NAVAL MANCEUVRES.

Evening Post, Volume LXXI, Issue 144, 19 June 1906, Page 5

NAVAL MANCEUVRES.

SURPRISE ATTACKS UNSUCCESSFUL. ITRESS ASSOCIATIOH.I LONDON, 18th June. In the naval manoeuvres Admiral Sir William Henry May's surprise attacks on the Home ports failed. Admiral Sir Arthur Wilson's mobilisation of iJhe reserves was considered remarkably rapid and efficient. According to the programme arranged when the last mail left London, the area of the operations, which will be continued till the beginning of next) month, lie between the latitude of the Scilly Isles and Gibraltar. The Red (British) side will have the Welsh and Channel ports nnd the distant base at Gibraltar, to which port Lord Charles "Beresford, with the Mediterranean Fleet, will probably have moved up from Malta. The Blue (enemy's) side will have the chief Irish ports, the Channel Islands, and Lagos, where hia Majesty's chips are always so cordially welcomed by the King and people of Portugal. Admiral May, with his inferior foree — inferior in battleships and cruisers — will (says the London Telegraph) be opposed to ( two fleets, the Channel Fleet, very much his superior, based on England, and by the Mediterranean Fleet, a not despicable strategical unit, based on Gibraltar. On the other hand, Admiral May will have associated with him the splendid ships of tho Second Cruiser Squadron, under Prince Louis of Battenberg, which demonstrated their admirable steaming capacity during the recent run from the United States to Gibraltar, and also some vessels from the Reserve. What damage can an enemy do to British interests? This is tihe problem. Admiral May's part will be to endeavour to outmanoeuvre and, if necessary, outfight the great fleets opposed to him, while, at the same time, on Prince Louis, in association with Admiral May, will devolve the difficult tusk of harassing and, if possible, capturing British merchant ships, which it will be the duty of the cruisers attached to the "Red Side" to defend. So far as can be gathered from the instructions, Admiral Sir Day H. Bosanquet and Rear-Admiral Neville will have the honour of checking . Prince Louis's aims. The outcome of this phase of the operations will be most important from a national standpoint. The contest in this period of a little less than a, fortnight will illustrate more effectively than any previous manoeuvres the double role of the British Fleett— namely, to search out and defeat the enemy's battle squadrons,, and to safeguard British commerce inward and outward bound.