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Show GREAT BRITAIN LIFTS VEIL FROM NAVAL OPERATIONS Associated Press Correspondent Is Permitted to Spend Several Days With Great Fleet and to Visit Important Marine Bases. LONDON", Sopl, 4, 8:16 p. m. (Delayed (De-layed In t r mi hin inrii on. ) Tor the f irst time the veil of secrecy over the British Brit-ish naval operations ha been lifted. During the piit week a correspondent visited the grand fleet and great naval bases. At one naval base he saw dry docks, capable of docking the largest dreadnought, which had been built since t he war bega n. Maps were shown the correspondent marking points where German submarines subma-rines had been lighted, and on which the results of the attacks were classified classi-fied under "captured,'' "supposed sunk'' mid "sunk.'' When bubbles are observed rising for a long time at ihe same spot in smooth water, it is taken for granted that a rubmarine career has been ended. Declines to Tell. When an officer was asked, ''how do you get them?'' his answer was "sometimes "some-times bv ra in m i ng. somet i me b v gunfire, gun-fire, sometimes by explosions and other ways we will not tell of." All the officers aboard the battleships battle-ships and armored cruisers are envious of those engaged in submarine hunts, whieh are regarded as great sport. The professional opinion was expressed that the reason the Germans are declared to be ready to forego submarine at tacks on liners, is the want of submarines subma-rines and the personnel to carry od their campaign. The ad mi ml comma pding at an important im-portant naval base told the correspondent correspond-ent that Kngland has 2300 trawlers, mine-sweepers and other auxiliaries outside out-side the regular service, on duty in the work .of blockading from the British channel to Iceland, and in keeping the North sea cianr. and that their reservist reserv-ist crews had been most zealous in their important part in overcoming the kind of naval warfare which Germany wages. Practice All Time. As the torpedo boat destroyer, on which the - oi rrepotblent was n passenger, passen-ger, after a cruise fct sea and following the coast turned the headland into the harbor whore the grand fleet lav at anchor, be saw a target being towed in the customary manner for firing practice prac-tice by some of the cruisers. "We keep at it all the time," an officer explained. ex-plained. The practice of the cruisers finished, they took their place in fleet formation forma-tion among the immense field of gray shapes at anchor in precise order, which, as the torpedo boat destroyer drew near, became line after line of dreadnoughts. In the tint melting into the sea. even the Queen Klizabeth, back from the Dardanelles, looked small for her tOD-nage tOD-nage and gun power, unless compared with the Inflexible, the flagship nf the Falkland islands battle, or the vessels of the light cruiser squadron, which just had come in from "sweeping" the North sea. as scouting is called. Every Deck Stripped. Every deck was stripped for action, steam was up in every ship, and as the destroyer threaded her way, turrets were seen turning and guns being elevated ele-vated and lowered in the course of drills. Zeppelins, which were flying over the fleet, had their home on a famous Atlantic liner which has carried many thousands of passengers. Tn their places in the battle cruiser squadron, which is known in the naw as the "cat squadrou." were the Lion and the Tiger, which sank the German armored cruiser Bluecher in the North sea battle. "There seems a sufficient denial of the German report that, the Tiger is at I the bottom of the sea," said an officer. Looking strange among the homogeneous homoge-neous types of the 10 gun sltipf which belonged to the British navy, was a Turkish l-inch gun dreadnought taken over ut the outset of tho war. A$ the toi pedo boat destroyer approached ap-proached the flagship of the commander In chief an officer pointed out Vice Admiral Ad-miral Sir John Jeilicoe as one of two officers of-ficers promenading the quarter deck carrying car-rying a telescope under his arrr. From the Quarter deck he can keep his eye on all the gray morsters which form the fighting fight-ing part of hin command, while others of his hofct of ships are abroad on different errands. Admiral Jeilicoe. Quick of movement and of speech, tanned by the year of exposure consequent conse-quent on constant duty and with only a broad band of gold lace differentiating him from the othei officers. Vice Admiral Jeilicoe Jei-licoe received his guests at the gangway. The admiral, at 57 years, is the senior of all the Hat which includes vice admirals at the age of 44. He is never without that telescope under his arm when he is I on deck and officers say there ii? noth-i noth-i ng that he does not aee. Vice Admiral Jeilicoe escorted his guests through the ship, showing them the men at drill. He was most interested in calling call-ing attention to the special machine practice prac-tice of the gun spotters in firing, where tie result of each phot is displayed. "This is the best boat we have until the German fleet conies out and gives us a chance for the real thing," said the Vice Admiral, Stepping into a small room, where telegraph keys clicked and a compact com-pact wireless apparatus was hidden behind be-hind armor, the correspondent saw one instrument which brings Sir John word of any submarine hav ing been sighted or of any movement In all the seas around the British Isles and carries the commander command-er In chiefs orders far and near. Invariably Sturdy. The bluejackets are invariably sturdy, long-service men of mature years, who have been kept drilling on the same ship since the war hesan. Tbeir health is better bet-ter than In time of peace, as they are kept aboard under a regimen and with sufficient exercise and good food. Misdemeanor? of all sorts in the navy have decreased since the war began. One feature of the usual routine only has been -hanged. Pecks are not washed every day. but twice a week, as the daily washdown gave the men less freedom of movement and kept their surroundings too moist. The aim is to conserve the men always up to the maximum of efficiency, officers explained, and not to overtrain them to stateness or permit of nny Blackness. Whether In the turrets, on the bridge or below decks, there was a significant absence ab-sence of even the most minute things which would not serve a purpose in battle. bat-tle. Only in the commander in chief's cabin, with numerous sea maps on the wall, did books and pictures suggest other than naked utility for war. All in Accord. Sir John Jeilicoe and all his officers spoke in the same strain about the situation. situa-tion. If the German fleet had any chance of success, they said, it was at the outset of the war. With every month the British Brit-ish fleet had grown stronger and was better bet-ter organized to meet any possible emergency. emer-gency. Though the submarine had played a more important part than many anticipated, antici-pated, the methods for countering their attacks and destroying them had developed devel-oped beyond expectations. Submarines waited outside of harbors, they said, whenever the fleet or any part of it went forth, but they had succeeded in hitting only one vessel, a light cruiser. The Grand fleet itself had learned how to take care of itself. The hardest part of the war for the navy, the officers declared, was in the early days, when the fleet was continually continual-ly at sea lojriclng for a battle. Now it was secure and ready. It could steam to action instantly If the patrols, which continually swept the North sea. reported any sign of the Germans. |