NAVAL NANCEUVRES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2727, 20 June 1906, Page 19

NAVAL NANCEUVRES.

I LONDON, June 14. On the eve of the naval mobilisation a" German South African liner appeared, two days before her time, and anchored at Dover, close to where Admiral Winslbo was mobilising 40 warships. The vessel landed numbers qf German naval officers , and torpedo seamen on the pretext of j laying a wreath on the graves of their , comrades from the Grosser Kurfurst. The action has aroused much comment. June 18. In the naval manoeuvre Admiral MayV surprise attacks on the home ports failed. Admiral Wilson's mobilisation of th« reserves was considered remarkably rapid and Advices by mail show that it was considered tho manoeuvres would be of great educational value owing to their bearing 1 on the position of the country in case of " sudden war, and the safety of its eca-borne commerce during hostilities. They were intended to illustrate on the eeas which, in the event of war, would be the scene of conflict, the manner in which tho fleets and squadrons would operate in the protection of British territory, and the step* I which would be taken to safeguard merchant shipe; inward and outward bound, J with valuable cargoes of food and raw material or manufactured articles. The squadrons engaged in the operation was to include practically all the men-of-war in .the near seas. The manoeuvres were to; open early in June, when, the ships of the thnee reserve divisions— Portsmouth, Devonport, and Chatham-Sheernesfl — and- & large number of reserve' torpedo-craft, would have '* their nucleus crews increased to war strength, and they will not conclude until ' 2nd July. The presumption was to be that England had been taken by surprise with her 'fleets at sea. The fleets mod 6qu«drone were to be ranged on two sides — Red (British) and Blue (the enemy), commanded respectively by Admiral Sir Arthur K. Wilson. V.C., associated with Admiral* Lord Charles Bereeford and Sir Day H. Bosanquet, Vice-admiral the Hon. Sir A. G. Curzon-Howe, and Bear-admirals B. L. L. Groorae and G. Neville, on the one hand; and Vice-admiral Sir William H. May, in conjunction with Bear-admiral Si* Archibald Berkeley Milne and Prince- Louit cf Battenberg, on the other. The two sides wero to be as follows : — Bed (British). Channell fleet. Mediterranean fleet. First oruisev squadron. Third cruiser squadron. Fourth cruiser squadron. Certain ships of the reserve division! - Bivz (Enemy). Atlantic fleet. Second cruiser squadron. Ships of the reserved divisions. Tlie British force would include about 8 battleships and the enemy's force rath* less than half ac many, but five of tfcf latter would be of the largest and mcL modern King "Edward VII type.