alone, Il
T.. essential that we possess a considc
q ably greater margin OF superiority owe
r. n possible enemy In all classes Of vc
N sels than we did IN August, 1914"
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