Part 8 (1/2)
”Imagine what this means. Nelson's supreme task, heavy as it was, was child's play compared to the work that lies ahead of the Admiral who is now Second-in-Command of the Home Fleet. Nelson had hours to make up his mind before attacking his foe at the Nile, at Copenhagen, off the Spanish coast, and at the 'crowning mercy' of Trafalgar. Jellicoe will have ten minutes from the time that the best look-out man in his Fleet first sights the enemy's Fleet through a modern telescope.
Nelson could sleep o' nights, undisturbed by wireless messages, torpedo attack, submarines, floating mines or aeroplanes.
”The night before the great sea fight that will settle the future of Europe and the British Empire for two centuries, it is improbable that Jellicoe will lie down to sleep. Therefore it is obvious that he must be a man of great vitality, physical fitness, and tranquil mind, or the Government would never have placed eleven vice-admirals on the shelf--or 'on the beach,' as they say in the Navy--in order that a mere Second-in-Command of the Mediterranean Fleet should be lifted over the heads of all the senior officers who stood between Jellicoe and the command of England's Home Fleet.”
On May 8th, the King visited Portsmouth to inspect his Fleet and witness certain technical exercises and manoeuvres carried out. By far the most interesting event was Commander Samson's flight in a hydro-aeroplane.
It was a wonderful performance, Commander Samson making his machine perform the most astounding evolutions. Other members of the Air Squadron gave superb exhibitions. The following day further remarkable evolutions were performed on, under and above water.
There followed a mimic naval battle between the ”Red” Fleet under Admiral Sir George Callaghan and the ”Blue” under Vice-Admiral Sir John Jellicoe, in which the ”Blue” distinguished itself and ”sank” and captured a great number of ”Reds.”
In July a Royal Commission was appointed to investigate and report on the supply of oil fuel for the Navy, and Jellicoe was chosen as one of the members of the Commission. Lord Fisher was Chairman.
The significance of the appointment of this Commission was very great.
It meant that the Navy was again faced with a revolution. The result of the investigations and the reports that were made we are now able to learn and appreciate.
In the fall of the year there were further changes made by the Admiralty. Prince Louis of Battenberg succeeded Sir Francis Bridgeman as First Sea Lord and Jellicoe was appointed as Second Sea Lord, which practically put him in complete control at Whitehall. The greatest satisfaction was caused in Naval circles by these changes.
When Jellicoe gave up his command of the Second Squadron of the Home Fleet he was given a great send-off by the s.h.i.+ps a.s.sembled there and the following signal was flown from the flags.h.i.+p:
”The Rear-Admiral, Captains, Officers, and s.h.i.+ps' Companies of the Second-Squadron express regret at the departure of the Vice-Admiral and wish him every success in his new appointment.”
Jellicoe replied by signalling his thanks and wis.h.i.+ng the Squadron all prosperity.
One of the first important steps taken by the new Sea Lord in 1913 was to adopt the ”Director” firing apparatus invented by Sir Percy Scott.
It was decided to supply all s.h.i.+ps of the Dreadnought type with this apparatus.
It was with the _Thunderer_ and _Orion_ that trials were first of all carried out, in the presence of Admiral Jellicoe and other naval experts.
The _Thunderer_ was built at the Thames Ironworks and fitted with the ”Director”; the _Orion_, a sister s.h.i.+p, was equipped with the ”fire-control” apparatus.
The _Thunderer_ and _Orion_ are both of the same design and both cost the same amount to build.
The _Thunderer_, fitted with the ”Director,” at a target 10,000 yards distant made eighty per cent. of hits. Such shooting as this was a revelation; nothing like it had ever been dreamed of. It was four or five times better practice than the _Orion_ could make fitted with the ”fire-control” system. It was better than any record made at 2,000 yards in the gunlayer's tests.
In simple language Sir Percy Scott's invention increased the hitting power of a s.h.i.+p, at long range and in a heavy sea, by four hundred per cent.
With its aid a tremendous broadside can be fired from a Dreadnought.
The officer in charge of the ”Director” has a special ”cabin” or ”room” in the fore of the s.h.i.+p, from which he can control and fire every gun. He can discover the exact range of the enemy, and the precise elevation for the guns. Every operation is controlled by the ”Director”--excepting, of course, loading and cleaning the guns.
The _Thunderer_ in 1913 could fire ten sh.e.l.ls, each weighing 1,250 lbs., in one broadside. Each sh.e.l.l has a penetrating power of 1 foot at 10,000 yards.
The _Iron Duke_, Admiral Jellicoe's flags.h.i.+p in 1914, can do even better than this.
CHAPTER X
SUPREME ADMIRAL OF THE HOME FLEETS