The cost of our naval victory is recorded he tragic
figures by the Admiralty this week. During the war the Navy has suffered 39,768 casualties to officers and men, of whom 33,381 are dead. It is inevitable, unhappily, that in fighting at sea the proportion' of those who are killed to other casualties should be very high indeed. Considering that the Grand Fleet has only once been in action, the losses sustained by the Navy in its unceasing patrol of the seas have been heavy, amounting roughly to ten per cent. of the numbers on active service. It is noteworthy that only 222 officers and 953 men have been captured or interned. In the Merchant Service, apart from those employed in the Navy, 14,661 officers and men lost their lives through enemy action and 3,295 were captured. We have sustained, therefore, a permanent loss of 48,000 officers and men as the price of Admiralty.
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