BRITISH EXERCISES

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 30, 5 February 1937, Page 7

BRITISH EXERCISES

NAVY IN MEDITERRANEAN

The first units of the Home Fleet, which will sail from home on January 18 for Gibraltar for spring exercises, will consist of six battleships, an ah*" craft carrier, three cruisers, and eighteen destroyers. They will be followed later by another aircraft carrier and nine more destroyers, wrote Hector Bywater in the "Daily Telegraph" on January 9. - From "the Rock" various units of the Fleet will make visits to Lisbon, and ports in Northern Africa. All ships will reassemble at Gibraltar at the end of February to take part with the Mediterranean Fleet in manoeuvres on a large scale between March 1 and March 6. : It is not yet known whether these are to be held in the Mediterranean or, as happened in 1934 and again in 1935, in the Atlantic, where there is more "sea room" and less likelihood of interference with merchant shipping. When the two Fleets meet they will have a total strength of nine battle^ ships, two battle cruisers, twelve cruisers, three aircraft carriers, and fifty destroyers. No submarines from the Home Fleet are taking part, but seven boats from the Mediterranean command may be present, DEFENCE OF TRADE. It is understood that the exercises will, as in previous years, be concerned with the defence of trade. In that case the British Mercantile Marine will be invited to co-operate. British merchant ships played a prominent part in the 1935 exercises, when their enthusiastic co-operation yielded valuable experience. Owing to the Mediterranean crisis, no combined manoeuvres were held last year. In view of the new policy of restoring the Navy to full efficiency, it is probable that ships engaged in the March "war" will do more steaming at high speed than was possible in previous years, when oil fuel was severely rationed. On past occasions big ships have been usually restricted to 12 knots and cruisers and destroyers to proportionately low speeds. This handicap deprived the exercises of much of their training value, and was an example of false economy. Some weeks before the coming exercises the three big aircraft carriers. Furious, Courageous, and Glorious, are to meet at Malta and then make a practice cruise in the Eastern Mediterranean under the command of ViceAdmiral. N. F. Laurence.