THE NAVAL WAR

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2646, 17 December 1915, Page 8

THE NAVAL WAR

"BARGING ABOUT THE NORTH SEA." FEATS OF SEAMANSHIP (From a Special Correspondent of tho

"Scotsman.")

When Rear-Admiral Sir David Beatty, on a recent occasion, spoke of the British Navy as "barging about the North Sea," all who heard liim realised the measure of the Navy's regret tbat there had been so much difference between what it wished to do and what it liad been given air opportunity of doing. To sweep the seas of the world clean of the surface craft of the enemy within a few months, to impose upon his commerce a strangle hold, to fight land batteries and cover the operations of troops on distant coasts, to smash a way up tropical rivers, and edge over the shoals of a flat coast-line with great guns working mightily for the eakc of a stricken •people—these have been' great achievements, but they have not satisfied the Fleet. "The sure shield of Britain" has not failed her, and the utmost ingenuity of an absolutely unscrupulous enemy has been countered successfully and in silence. The whole world was made aware of the awful things which the German submarines would achieve, and now the whole world is aware that thoy have achieved practically nothing, and is almost imploring Britain to tell what she did to them. Such is the difference in method. The resounding phrases of the commission to the submarines of the enemy to "cleanse the North Sea" produced no evidence of disturbance over here. His underwater craft put out with injunctions to {rightfulness showering upon them, and with impressed neutrals awaiting results, but they were just quietly gathered in, and the manner of their ending was a mystery to the Fatherland. There has been lacking, however, the one great opportunity, as compared with which all the achievements indicated are regarded by the British Navy as of little' moment. • The enemy's fleet has remained locked away behind the mine-fields, and thero lias been no smashing contest such as would recall the famous days when the navies of nations fought. Deprived of the great test—the test which it believes would be final—the British Navy is disposed to look upon all else that it has dono as mere "barging about." It has been seen that "barging about" bas_ included the reduction practically to impotence of the submarine service which the enemy had regarded as his most, valuable sea weapon. It has included much more than that; If it were possible, indeed, to tell at this time all that "barging' about" lias meant, the gratitude and pride with which the nation—and not i alone this nation—regards the Silent Service would be deeper than ever. The earliest days of the war were stirring days at sea. They seem far off now, and the lessons they provided have been well learned. Our Fleet at that time had yet to measure the infamy of the enemy, and to realise that to the German nothing was sacred but his success. There were some fine feats of seamanship during the first black, wild winter round coasts darkened and disguised, and amid courses mazed and mixed and falsified in "the blindfold game of war." Be it remembered that many of the ships of the Navy had been drawn across the world to the work on tbo lightiess, shallow, narrow sea, where the enemy was assured that his mosquito craft from the harbours behind Heligoland woilld hunt at will. Sailormen will appreciate the seamanship which kept the ships in safety at their work day and night, on such coasts, under such conditions. Efficiency and accuracy in the engine-room: efficiency, accuracy, and oilr heritage of 'sea sense" on tne bridge; these were the factors which, in darkness'and fitorin, upset all fcno calculations of tho enemy, and nullified all his efforts The nerve of the Fleet was better, .and the Fleet itself stronger, at the end of the winter than it had been at the beginning. The German calculation was that its. nerve should have been gone, and the best of its ships destroyed. The strain only proved the quality of the Navy. There were many comparatively unimportant incidents of almost a year ago which at tho. time sent a grin round tho Fleet and did their part in tho general hardening. These were collected, for the most part, with the attempts of the cnomy to maintain supplies lor his submarines. Many of our tars will recall ono such incident which involved quite a feat of seamanship. It occurred out on. the North Sea and possibly a- little west of the Long' Forties. .Just about twelve months have gone since the affair, but it still raises a smile in certain quarters. A fast light cruiser of our Navy on a very dull morning after a calm, cola night, sighted a cargo vessel under a neutral flag, and came to' regard her with some suspicion. The "tramp" was kept under observation for a long time before she received any evidence at all of being watched; To outside appearance, the neutral was in that condition which brings to his mouth the fieart of a skipper expectant of salvage, and no doubt- more than ono trawler that morning had glanced at her hopefullv, and again and again, for a signal that' she had broken .down and wanted a tow. Lying off in the distance, the warship | was satisfied that tile.tramp was not "going lame," but was waiting for something. Having arrived at that conclusion, tho neutral was approached in the usual way, and an examination was made. In the making of the examination the "guflibl'e and unsuspecting" Britisher rather scored. The officer entrusted with that duty did not spend much time over it. That was not necessary. He was apparently satisfied as to the bona fides of the tramp when he shouted a cheery "Good-bye" and returned to his ship.. His report was to the point. Whilst "looking at nothing" ho had seen enough to be certain that the vessel was neither, a neutral nor an innocent tramp steamer with a defect in the engine-room. The warship disappeared, and the tramp "limped" along, with no more than steerage-way on, as before. Throughout eleven weary hours patient eyes and ready guns were turned on that unsuspecting merchantman, and jit length darkness fell. Then there was vouchsafed the watchers that for which thoy had waited so long—the combination of lights on tile neutral. It was a clover combination, in which 'her ordinary lights played the part of permanent basis. Having learned all that she seemed likely to learn by waiting, and being now certain that anything that was about to happen to the cargo steamer would not be seen by any submarines that might be about, the warship made a move in the darkness. During tho whole eleven hours tho position of the suspect had hardly chang. ed. The extra lights of the combination suddenly vanished on the tramp as the cruiser boro nearer, and that was the first indication to Sib invisible fighting s'ltip that the crow of the tramp had hoard the rmnblo of machinery somewhere and were taking precautions. Then an astounding thing happened. On the quarter of tho iramp a section of the darkness materialised in tlio most startling fashion, and from it thero poured over tho melrdiant ship a crowd of sturdy fellows who dashed for tho bridge and dived for tho engine-room .and had the ship ill their hands and her crow prisoners within live minutes. The cruiser, slipping up in tho blackness, had laid hor long slim bows alongside a jetty, and tho boardiug party assets

bled forward did the rest. The crew of the tramp had no time to do anything in the way of warning anyone. It was smart work, and a valuable capture. Stores of food, drums'of oil fuel, and spare torpedoes were carried under the sham cargo of the supply ship. She was steamed into port by her prize crow, and she steamed very well indeed. It is said that she was steamed out of port again not long after, and that on resuming lier interrupted duties with a now crew 6ho oxorcised a distinctly demoralising influence upon certain units r Pi sll kmai'ine service of tho enemy. Tho feat of seamanship involved iu laying the cruiser alongside her quarry bp suddenly and so closely in the darkness was noteworthy, but on the occasion of tho fight at lacing speed between our battle cruisers and those of tho enemy, off the Dogger Bank, last January, there was provided a not less notable example of the splendid skill with which tlio fighting ships aro conbroiled. _ Lt will be romembered that when the Lion dropped out of action, Admiral Beatty transferred his flag to the Princess Eojal. The Princess Royal, steaming at full power, was using her guns with effect upon the fleeing ,enemy, without intermission. To recall her from that work in order that ,tho admiral might get on board was apparently not thought of. She had to bo overtaken, not recalled. To catch her, tho admiral boarded the Attack. Ihe destroyer was asked to overtake a battle cruiser which was running at well over thirty miles per hour., and to put the admiral on board without de-' lay. The Attack was "opened out" to task, and it may be questioned if even her designers dreamt of tho speed she developed. The Princess Boyal was overhauled, but kept on her furious way, her guns crashing out unceasingly. Steadily the Attack worked closer, and very soon, with engine-room responding with marvellous precision, to the demands of the bridge, she was reduced in speed to enable her absolutely to cling to the ■ speeding leviathan ahead of her, and with both vessels rushing along at that terrifio pace the admiral passed from the destroyer to the battle cruiser and resumed his place in the action.