THE LION'S CLAWS.

Colonist, Volume LVII, Issue 14160, 26 April 1916, Page 3

THE LION'S CLAWS.

-*~ _—. VISIT TO BRITKH FLEET. HEADY FOR INSTANT ACTION. Great .Britain's first lino offensive fleet, an incomparable combination of speed and gnu power, ready for instant action, was inspected recently by a party of French and American correspondents, and a correspondent of the Associated Press of America, from the bridge of a torpodo-boat, was permitted to review the unit which is expected to meet the first shock of a German attack. ■ "BLOODED" WARSHIPS. In the fleet were practically all the veteran fighting- craft which have been "blooded" in this war, but they showed few- sears, with the exception of an occasional dent in their armour. The prido of place was held' by the 'battlecruisers, which 4 in engagements from the Falkland Isles to the Dardanelles, have borne tho brunt of'the sea fighting in this wax. Unpopular with officers and men before tho war, because they wero constantly coaling, and never mo/o than cautiously, praised by the " supporters of tho- super-Dreadnought, policy, these huge fighting . machines hold tho premier position in the British Navy, which now worships speed as the iii'st and most important principle of naval strategy. Tho review began as the launch with the; visitors turned towards the line of battle-cruisers. Against tho horizon they could see the eyes of the fleet in tho form of :x few prowling destroyers, which 'kept up r,u incessant watch not only to protect their mighty sisters , from si:binari:in attack, but to catch ; the first view of any venturesome- Gim'-. niau wcishm. Looming through, the lnis'o could lio seen the gir.nt tripod , niasi'.r; wl:icl: ulc:rtijSod the fioet a-s in- ' |.c!i!r! ing rbo >'■■■>'■/ !it>J '--i:- tyncs of batfclo- ■ tho i'-'.-or. cjf \'r.: <;yai'(]ii;^-!adck=r of a , !Li.u,!j:.> 'ii.i-t^o-cv-.i!..?.'!- which ».;ct its ; 'i)aj)tism of tiro in t!io Heligoland Bight, and later bore an honourable share in , tho Dogger I'ruik action. ABOARD THE LION. . After luncheon tho party were taken - aboard the famous cruiser Lion, which i was Admiral Beatty's flagship, in tho' ' battle of the Dogger Bank. With the ' 'exception of a dent in the forward turret armour, and a similar scar just shove the w.ator-lme, -.sho ■ displays : tittle sign o:l' the terrific hammering' ■sho-got" when three German battle- . rvnir-fM-.< ccicfiitrntecl their fire on her. Carefully mounted in. the companionwiiv is an 11-inch uncxplodcd shell which tho Sey'diltx Juvlocl through tho 'Tiifiri's'.arnuiiir below the watorline.

Tho torpedo-boat picked up a portion of the party from the Lion and some others from tho equally-celebrated Tiger, which looks like a nmvlj'-com- " (missioned ship in spito of tho many ! | times she has been reported sunk. The ) oil-burning torpedo-boat tore along the ! impressive line of battle-cruisers with \ its civilian passengers on tho bridge, : [noting with interest through--the mist . groat ships bearing historic names mado memorablo by ,their own feats, '.which wero passed in battle formation as they expecl. \o meet the German ; Fleet,' Beyond tho battle-cruisers a long line of light cruisers lost it.solf in the fog. Some of theso ships are veterans aud 'show signs of the rough patrol work | they are called upon to do constantly, ' but many are ncwly-oommissioned and • have yet to win their spurs. Speed, • now the fetish of the navy, reaches its i zenith in these light cruisers. Any of i them could easily, overhaul the fastest i liner ever 'built. Beyond the light cruisers was a great'flotilla of colliers i constantly feeding the hungry stokeholds of tho battle^jruisers, which even ' at anchor keep up a full head, of «team, |as the; turbines niay- be rested ' hut | never allowed to grow cold. . BAIT FOR CANAL BOATS. Scattered about the fleet v/cre several destroyer squadrons with light cruiser 'leaders and merchant ships as parents. After sweeping around-.-the-destroyer's, ; tlie torpedo-boats headed towards a ! pre-Dreadnought, looking formidabla 1 enough to a layman, but lightly referred !to by the officers accompanying the [party as a .'third line anifc.or bait ti> j entice -yie German Fleet into the North jStfa." ■' '. ■_' ' : :. '! The personnel1 of tho whole fleet seemed to be remarkably fit and eagerly interested in their work in spite of the uncomfortable conditions under which their patrol work in tho North Sea, is done". The jxinior' officers welcome tho coining spring aud summer. The battlecruiser Princess Royal, which was also visited by the party, had only two members of her crew in the sick-bay, Both'-'siiffering from injuries at football, which is played with great zest whenever a-field is available. Tho officers occasionally get some golf.^ but both jnen raid officers must depend upon j shipboard, duties for the chief moans of exercise. Rumours of the possibility of Zeppelin raids on tho floeb were rife, and officers and men expressed the eager hope that airships would come and give «. chance to test the anti-aircraft guns. The last glimpse the party: caught ,£>f the great fleet was an occasional flash through the darkening mist as signals were exchanged between variousdivisions. ' ..