MONITORS IN WAR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16372, 28 October 1916, Page 2 (Supplement)

MONITORS IN WAR.

ROUMANIAN WARCRAFT.

DANUBE GUNBOAT FIGHTING. ! Among the first acts of war in which our I new ally, Roumania, has been concerned is the gunboat fighting on the River Danube. The position of the allied craft on that river must be now materially improved not only by the addition of the j Roumanian vessels, but also by the release of the Servian boats which were formerly j interned in the Roumanian towns. While as regards the larger naval theatres of war, therefore, the decision of the Government at Bucharest to take sides with the allies can have no effect whatever—for, of course, Roumania is in no sense a sea Powertimely and valuable support in this one locality it is quite possible for her to render. Tho Austrian monitor Alnos bombarded military works riear Turnu-Severin, and is evidently a new boat, completed since war broke out, There were two such vessels, larger and more heavily armed than their predecessors, under construction in 1914, their displacement being 527 tons and speed 12 knots, and each was armed with two 4.7 in guns and three 4.7iu howitzers, The Alnos may, however, be a new boat altogether, for, as is pointed out in the recent issue of the Navy League Annual, it is quite feasible for small monitors and similar vessels of shallow draught to be constructed at Antwerp and Zeebrugge, and to be sent to the Danube and Black Sea by means of the canals and the Rhine. Prom England to Danube. Some years ago, two river monitors built in England for Roumania travelled in this way to Galatz, near the mouth of the Danube. Even if the Germans had commandeered all the Belgian works for submarine construction or other purposes, and" Austria still desired to build more monitors, she could no doubt do so at Buda Pesth, providing there was no hindrance in the supply of the materials. Whether or no the enemy forces in this respect have been increased, those of the allied Powers must certainly now be stronger than ever. They should prove of great service from, tho military point of view, as the free passage of the Danube, and the ability to transport munitions and troops along it, is obviously an important factor in the progress of 'the contending armies. It has been seen how Severn I types of British monitors, constructed to serve particular purposes, have appeared in various parts of the world, and no surprise could therefore be felt if some craft of this kind turned up in the Danube. Apart from new vessels, moreover, the war has already shown how the British seamen can adapt existing craft to special uses. About a year ago Captain Amery, M.P., returned from Belgrade, and in a speech at Birmingham he said how greatly surprised he was to find the British Navy in full command at the Servian capital", under a British' admiral, with a British admiral, with a British warship which had been taken to the place in trucks, and which had succeeded in sinking an Austrian monitor at her moorings. He considered that was one of the finest things of the war. Monitor Torpedoed. Tho "warship" was Commander C. L. Kerr's picket-boat, which on the night of April 22, 1915, made an attack on the big Austrian monitors north of Semlin, and torpedoed one of them under a heavy fire. This little picket-boat earned for herself flic nickname of tho "Terror of the Danube/ 1 and the boldness and skill of Commander Kerr were rewarded by a D.S.O. On many nights the British'seamen went forth on errands of tho utmost danger], and Tcopt fairly terrorised an enemy force of literally more than a hundred times thejr strength. They effectively reconnoitred the position and strength of the Austrian river forces, and. oommned with the other divisions of the contingent under Rear-Admiral Troubridge— responsible for the mining defence of the Danube and the naval and marine gunners with their heavy ordnanro rendered valuable service to our Servian allies in their hour of need. ft is very often in small, out-of-the-way expeditions of this character that the greatest opportunities are afforded to the officers ana men of the fleet to exhibit their initiative and dash. During recent months tho course of the war in the Near East has precluded their doing so to tho same extent a.i formerly, but as the tide of events has now given appearance of another turn, we may look for some interesting happenings on the Danube before very long.