Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1896-01-25
HI WAR

THE Wal
Il is generally supposed that when Q
man graduates at Annapolis ne has mac
Ill the schooling necessary 10 make oil
aim a good and efficient officer. There
are man reasons which dlsprove this
In the first place, the nation has been a.
peace for thirty years, and there are
| kray heads in the service who have never
,een a bit OF actual war. During tha'
,erloi there has been l.ttle squadron ser
nee. Ships more and more have cruised
sinRly. Naturally, naval officers have IN
sens. bly, lost sight OF the ever pressing
need OF tactics, strategy and other
branches OF the great art OF war.
Last year. 1895, was the most success
full in the history OF the college. Below
IS given the hardest problem which the
1895 class had 10 solve. 1t was given out
lsst spring on the superstition nat drea,
| United States, and that the British force
would make a combine naval attack OF
the New England coast supplemented py
a strong body of troops from Halifax
Here is the problem as originally stated:
May l0.-war is imminent. The enemy
Is assembling in Halifax. He Is expected
10 descend upon the New England coast
His probable plan Is to occupy the coast
md chief cities from Portland to Boston,
/ MlGFeDN SeNOll.iS NGlAdAh Ahpf ~
nts land forces. His success depends upon
is comp citing this occupat on before J ne
10 and maintaining Il until July 10. The
force destined for this purpose Is one OF
more fleets, whose total strength Is three
times that OF our feet, n 1000 men III
City transports
our available force is ordered to as
remble for the present in Nantucket
Sound.
May 2o.-war Is declared. The fleet
caves Halifax. occupies ~ProVincetown
md blockades Boston May %. Is com
} posed OF six battlesh!ps, eight armored
cruisers. eighteen cruisers. twelve gun
boats, and twe..ye torpedo boats. Gains
and keeps touch OF our heet. Wherever II
nay be, by means Of scouts.
our forces is five battleships, five arm
,red cruisers, fifteen cruisers, ten gun
boats. ten torpedo boats, and one ram. a
heavy monitor at Boston. q light one al
Portsmouth, and another at Portland are
To be retained at those points. We learn
MAT a much larger force of the enemy Is
about to leave Halifax. II sails thence
Nav %. blockades Portland. occupies
raseo Bay. and gains touch with Its Prov
ncetown fleet May q. Is composed OF
.en ba~ttlesh.ps, fifteen armored cruisers,
o-pedo boats. and fifty transports. car
| wig LlAHR' fF1ODS u dAA u ms
husMl '%slBoquuS HlusMl 'sIssTuIo AlusA
Each member of the class had 70 solve
shis p~roblsm-no easy l-aA. - me glVef
iorce Of the enemy was greater mar ina
" the defense. Months were allowed To-
study and lectures bearing on strategy.
Tactics" and Coast Defenses' wer'
given to aid the students.
THE WAR GAMES.
Wal games are also played by the stu
$500 - 49, fa-~ra tho most interest
ing features of the work. There ar
hree games in all. the Duel" Tactics.
md Strategy"
In the Duel" the object is to teach tn
tkiiful handling of a ship in the presenc'
sf an adversary. There are two players
zach Of whom IL supposed TO be in com
nand OF a rival ship. The tupe OF tn
.h!ps Is settled by mutual consent. Al
umpire supervises the game, his decision
se.pg final.
Lei US suppose, for example. that al
enemy's vessel OF the Iowa type Is ap
proaoh!ng al American vessel OF the New
York type. The position OF these vessel
Ehen they first sight each other Is indi
rated on the nap Now. IL 10 obvious
that upon the qu,ckness OF each com
handler to take advantage OF all the pos
abilities OF his boa and OF all the weak
/ ItSSco VI LIE NtNtSiy was 1NPSAN
From minute to minute every turn a
| movement may expose your OF
develop your strength. SO ZACH player y
furnished With IA rule, or, rather. a paste
board form. which enables him to indi
rate with pencil the evo!utions OF his shsI
ether in a straight line or in a curve
from minute 90 minu Each minute
comprises one move. Such guns are HEX
ID have been fred as in each type Of shiI
might have been brought TO bear upoI
the other during each move. The relativ,
vaule of such gun fire Ia determined &C
cording to a carefully prepared table. an
that ship wins which can be shown u
nave lone the greatest execution upoI
the other at successive moves.
The table shows the angles at which Z
gun can fire, and how often and how rap
idly each gun can be utilized. the compar
isons being based upon actual target prac
ttce.
The next game. called Tactics" repre-
sents a fight between two fleets. The
game is played upon Q tactical board
This IL a plain piece of board about tel
feet long eight feet wide. perforated
with an nhni lumber OF pin holes
The locality OF tn supposed fight IL %
iected and bits OF Dashboard represent
Ing the shoals. the islands and the neigh
boring coast are fastened upon the board
which IL thus transformed into q man
The rival snips are then arranged a. De,
q written description. Pieces OF lead
-three-quarters Of an inch long represent
these ships. They have pins On their
bottoms. which are placed In the pin
holes so that the ships may be- moved
on the bord from pin hole 10 pin holo.
The fight begins from the moment the