THE BRITISH NAVAL FORCES.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XII, Issue 239, 22 September 1922, Page 7

THE BRITISH NAVAL FORCES.

POWERFUL FLEET OFF CONSTANTINOPLE. AT LEAST SIX BATTT.ESHIPS. Early in "August the greater part of the British Mediterranean Fleet concentrated under its Commander-in-Chief. Admiral Sir Osmond Brock, off Onstnntinople. With the arrival there of H.M.S. Benbow on August. 2, Sir Osmond has with him all his six battleships, the Iron Duke (flagship), Benbow (second flagship). King George V., Marlborough, Ajax, and Centurion. According to the London “Times” of August 3 most of the vessels of the Seventh Destroyer Flotilla were with the Admiral. According to the latest reports those at Constantinople were the Senator. Seraph. Shark, Sikh, Sirdar, Sparrowhawk, Spear. Splendid, and Sportive. The Sepoy was reported at Smyrna, and the Tribune at Alexandria, while tiie Speedy was. at Malta and the Swallow completing a refit at Gibraltar. The auxiliary vessels at Constantinople include the aircraftcarrier Pegasus and the destroyer de-pot-ship Diligence. The other vessels on the Mediterranean Station were at that date distributed as follows:—Under Rear-Admiral Sir Reginald Tyrwhitt the Third Light Cruiser Squadron had arrived at Malta, having cut short its Italian cruise, according to a Reuter message, in order hurriedly to take in stores and proceed to Constantihople. With it was the targettowing sloop Chrysanthemum and the destroyers Serapis and Trinidad. The Reserve Division of four destroyers, the Tomahawk. Torch, Tumult, and Tuscan, was at Malta, where there were also the river gunboats Aphis and Ladybird (in charge of care-and-main-tenAnce parties), and the trawlers Moy and Ouse. The whole of these vessels apparently have since been moved to Constantinople.