Accordingly, I stood on the bridge that night
and waited. At five o'clock in the morning a gray, rainy, foggy
morning, through which the ships moved almost ghost-like, I made out
sixteen war vessels. From their silhouettes, I knew them to be
dreadnaughts, cruisers, and torpedo boat destroyers. At once I filed
a cable by way of Brussels, informing the Intelligence Department of
the German Navy that an English fleet sixteen strong had put to sea.
Subsequently I learned that in describing the sixteen ships I had made
only one mistake.
I may here draw attention and in return for England's fair treatment
of me during my trial, give them gratis, this information. _The Firth
of Forth Bridge constitutes a grave danger to the Rossyth Royal naval
base._
For this reason: Its location between Rossyth and the sea is a decided
menace. In the event of hostilities, in fact before the outbreak of
war, it is no ways impossible to blow up the Firth of Forth Bridge and
bottle all war vessels concentrated at the Rossyth base. They could
thus be bottled up for several days powerless, while a foreign fleet
swept at the Scottish coasts. The British foreign office will
understand what I mean by this: _Look to the middle island._
I found it to be partly intervened with soft, soapy neiss, making
natural ruts and cavities that were ideal for the placing of
explosives. I learned also that along the Edinburgh approach to the
Firth of Forth Bridge were two pieces of ground and houses in reality
owned by Germans although the deeds stood in Scottish names.
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