NAVAL WAR.

Taranaki Daily News, 31 July 1920, Page 5

NAVAL WAR.

REVEALED BY JELLICOE. GERMANY'S SUBMARINE STRENGTH PQW WE MET THE PERIL. St telegraph.—Press Asm.—Copyright. Received July 31, 1.30 a.m. London, July 29. .•;■ Tfta evening papers featuie Lord Jellicoe'* bqok, "The Crisis of the Naval War," and unanimously praise the (faaightforward narrative 0 f facte, which are given without bias. "* It shows "that Germany opened with twenty-eight-submarines and enormously ; improved. monthly until, by February, Wl7, they numbered 130 in home and $0 in Mediterranean stations. The turning point came in April, 1017, when "Britain prevailed, slowly but gradually ' winning. > *fc Though in September, 1918, Germany ■fcad 326 war Vessels of all classes, during the war *lle \oet I*6, of which 35 '" were Mink by depth charges, 36 were 'mined, 19 were sunk by British sub-ti-marinei, 20 were sunk by patrol craft, I*lß By decoy ships, 4 by warships, 4 by ' "planeSy and 5 by towed sweeps. -"' Referring tothe critics who demanded know why the German ports were net blocked, Lord Jellicoe holds that the Kattegat was available, and-was used. TTe did not share Lord Fisher's idea of fo»etttg the Baltic. 1 The book contains much technical matter dealing with Admiralty administration. When the war broke out the navy wm lacking proper equipment, raejk as range-finders, fire control, and torpedoes. Britain was ready for a war, bat not this war. Under Sir Eric Geddes the Admiralty was more costly, but not more efficient. Lord Jellicoe quotes. detailed examples Of unfulfilled promises of deliveries. Sir EHq Geddea promised two millions of tonnage in I*lß, a,ud perhaps three millions-, but turned out, howeyeT, only 1,163,000 tons. The employment.,,of * mine*, and submarines mounting guns, rwas unforeseen by the authorities and Lord Jellicoe says they could not have ■i foreseen them. The issue of the whole •swar was jeopardised because .the enemy used, a weapon for which no defence was prepared. Lord Jellicoe concludes with a ■ tribute to the American navy, especially Admiral Sims.—United Service.