NAVAL REVIEW.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18135, 26 July 1924, Page 13

NAVAL REVIEW.

FLEET AT SPITHEAD. AN IMPOSING ARB AY. (w cm»—»«s Awocuno*—ooraio**-) ("Abous.") (Received July 25th, 8.40 p-m.) LONDON, Jnly 23. The imposing assembly of the Fleet at Spithead for the King's Beview on Saturday was completed last night. There are 196 warships in lines ten miles long, headed by the Queen EUz « beth. King George goes to Portsmouth today, accompanied by the Prince o Wales, and sees the Fleet illuminated to-night. distribution op fleet. CHANGES NEXT MONTH. The Naval Review which is to take place at Spithead on July 28th (wrote the naval correspondent of tho mg Post" recently) will be the last public appearance" of the Atlantic Fleet in its present strength, for m about a month from that date half the battle squadron will go to the Mediterranean Command. Thia is part of the change which was mentioned by tho First {statement on the Naval EstunaWs when he announced that the strength of the latter in future would be "brought up to: Eight battleships, t-w o light cruiser squadrons, four destroyer flotillas, two aircraft carriers, one submarine flotilla, together with the neoesaary depot and repair ships. Although the details of the redistri"bution have not yet been officially announced, it is understood that four "battleships of the "Queen MLzabeth class will leave the Atlantic permaj nently to join the four "Iron Dukes already in tho Mediterranean. ine cruiser force will be provided by the existing Third Light Cruiser Squadron, augmented by the First Light Cruiser Squadron when the latter returns from the Empire Cruise in the autumn. The Navy's biggest aircraft earner, H-M.S. Eagle, will go to the Mediterranean on completion at Portsmouth, and H.M.S. Argus will also go there on relief by H.M.S. Hermes as aircraft carrier to the Atlantic Fleet. Two Atlantic fleet destroyer flotillas reinforce the 3rd and 4th flotillas of the Mediterranean fleet, and the Ist Submarine flotilla will leave JLorao waters and be l based on Malta. Those changes mark the end of an era which culminated during the war in the massed naval strength of the Grand Fleet. It also denotes a return to our normal dispositions before tho German menace, when tho Mediterranean „was the lrecognised focus of our Sea Power. If we review the naval situation as it exists to-day we shall realise the logic of thia peace-time strategy. The German fleet is no longer a danger, and, "throughout the length of the Western shores of Europe, France alone confronts us as a Sea Power of importanceThe latter, however, is also a Mediterranean Power and, in fact, the greater proportion of her Navy is permanently stationed in those waters. The only other sizeable Navy in European waters, "ignoring; the disintegrated fleet of iluß- - is that of Italy. Nevertheless, our concentration in force in the Mediterranean is not an aggressive act directed either against. France or Italy. Our main fleet, based on Malta, will be at the centre of a strategical hntivnoe with our most formidable rival in maritime strength, the United States, at the Western extremity, and the next most, powerful nation afloat, Japan, at the Eastern one.