MIMIC WAR LOSSES

Hokitika Guardian, 31 May 1928, Page 1

MIMIC WAR LOSSES

(By J. Al. N. Jeffries, 11.A1.5. Renown, Atantic Fleet, off Portugal) .

Yesterday we were within 400 miles of .Madeira, and it was rather a pity that, we would not fly to the rescue of that friendly island and save it from the dutches of tlie Alediterranean Fleet, Its vintages brightened the din-ner-tables of our grand-fathers, and, indeed, are still hold in honour at those of this squadron. But the Alediterranean folk presumably drink Capri in their pale ships, and under its saturnine influence move

to strictly strategical ends. So to counter their plans we were forced to leave Madeira, like Susan, astern, and we turned north to prevent tho fall of Gibraltar.

For all that, the anguish of the Rock did not seem to strike home to our breasts as we steamed quietly towards it upon a No 1 sen. No 1 is not to ho taken a.s a lyrical expression: sailors deal practically with the ocean and catalogue it from 1 to 9. according to its moods.

Still, when you get out- into the Atlantic there are ones and ones. A No 1 sea may fie smooth of surface, but yet have a swell upon it. and swells are accordingly catalogued a.s well as seas proper. There appear to be two schools of thought about swells. The first numbers them as seas are numbered, the second calls them, a.s it were, by their Christian names. Light, Moderate. Heavy, and Very Heavy. As we sought the north our No 1 sea was complicated by a Afoderate or Xc 3 swell. LANDING ON SWINGING DECKS. It was indeed a beautiful day, with clear visibility, fit for all craft which move upon tho sea. and in tbe plea-

sure of it every unit of our fleet shared, save only one. For again inexof-

able reality denied the* use of tlie air to the aeroplanes. The aeroplanes might have flown off from their carriers, without doubt, though it .would have been a little difficult, but tho real impediment for them lay, when their Jiving mission was over, in returning to these carriers.

How were the aeroplanes to alight upon a dock swinging over and rolling hack from side to side ? In war time they would have a shot at alighting, hut the risk was too great for mimic

We pursued our course, therefore, unhampered or unhelped by the riders of the sky. They might have been' of great use that afternoon to find the enemy fleet which had been long lost to sight. Our destroyers and cruisers spread in search of it, and found it eventually, but only at great loss to themselves.

As the day wore on reports came in: “Comus out of action. Cufaeoa 50 per cent, out of action. Calypso out of action. Canterbury down 25 per cent. Conquest out of action. Curacoa now 75 per cent, out of action.” Of these increasing losses aircraft reconnaissance .should have saved a good part had the ynd it ions permitted their employ,