NEW ZEALAND'S NAVAL DEFENCE.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 281, 26 November 1919, Page 11

NEW ZEALAND'S NAVAL DEFENCE.

(To tie Editor.) Sir, —It is with considerable surprise that I have not co far read any criticism in your paper suggesting that the true reason of the magnitude of Admiral Jellicoe's scheme is at least in part the outcome of a desire to prevent officers of the Royal Navy going on half pay. The scheme sounds all right on the surface. But to examine it, eight battleships and eight battle-cruisers, or nearly 'the active strength of the British Navy prior' , to the war. Have you ever considered the fact that the submarine and the C.M.B. have revolutionised modern warfare. Our C.M.B.'s used to go into Zeebrugge prior to the blockading feat and torpedo the T.B.D.'s alongside the mole; we have done the same thing at Kronstadt; the Italians did the same, too. A modern fleet if it wishes to go to sea must be capable of keeping its opponent , in harbour. If it is not capable of doing that it must remain in harbour itself, and further, that harbour must be proof against the C.M.B. and the j torpedo-carrying aeroplane. C.MJB.'s j are carried slung in the davits these days. Every ship is a potential seaplane! carrier. Has Admiral Jellicoe dealt with this phase of the (Juestion? What is the j purpose of the suggested fleet? Will it adequately and properly keep the Australasian shores safe from invasion ? Re-! mejnber the type of battleship which is j at present being built in the East. I j do not suppose for one moment that it I is proposed to send boats out here of the type of the £5,000,000 Hood, which is the only type which is equal in gunpower to such ships. All other battleships are useless alongside one of the modern type. Admiral Jellicoe admits that himself. Would it not be wiser for | us to confine ourselves to small craft of | the C.M.B. type and torpedo-carrying aeroplanes and properly protected harbours? These things are the most formidable craft in existence at the present day. The Gernwn destroyers in the Channel used to go off like scalded cats when the} , knew a C.M.B. was near. Do not forget too, Mr. Editor, that the British naval officer of to-day still lives in the days of pre-war manoeuvres. Is not Admiral Jellicoe attempting to impose a pre-war organisation upon us? I am etc., NAUTILUS.