THE FRENCH NAVY

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 301, 16 September 1919, Page 5

THE FRENCH NAVY

ITS PEACE REORGANISATION,

The French Minister of Marine has fixed the provisional composition and organisation of the French naval forces, which will be placed under the command of a Vice-Admiral as Commander-in-Chief, and will be distributed as 'Ol°(1) A Special Section, comprising vence" and tho "Jurien de la Graviere, which will be placed at the disposal ot the Commander-in-Chief. The wo vessels will be manned by so-called armed reserve" crews, tho "Jurien de la bravioro" having a special crew. (21 A First Section, commanded by a Vice-Admiral, with a Reaj.Admiral under his orders, composed of the battleships Courbet, -Jean B«fc P«iß»tov raine, France, and Brqtagne. These vessels will be stationed in principle in fte ivWt rn end of the Mediterranean, and will be manned with "armed » 5 % 6 A°Second Squadron, comprising two divisions, each commanded by, a itearAdmiral, the First Division being comnosed of Voltaire, Condorce, and Diderot and the Second Division of Jules Micholol, AValdeck Rousseau, and Ernest as circumstances require, one of thesedivisions will bo tohdfcrfe Levant for four months at a time and ,„\; ,livi«lnn will be manned with full cpplemelW the duration of itamu, Si Four squadrons of destroyers four despatch boats, and three gunboat* will fompart of the Second Squadron. Three rainei-eepers and "* ™£ be detailed for operations in tho Black bea A Rcar-Aamiral will command the Syrian Squadron, which w.l comprise nine bic ships, three gunboats, and two mTne- weepers!' The naval division based rathe cistern stations, which is °- manded by a Roar-Admiral, and which Snlts of three big ship.and eight auxiliary vesse s and tenders, will icmain attached to the Syrian Squadron until further orders. The Danube flotilla will consist of six gunboats and six armed scouts.