Twenty Ships Leave Weihaiwei from July 24
Shanghai, July 22.
The officers and men oh board 20 ships of the China Station are looking forward eagerly to next Friday. Once a year only ships of the China Fleet take part ina summer cruise from Weihaiwei, calling at ports along the China coast and" engaging in manceuvres. The cruise proves Welcome change from the sometimes lengthy periods during which the vessels remain in port, guarding the {nlerests of British nationals resident But it is not all the ships in the China fleet that are able to leave their posts to join in the summer cruise. Both at the ports up river, and at ports along the China coast, certain number of British ware ships remain on duty, while at Hongkong some submarines have be left behind for anti-piracy patrol duties. Five British submarines, accompanied by their depot ship, HMS. Medway, paid "a visit 'Shanghai during' April in the course of a cruise {o the north, and these, accompanied by a further tve sub: marines with their depot. ship, will {take part in the summer cruise which commences on Friday.
'Altogether, 20 ships of the China Fleet are to take part in the summer cruise, under the Commander-in-chief,' Vice-Admiral Sir Charles Little. The force will include two cruisers, one aircraft carrier, five destroyers, one sloop, and about ten submarines with their two, parent ships, "Among the ports to be visited is Tsingtao. The cruiser Dorsetshire will visit that port together with the destroyers Daring and Diamond from July 25 to July 30. The Dorsetshire will afterwards proceed Manchurian ports, while the Diamond will visit Chinwangtao after staying in Tsingtao, The aircraft carrier Hermes and the flotilla-leader Duncan are to visit Tsingtao from July 31 to August 9. The" Hermes will first pay a visit to Manchurian ports, Sir Charles Little, on board his flagship HAMS. Kent, accompanied bythe sloop Falmouth,—will' visit Chefoo from July 24 to July 27, and then transfer his flag to the Falmouth for a visit up the Peiho. River to Tientsin from July 28 to August 3. From August "4 to August 7, the Falmouth, with the Command chief on board, will visit Chinwangtao, where the Admiral will again meet the Kent. The Medway, Bruce and their quota of submarines will to Chinwangtao from July 25 to August 1, and to Chefoo from August 2 10 August 10, All the ships. will return to Welw haiwei on August 10, except the destroyers Duchess and Delight, which are ordered to Shanghai and Hongkong. Those two vessels will be in Shanghai on July 26, slaying until the beginning of August, when they will proceed to Hongkong.
HIMS, Folkestone leaves for Welhalwek on July" 26 while "IMS. Lowestoft leaves Hongkong for Japan ports on August 6, arriving at Shang-hal on September 4,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.