A RAID ON SCOTLAND.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10073, 20 June 1910, Page 4

A RAID ON SCOTLAND.

The recent British manoeuvres in the North Sea were extremely interesting, and rather disquieting. The general idea was that the Red Fleet while cruising in the North Sea, received news that an enemy's fleet (Blue) was in home waters to the North. Red was to protect the j British coast against raids and bring Blue to action. Numerically Red was much stronger than Blue, his force comprising nine battleships, ot which live were Dreadnoughts, thirteen armoured or protected cruisers, two scouts, and twenty destroyers. Blue's fleet was composed of six i battleships, five cruisers, three 1 scouts, and eighteen destroyers. | Though the Red cruisers were spread j across the North Sea twenty-four i hours passed before they gat into I touch with the enemy, and then the consequences were disastrous to the defending force. Prince Louis of Battenburg, warned of the Red's approach, dashed at the Firth of Forth. His move was noted by a Red cruiser, which reported to Sir William May, the defending Admiral. Sir William sent one half of his fleet to assist the base and ships at the Firth of Forth. Before, the reinforcements could arrive in the Forth the Bellona and the other Red vessels stationed there were p3t out of action, Rosyth bombarded, and the Forth Bridge "blown up." The detachments of the Red Fleet, as theyfeame up, were attacked by the whole force of BIu?, and ship after ship was put out of action and captured. Admiral May now made for the Forth With the rest of his fleet, but the time was too short, and when the hour to cease hostilities arrived Blue was still holding the Forth intact. Prince Henry claimed as a result of his bold dash to have captured the Rosyth base, destroyed the Forth Bridge, raided and captured Forth ports, and deprived the enemy pf one battleship, three cruisers, two scouts, and thirteen destroyers. No wonder it is said that the victory "illustrates in uncomfortable fashion what dash and luck might do for even a weak enemy descending on our coast from a base in the North Sea."