THE BRITISH FLEET.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 81868, 18 October 1906, Page 3

THE BRITISH FLEET.

EXPERIMENTAL ECONOMICAL CHANGES.

LIVE MINES ADRIFT IN THE SOLEN.

London, October r6. It is officiary announced that the battleship Africa, to be commissioned at Sheerness in November, will be replaced by the Magnificent, and the latter be recommissioned for service a> Devt-nport in connection with the ""tlw battfeship Hibernia will be substituted in November for the Victorious. The Atlantic Beet will then consist exclusively of the Kinff Edyard the Seventh class of vessels. The Daily Chronic e say s the slowest and weakest vessels will be gradually eliminated from the fighting fleets, rfew vessels in many instances being substituted. The Daily Telegraph publishes a reassuring statement that reorganisation is in the interests of economy, but based on the demonstrated efficiency of the reserve divisions, with a nucleus crews system. It will Be on trial for two years. One of its advantages will be that the torpedo craft will be made unprecedcntcdlv efficient. During Admiralty experiments ii> gun cotton electrical concussion mines got adrift in the Solent. Ten vcre recovered and two exploded.

RESERVES REDISTRIBUTION

Received ißth» 12.50 a.m. London, October 17

The Daily Telegraph states that eight Roval Sovereigns, and the Nile, Trafalgar, Burfluer, and Centurion, forming <he second reserve, with skeleton crews, are to be replaced by oine Majesties, two whereof are already in the reserve. A fleet of newer vessel succeed the Majesties in the ■ea-going squadron. Thus the reserve fleet will be numerically weaker. but more effective.