| OCR Text |
Show HEMEALS SECRET OF GERMAN FLEET Naval Critic Declares That Strength of Hun Force Greatly Overrated. Admiral von Tirpitz Disregards Dis-regards Advice to Construct Con-struct Submarines. LONDON", Nov. 20 (British Wireless Servlcaj. Captain Persius, tho German naval critic, publishes in the Berlin Tagc-blatt Tagc-blatt an article containing revelations re-Karding re-Karding the German fleet. Ho says tho hope that the Gorman fleit would be able in a second Skagcrralc battle to boat the British fleet rested upon the bluff and lies of naval authorities. In August, 1011, Germany had about ouo million tonnage in warships, the writer writ-er points out, while Great Britain had more thn double that, quite superior to the Germans, in the kagerrak battle, he declares, the German fleet was saved . from destruction partly by good leadership leader-ship and partly by favorable weather conditions. As it was, the losses of the German fleet were enormous, and on Juno 1, Captain Persius snys, it was clear that the Kkagerrak battle must be the only general naval engagement of the war. Admiral Obstinate. On all sides, continues the writer, Admiral Ad-miral von Tirpitz was rid vised to construct con-struct only submarines, but lie remained obstinate. On October 1 (1315?), several members of the reiehstag made an earnest nppoal to tho army command not to the naval staff with the result that an order was issued terminal ing the construction of battleships in order that the material might bo used for the making of U-boats. In the meantime, so great a scare i ly of material bad arisen that it became necessary neces-sary to disarm a number of the battleships battle-ships and take the metal. In this manner, man-ner, at the beginning of 1916, twenty-throe, twenty-throe, battleships had been disarmed, as well as one newly built cruiser. At the beginning of this year. Captain Persius slates, tho German navy con-.sisted con-.sisted only of dread naughts and battleships battle-ships of the Helgoland, Kaiser and Mark- All the ships whbm Von Tirpitz had constructed con-structed from 1S97 to 1906, at a cost of innumerable millions, had been destroyed, and the U-boats that had been constructed con-structed had proved unable to fight ' against British warships. Sixty-six U-Boats Lost. Tn 1917, ho states, eighty-three submarines subma-rines were constructed, while sixty-six were destroyed. Tn April, 1917, Germany had 12U submarines, and in October 137. In February, 1918, she had 13(5, and In . I uno of the same year 113, according to Captain Persius's figures. Only a small percentage of these submarines sub-marines were actively operating at any given time, Captain Persius declares. In January, 1917, for Instance, whon conditions condi-tions were favorable for submarine work, only 12 per cent were active, while 30 pr cent were in harbor, 38 per cent un-rier un-rier repairs and 20 per cent "incapacitated." "incapaci-tated." Tn the last months, he reveals, it was very difficult to get men for submarine work, as experienced seamen looked upon the submarine warfare as political 8tu- . pidity. Captain Persius tells of the mutiny that broke out at the beginning of this month, when the German navy was ordered out for attack. Had the seamen obeyed, the writer remarks, innumerable lives would have been lost, and lie declares that "every thinking man, therefore, is of the opinion that the seamen on November 5 rendered an invaluable service to their country." |
