On Thursday, war was declared between the fleets engaged in
the Naval Manoeuvres. The general scheme of operations is as follows. A hostile maritime force, having its head- quarters at Achill, is supposed to have been mobilised in the Irish ports, under the supreme command of Vice-Admiral Baird. The various hostile vessels thus ready for attack number in all nine battle-ships, twelve cruisers, and eight torpedo-boats. To repel them, England has a fleet of twelve ironclads, fifteen cruisers, and ten torpedo-boats, stationed at various points along her coasts, the more important portion being under the orders of Sir George Tryon and Rear-Admiral Tracey. According to the plan of hostilities published in the Daily News, each combatant is to have certain impregnable naval ports against which attack is supposed to be powerless. Of these harbours of safety, the British are Portsmouth, Plymouth, Portland, Pembroke, and Sheerness ; and the Irish, Queenstown, Berehaven, and Kingstown. All other coast places are considered to be open to attack. The rules of the game lay down that, to gain a victory at sea, a squadron must not only be superior in power, but be able to keep within three miles of the enemy for at least three hours, while analogous regulations govern cases of single combat.
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