THE ROUMANIAN NAVY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 1605, 2 September 1916, Page 4

THE ROUMANIAN NAVY.

TWO SQUADRONS FORMED. DANUBE AND BLACK SEA. The Roumanian fleet is made up of two squadrons, one with headquarters at Galatz, for service on the Danube, and the other with headquarters at the great Roumanian port of Constanza, for use on the Black Sea. The existence of the fleet, which is under the direction and control of the Minister for War, is due to a law. framed in 1888. The chief of the navy is the commandant, who has his headquarters at Bucharest. The officers are recruited for the most part from the Naval College, but some have received their training abroad. Men sefve for four years in the active navy, three years on leave, and two in’the reserve. After this they are transferred to the militia. The Danube flotilla, which is decidedly superior in fighting power to ; the Bulgarian" river fleet, contains four river monitors. Dating from 1907-1908, each of these vessels is about (500 tons. They can steam 14 knots, and they are each armed with three 4.7 guns, two 4.7 howitzers, and with other smaller weapons. The Roumanians also maintain upon the Danube four old gunboats, used for police purposes, besides some small torpedo and vedette boats, in addition to police sloops and pilot vessels. The Black Sea squadron consists of a protected cruiser-training-ship, built in 1887, of a guardship, of three gunboats and of three 5(5ton torpedo boats, which date from the year 1888. At Galatza there are a floating dock, purchased in Scotland, a marine arsenal, and schools for mining and gunnery. Constanza is the centre for schools for sub-lieutenants and petty officers. Prior to the outbreak of war the Roumanians’ naval force was about to be considerably strengthened- by the acquisition of four large destroyers. Other programmes of construction were also under discussion, but so far as it is possible to ascertain, none of these programmes were definitely adopted, and the four torpedo-boats mentioned above did not reach the Black Sea before the closing of the Dardanelles.