NAVY IN THE WAR

Evening Star, Issue 19142, 8 January 1926, Page 5

NAVY IN THE WAR

REPLY T 0 CRITICISM

SUPERIOR TO GERMAN FLEET.

Prea» Association—By Telegraph—Copyright.

LONDON, January G. Admiral Sir Reginald Bacon, who commanded tho Dover patrols from 1915 to 1918, replying to Vice-admiral Sir Cecil Lambert in tho ‘ Daily Express,’ declares that he has no hesitation in saying that any suggestion thattho German fleet was not sunk at Jutland because our ships, guns, engines, and torpedoes wore inferior to those of the enemy is utterly untrue. The only ships of any size that Britain lost at Jutland -were battle cruisers and one armored cruiser. Had all tho battle cruisers been lost ns an outcome of the battle the action of the fleet would not have been affected.

Tho speed of our best Dreadnoughts was slightly superior to the best German ships. We did not catch tho Germans because wo only sighted them .at G o’clock in tho evening, giving us three hours of daylight. If Lord Jollicoo had been mad enough to chase the Gormans when they turned and ran, then tho stronger Gorman ships would barely have boon visible, and the weaker ships would have been 3,000 to G,OOO yards outside visible distance when darkness came on. No possible excess of speed would have enabled Lord Jcllicoo to catch up and sink the Gorman fleet in throe hours. The British guns were as accurate, or more accurate, than those of the Gem mans, and the system of fire control was admittedly far superior; but only twice did any portion of the German battle fleet come under the fire of our main battleships. That was between 6 p.m. and 6.30 p.m., when Admiral Von Schcer had a taste of our gunnery. He ran away. Later ho came under fire for another ton or twelve minutes, and his lending ships were badly mauled. Again he ran like a Imre, but the shortage of daylight robbed us of victory. As the Gorman ships had been built for North Sea work and ours for worldwide service, the Germans could afford more weight of armor.

Admiral Bacon concludes by counselling the public to use common sense and trust in the Admiralty's designing staff, which is the envy of all nations.—A. and N.Z. Cable.