[Sidenote:  Subchaser at Queenstown.]

Subchaser Detachment Three at Queenstown, Captain A.J.  Hepburn, had only recently arrived, but arrangements for their employment were well in hand, and they were expected to begin operations as soon as the means of basing them had been perfected.  The need of a suitable tender was apparent, especially for the upkeep of those units whose working ground would be at some distance from the main base.  The personnel gave evidence of a strong feeling of eagerness to get to work and of readiness to face the hardships that going to sea in small craft entails.

[Sidenote:  Seaplane and balloon stations.]

United States Naval Air Stations in Ireland, Commander F.R.  McCrary, consists of seaplane stations at Whiddy Island, Queenstown (also the main supply and repair base), Wexford, and Lough Foyle, and a kite-balloon station at Berehaven.  None of these stations was in operation in mid-September, except that Lough Foyle was partially so, but all were about ready to begin operations and would do so upon the receipt of the necessary planes or pilots or both, all of which were en route.  A great deal of the construction has been done by our own personnel, some of the stations having been entirely done by them.

[Sidenote:  Rear Admiral Rodman’s command.]

(a) Battleship Division Nine of the Atlantic Fleet, under the command of Rear Admiral Rodman, has constituted the Sixth Battle Squadron of the British Grand Fleet under Admiral Sir David Beatty for nearly a year.

(b) When this division was sent abroad it had, in common with other units of the Atlantic Fleet, suffered in efficiency from the expansion of the Navy, which required reduction in the number of officers and transfers of numbers of men to furnish trained and experienced nuclei for other vessels.  Upon reporting in the Grand Fleet, it immediately took its place in the battle line on exactly the same status as other units of the Grand Fleet.  The opportunities for gunnery exercises are limited but drill and adherence to standardized methods and procedure as developed in our own naval service have brought this division to a satisfactory state of efficiency, which continues to improve.

[Sidenote:  General efficiency of the squadron.]

(c) It is pleasing to record that the efficiency of this unit in gunnery, engineering, and seamanship is deemed by the British commander in chief to be in no way inferior to that of the best of the British battle squadrons.  In fact, it is perfectly proper to state the belief that our ships are in some respects superior to the British, and perhaps chiefly in the arrangements for the health and contentment of personnel, which have been very thoroughly examined into by the flag officers, captains, and other officers of the Grand Fleet.  These ships have also been the subject of much favorable comment in regard to their capacity for self-maintenance, a matter which has been given much attention in our own Navy of late years.