Evening star., 1940-02-23
Nazis Draw British
From Mediterranean,
Maj. Eliot Says
Dangerous Dispersal Of
Capital Ships Seen
Forced on England
BY MAI. GEORGE FIELDING
ELIOT.

by MAJ. JEOhIE FlELDANu
ELIOT.
Dispatches from the Near East in
dicate Turkey is moving closer to
state of war-perhaps with both
Germany and the Soviet Union
while the flood of news concerning
the concentration of allied armies
In the general region of Egypt, Pal
estine, Syria and Iraq, including
even personal interviews with so re-
firing and publicity shy a person.
age as the interallied commander IN
chief in that area, Gen. Maxine
Weygand, lend some color to the
theory that the allies are anxious to
impress the world in general, and
possibly the Kremlin in particular,
with the presence Of considerable
threat to Russia's southern flank.
In this connection, there arises
very interesting series of specula-
tions, based partially on evidence
partially on deductions to be drawn
therefrom. First of all, 1t may be
promised that any serious operations
in this Near East area must be based
on command of the sea-both OF the
Eastern Mediterranean and the
Levant Sea. The original alned
naval dispositions for control OF the
Mediterranean were for the British
Mediterranean fleet with the sup
port of the Turks to hold the east
ern end of the Middle Sea, guarding
Suez and maintaining control OF the
approaches to the Dardanellas. the
bulk of the French fleet was TO holo
the Western Mediterranean, less the
fast new battleships Dunkerque ana
Strasbourg, detached to the Atlantlc
for chasing raiders, but with the
support of at least one British bat
tleship at Gibraltar. These disposl-
tions were based on the possibility
of italy being an enemy. They now
appear to have been profoundly
altered; perhaps under the pressure
of necessity, perhaps as a result OF
diplomatic maneuverings centering
at Rome.
British Mediterranean Fleet.
The British Mediterranean Fleet,
on August /, 1899, included the fol-
lowing units: 1st Battle Squadron
(Barham, Malaga, Warspite); lst
Cruiser Squadron Devonshire, Sus-
sex, Shropshire) 3rd Cruiser Squad
ron (Arethusa, Penelope); the air
craft carrier Glorious: the 1st, End,
3rd and 4th Destroyer Flotillas (nine
ships each, average) with the cruiser
Galatea as flagship of destroyers;
the 1st Submarine Flotilla (six sub
marines, and number Of auxil-
iaries and miscellaneous craft. The
three battleships belong to the
Queen Elizabeth class, the other two
ships Queen Elizabeth and VAL
ian0 were on the date mentioned
undergoing a major refit and recon-
struction in home dockyards. The
work on them was due to be COM
pleted some time in 1910.
OF these ships, the following have
been identified or reliably reported
to be in the Atlantic or North Sea
since the beginning Of the war:
Battleship Barham, plus one uni
Identified ship, Queen Elizabeth class
(possibly Barham also); cruiser
Arethusa, destroyers Grenville,
Gipsy of 1st Flotilla; Hardy Of I'd
Flotilla; Intrepid. Ivanhoe of Sd Flo
tilla; Mohawk, Cossack of the 4th
Flotilla; submarine Salmon of the 1st
Submarine Flotilla. Since squadrons
and flotillas usually operate in war
as units, the conclusion to be drawn
seems to be that the demands of
war in the Atlantic area have drawn
away the whole of the Mediterra-
mean Fleet from its station, with
the probable exception of the 1st
Cruiser Squadron and the aircraft
carrier Glorious.
Indeed, the demand of the convoy
system and of anti-submarine patrol
for destroyers in particular are
known to be very heavy-as may be
imagined from the fact that the de-
stroyer Daring, reported sunk by a
German submarine. belonged on Au-
gust to the 21st Destroyer Flotilla
on the China station. But the pres
ence in the Atlantic-North Sea thea
ter Of fast German armored raiders
(not only the pocket battleships, but
the big Scharnhorst and Gniesenau,
and the new 8-inch-gun cruisers)
have, on reliable reports forced the
British to use capital ships also for
important conveys. With Royal Oak
lost, with Queen Elizabeth and VAL
liant in dockyardS, only IL are avail
able; aside from possible further de-
ductions for damage to Repulse and
to the unidentified Queen Elizabeth
type. Considering that a sufficient
concentration of force must always
be available to deal with German
raid in strength, it is easy to see
why, In mid-January a correspond
ent Of the London Times found the
Dunkerque and Strasbourg still in
Brest.
What all this means is simply