THE BRITISH FLEET.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLI, Issue 51, 13 March 1906, Page 3

THE BRITISH FLEET.

SEEIESOF MANOEUVRES. Recent tibles have enveyed the information that tests in mobilisation in connection with the British Fleet had . been carried out, 60 warships of the reserve division, manned by full crews, having held Sheerness and Chatham on, on the 9th inst. The appended extract, dealing with the proposed manoeuvres of the Fleet during the present year, should be of general interest This year the British Fleet "will carry out the most instructive and important series of manoeuvres ever held, ihey are aimed (says the naval correspondent of the "Daily Tejegraph") to put to a supreme test the recent scheme, by which the squadrons have been-redis-tributed to suit the changes due to the triumph of steam mobility; to the readjustment of" political and naval power in Europe ,and, to the necessity enforced by the war in the Far East of massing British naval- power so as to enable it to be handled in tike of war in skilful combination.- - • The year's manoeuvres will be as follows,:— February.— The ; Channel,' Atlantic, and Mediterranean Fleets, with the three' associated; squadrons of armoured cruisers, will' "concentrate at Lagos, a magnificent.' bay - off the Portuguese coast, and then take part in joint operations. ' ' :;; ' : :'\ .-■'.'■ , , Ju_e--THe ; same naval forces, rein- - forced! by the ships of the several din:i . sions in commission in reserve at the ■■'•:■ home ports, and all the torpedo craft, will combine for the "grand raanoeu- - vres;!* ' It will bethe greatest naval assembly ever called, together, and 'four- 1 , -teen British Admirals will fly their flags. man-of-war in the _riS tish Fleet will participate, and the co- _-' .operation of- the, shipowners has been ft >:pro_iised, _o;that the. conditions during '-: A 1 the- period' of the mimic w_r may re- : v "semble -those 1 of; actual hostilities in all {• essential., respects. The. squadrons in \ distant ieas". will; co-operate as though r .war had- Been- declared. ,-..'■ i ' September.^The 1 Chiha, East Indies, i and Australian Squadrons will cencen- ? , trate at Singapore if or joint manoeuvres, ; ' specially- intendedjtb illustrate the best E methods- of ' safeguarding British inter'•i ests in the Far- Eastern and Southern . -The operations in the Far East in the % : __t___a are of minor interest, bepause ?-'- European ..waters-.are those of strategic t -.importance.' Europe, is the cockpit of ■'(- Athe' ; world,:, and if jevents profe.as they " ; "will' that the British Fleet dominates ! the English- Channel, the North Sea, . -'and the: Mediterranean, it will also have >' -been _hown" that i it. dominates all the v seas. All naval power which may clash $ v with British interests is concentrated in .:: European waters; now that, Russia s :> squadrons in the" Far East, are no more, '■'> -ii 'not a single "battleship to be *- _6nna outside.the. three "Near Seas ex : ; >' : i: cept ;thoVe' of -Japan.and' America. Bn--7 ; --^tish'jiavaU ; power^:- backed on the one hand-by our ally of the Far East, and . ; -on'. the jother.: : by, our friends of the Far . :; :'W^est,:;sits.,is.tride'.the : countless leagues '. ':■ ' ' of "the :• o'cejin >which? lie between .Hong '.. Kong, Sydhey.iJJsquimault, Capetown, ■'->-' v Halif ax o(isspectively and Lon- ,! . -don;< Se4 'pisj^ej 'spreads.; its influence --v far an_ ; wide-i_uch : sea .power as the •British Admiralty; holds N m the- hollow ? : of'its hand." The seas; are all. one, and V' : ' ! 'the i ßritish Navy; is; all one; thoiigl - : there, are several- squadrons, they.are ar ; 'l .anged .so _s 'to.'-- copbine, ;at a'signa :- .. from. ;White}iall,: -.4 Strike wenemi '■b. ' whCTever.hf or' his ; agents may be, Th - •"' manoeuvres'iri'Febriiary and June ne* -i "■ will: illustrate. to the whole world, th | .virtue" that is in" toe Kritish Navy; it -<. ' all-embraci'rigv .grip ;' '- its mobility, an „ its -capacity" •for.~pffence . and „• defeucf ■''■ . given a'jiist cauise. .-• .-.,.-. yyv^'/'-y'^r'^:' .•:•'. .•..•■'...'■■