BLUNDERS AT SEA

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 1 April 1915, Page 3

BLUNDERS AT SEA

Prince Louis of Battenberg resigned his post as chief of the Admiralty because his German relationship provoked suspicion, a suspicion which had no warrant ; but Sir John Fisher, who took his place, has certainly had better luck, or has shown higher administrative skill, than his predecessor. It is idle to deny that there were some blunders on the part of British naval authorities. It was a blunder that allowed the Goeben and the Breslau to escape, a blunder which a court-martial on the rear-admiral immediately concerned has failed to explain. It was a blunder which sent the three Cressys, with 1459 officers and men, to do patrol duty within reach of the German submarines, without any screen of destroyers; and when, indeed, destroyers could have performed that duty quite as effectively, and with practically no risk. It was a blunder, again, that despatched a quite inadequate squadron to patrol the Pacific Coast, a blunder with the loss of the Good Hope and the Monmouth and their gallant crews as a result; and the blunder was not lessened, but rather . intensified, by the addition of an old and slow ship like the Canopus to the lightly armoured cruisers. The tiny squadron was ill-balanced as well as inadequate.

A letter, which has since been published, written on board the ilUfated Good Hope, by the secretary to Sir Christoper Cradock, and dated October 12, shows that the staff of the ship knew perfectly well that they despatched on a task for which they were unfitted : —

" Here we are 9000 miles from home, in bitterly cold weather, with heavy snow and ice, pounding away at sea looking for an enemy which seems as .elusive as the proverbial shadow. . .

Rumours innumerable come daily to us and we never know when we may go into action. From now to the end of this month is the critical time, as it will decide whether we shall have to fight a superior German force coming from the Pacific —before we can get re-inforcements from Home oi- Mediterranean. We feel that the Admiralty ought to have a better force here and take advantage of our three to two superiority. But we will fight cheerfully whatever odds we may have to face."

Three weeks after that letter was written, the Good Hope was sunk, its officers and crew going down, gallantly, with their ship. But it was a blunder that sent them to their doom. —" Life."