CAB11-57-9 — Page 52

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CHAPTER III (E).

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be considerably short of this, yet much connecting up would probably have been completed before the order to lay out was given, and the programme for laying out is therefore based on the assumption that all work would be completed in four days.

The stages would be approximately as follows:-

On First Day.-No. IV mine-field and the mines in the Friendly Channel in No. III. All multiple and group cables in Nos. II and III mine-fields.

On Second Day.-Multiple and group cables in No. I mine-field, mines in No. II mine-field, and in No. III to the north of the Friendly Channel.

On Third Day. The mines in No. III to the south of the Friendly Channel and in No. I mine-field.

On Fourth Day.--The whole completed and any necessary repairs to mine-fields carried out.

9. The more detailed programme for laying out is as follows:- Eastern Defence, No. IV mine-field, Lyemun.

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Solent," 1st trip.-Embarks lines of buoyant mines Nos. 43-44, 41-42, 49-50, and tows out a J.B. pinnace, containing the two multiple cables for this mine-field. Lays out, first, multiple cables, then mines in order shown above.

"Solent," 2nd trip.-Slings and embarks and lays out Nos. 47-48, 45-46, 53-54, and 51-52 mines.

The two trips take probably six to eight hours.

Western Defence, Nos. I, II, and III mine-fields, Stonecutters, and Belchers. "Miner," 1st trip.-Proceeds to Belchers with J.B. pinnaces in tow, and lays buoys

at multiple boxes for observation mines in the Friendly Channel.

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Miner," 2nd trip.--Embarks and lays out M. D. J. Bs. and group cables for No. III mine-field.

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Miner," 3rd trip.-Embarks and lays out M. D. J. Bs. and group cables for No. II mine-field.

"Miner," 4th trip.-Embarks and lays out group cables and M. D. J. Bs. for No. I. mine-field.

Megohm," towed by hire launch, lays out main cables for observation mines in the Friendly Channel at Belchers, then the remaining multiple cables in No. III mine- field, laying the in-shore ones first, then lays the multiple cables in No. II mine-field (those for groups farthest from the shore being laid first), and finally lays the main cables in No. I mine-field.

"Solent," 3rd and 4th trips.—Lays the western marking buoys (Nos. 3 and 4) of the Friendly Channel in No. III mine-field. Lays the lines of ground-mines in the following order: 61-63, 64-66, 67-69, 70-72, 73-75, 76-78, 79-81, 82-84.

"Solent" and "Miner," 5th and subsequent trips.-The groups of the E.C. mines are laid out by the "Solent" and "Miner" in the following order: B.B., C.C., D.D., L., M., N., O., P., Q., R., S., A.A., Z., Y., H.H., J.J., K.K., T., U., V., W., X., E.E., F.F., G.G., A., B., C., D., E., F., G., H., J., K.

The number of the trips cannot be laid down exactly, but it has been generally found most convenient to sling three groups and embark two others, with tripping chains and sinkers, on the "Solent," and to sling two and embark one on the "Miner. The mines which have been embarked are slung in the mine-fields.

10. The distribution of officers and men for the first day of laying out is shown in Table E (v). All hands are permanently detailed for their defence duties, and are kept well instructed in them.

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