THE BRITISH NAVY.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9142, 18 July 1908, Page 5

THE BRITISH NAVY.

MANOEUVRES IN IHE NORTH SEA. 321 WARSHIPS TAKING PART. Received July 17. 9 a.pi. LONDON, July 16. Three hundred and twenty-one warships are taking part in tactical manoeuvres. 1 The force is divided into squadrons —Blue and Red—the former under the command of Admiral Lord Charles Bevesford, Commander of the Channel Squadron, and the latter under Admiral Francis Bridgtman, Command-er-in-Chief of the Home Fleet. The squadrons are contending for the possession of the North Sea. The Blue force, comprising \the Channel Fleet, will attack Great Britain, and the Red, comprising, the Home Fie it, will defend it.

These manoeuvres are perhaps the moat important ever undertaken by the British Navy. The centre of gravity of maritime power is now, with the advance of the German Navy, in the North Sea, at.d the whole.of the Home fleet has been placed on a war footing for manoeuvres in this probable scene of future conflict. Last month all the nucleus crews of the ships in the Portsmouth, Devonport, and Chatham Dvisions of the Home fleet were raised to full strength, and for the next month every efficient vessel of the Navy—battleships, armoured cruisers, protected cruiser;', torpedoboat destroyers, torpedo boats, and submarines —will be in a condition to go any\* her; and do anything fully manned with trained crews, stored, victualled arid supplied with projectiles.