MAKING READY

Press, Volume L, Issue 15034, 31 July 1914, Page 7

MAKING READY

FOR WAR,

HOW RESERVE SHIPS

MOBILISE

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE

ENGINEER

Somo years ago. after an international crisis in which the British Fleet was quickly mobilised, the "World's "Work" contained an article on the process of getting the reserve ships ready for service. The following extracts aio interesting to-day in view of tho fitting out of the reserve Hoofs on account of the European crisis. Commissioned ships have nothing to i do in preparing for war beyond pre-/ paring for battle. It is otherwise, of course, with tho ships in reserve, S whoso mobilising wo heard so much tie other day. That mobilisation was moio of a test of our preparedness aught else. The first meu to be affect-* ed aro the dockyards men; in a sense tbey are the only people much affected at all, for the Navy is happily now so organised that it can actually mobilko" without hittfi or excitement. The, dockyards men aro first affected because they have to put tho finishing touches as quickly as possible to any work in hand. That means overtime, night shuts, and, if necessary, work on Sunday. Every officer doing duty in ■ harbour ships or anywhere elso in thtf homo ports has his "war appointment." On receiving the mere order to tako this up ho knows exactly whero to go." Similarly, the men aro all told off— it* is ' all arranged beforehand; tho authorities havo only to switch on, as it wer Q ;' and the wheels go round. In tho store establishments all tho stores for individual shins other th|tn those atways in place lie neatly apart and- ! ticketed. Thither go the crew, and in - abo VC ?' * tin,o -- tnin 8 8 are got

I Much, of course, always is on boards the reserve ships. There is coal in; fiiqrr bunkers, aimmuni+ion in fchoir * magazines and best of all, a "skeleton i crew. There is a chief engineer who \ works tho tricks of tho engines (and the engines of warships have often the most strange individualities). He, too. knows tho state of the boilers, which ones had better be dealt gently with, which repairs ordered to be done have been shelved for other work, and ho has his private list of dockyard repairs not done as he would havo them . done. Some of theso he will perhaps put his ~ people to see to at once il timo admits—it is often tho privilege of engine-room complements to have to do over again work supposed, to have been done for them in the yard. Probably tip ship haß Belleville boilers, and the engineers will get ready all tho sparo tubes they can. for any day might bring a shot in the boilers. If tho hit is not too serious, damaged tubes can be taken out and fresh one; screwed in. this ability to repair being tho "military" quality of tho Bellevilles, of which we hear so much; now and again. It is only found in boilers of .French invention, and has been the cause of bother before now in peaco ■ time, when badly screwed-in tubes have leaked, but when war is in tho air, it is an inestimable advantage, for no ships that can possibly bo kept with the fleet can bo spared for dockyard repairs after a battle. The engineer in the most important person with a mobilised ship. Almost everything depends on him and tho machinery for. which he is responsible. 0; all this tho man on shore knows nothing; to him.it is only "light fires and steam away/,' To the toiling men below it lacks that sweet simplicity; there are a million things to arrange in a few hours, and for a week at least till tho long-idlo engines havo_got into tuno thero will bo vory little rest for anyono below, and if in that period the chief engineer gets his clothes off or more than four hours slc«p put of the tw'entv-four, he will count himsoil .a lucky'man. In a past steam trial in day« cf peace ho will havo learned something; in the commissioning trial that will bo run, if circumstances admit, he will learn more, but it mil bo raanvs days' steaming before uiinw have" shaken down. I have emphasised this matter of tho engineer* bticauao by tho good folk asboro they are the »«i> turo a .uip going ««* *«»*[" % are the modern substitute for that favouring wind for which Nelson iwefl to Pray, though fortanatelT for tbo counK infinitely mare reliable. While our siiip is getting up at*am above will have been bu.sy clcanng P or Son as they clear in conimSKfed sbios-. The men who. yd. iettj. ln c „'\J. .<.-.. -«nforf , c-' ■ ' bags will pr, ■■ m

have got to get to know and fjjßßjy.'fupon one another. It is an old iflM'trne saying that one commissioned ;£$?P is probably worth two mobilised 5f563; and there are those who assort Spat for the first six months of a war efficient ships will be those r;W«ieh were in regular commission when t apt-rouble began. Hence the mist jef wrought by those who advocate eternal] peace navy with large reserves. Psueh a fleet vietorv is well nigh S-sible, nnd it. cannot be too clearly down that io win a navy must be i war footing and ready iv the tg times of peace.