NAVAL WARFARE

Greymouth Evening Star, 28 February 1931, Page 7

NAVAL WARFARE

AMERICAN MANOEUVRES

BATTLESHIPS BEAT AIRCRAFT

[BY CABLE —PRESS ASSN. —COPYRIGHT.]

WASHINGTON, February 26.

Admiral Pratt, reporting on the recent fleet manoeuvres off Panama, w stated that the consensus, of the officers’ opinions was that air attacks were of “less value -as a means -of defence against fleets than was expected.” .

Vice Admiral Reeves asserted that the-Air Force alone could not stop the advance of battleships, or prevent them carrying out landing operations. Chairman Britten, of the House Naval Committee, remarked: “It is interesting to note that even the aviation enthusiasts of the Navy now admit the superiority of battleships.” Among notes summarising the manoeuvres were two: —In two days’ oper- • ations, the defending air force’s strength, both in planes and bombs, was reduced by half. When the problem ended the air strength approached exhaustion in aeroplanes, bombs and in fuel for both carriers and planes. (2) Despite successful air operations and damage inflicted on convoy, the maximum efforts of the Air Force had no effect upon the steady advance of the attacking fleet. >- Carriers were found-to be hampered, by lack of adequate protection against gun fire, and an inability fo escape while operating planes.

THE IDEAL FLEET..

BRITISH CAPTAIN’S VIEWS.

(Reed. February 28, 9.30 a.m.) LONDON, February .27.

Arguments which would result in the scrapping of the whole fleet are advanced forcibly in a book entitled, “Navies of To-day and To-morrow,” by Captain Bernard Ackworth, D. 5.0., who is the “Morning Post’s” naval contributor, and who was four years on the staff of the Admiralty. He says that the. British navy should stick to coal as a fuel,»because a navy dependent for its power to move on foreigners is fantastic. The general staff should be disbanded, leaving the Board of Admiralty again free to deal with policy. No ship should be bigger than 12,000 tons. We: should scrap battle-cruisers, freak cruisers, carriers, and repair ships, which litter the sea, or more strictly, the dock, where they are perpetually under repair or redesign. ' x Captain Ackworth thinks .that the ideal fleet would be 25 battleships of 12,000 tons, with 150 guns, against. 17 with 138 guns, 38 armoured cruisers of 12,000, -with 228 guns, -against four with 28 guns; 112 unarmoured cruisers of 4000 tons, with 672 guns, against 49, with 124 guns; 160 small cruisers for coastal patrol defence; 60 mine-sweepers, river gunboats, and surveying ships,. ' The author’ argues that the war taught that gun-power is infinitely more important than speed, and he considers that. destroyers and big submarines are. a waste of money as the torpedo is a futile weapon. He describes the interior of the Rodney and the Nelson as more resembling a science museum than a warship. Their triple turrets are unsatisfactory, and one lucky.shell might disable all the nine guns. ;

Captain Ackworth says that 10,000 tonners like the, Canberra and Australia are not fighting ships in all, but mere boiler cases, to which a wellplaced four-inch shell might be exceedingly unpleasant. NEGOTIATIONS AT ROME [wireless.] RUGBY, February 27. Negotiations Continued in Rome this morning. While the British and Italian Foreign Secretaries, -Mr Henderson, and Signor Grandi were conferring, Mr A. V. Alexander (First Sea Lord) and Admiral Sirianni, with respective experts, were again engaged on the technical aspects of the problem. ' ' Strict privacy is marking the conversations, and it is doubtful if at the conclusion of the Rome visit.a detailed announcement will be immediately possible. Any agreement which may be reached must await the acquiescence of the United States and Japan. The Italian Press adopts an optimistic tone regarding the conversations. As it appears unlikely that the Foreign Secretary (Mr Henderson) will have returned from Rome in time to ■ attend Parliament, on Monday, the House of Commons debate on the accession of the United Kingdom to the General Act settlement of international disputes has been postponed, by agreement between the various parties.