The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-07-11
ARMY AND NAVY MAnOeUvRES
THIS SUMMER
GENERAL PLAN OF EXERCISE
First Set Of Maneeu~r~. wRu he
Purely Naval and VIII occur &.
August-wIreIe.s T~~lerrnvnx n.
be Tested-Most Important Work
Will be q Naval Attack which 4.
to be Met by Army and Nflftf~.
Active Preparation. Being Made.

/ Washington. July a-Beyond a gener-
al idea OF the character of the army
and naval manoeuvres which will take
place on the Atlantic coast this uInmer,
nothing bearing official authorization
Is obtainable in either the navy or war
departments. However. from a high Of
hcial source. a general sketch OF the
exercises has been obtained. There are
to be two distinct sets OF
The first will be purely naval and will
consume the greater part OF the month
OF August, probably the first three
weeks Two. or perhaps three OF the
vessels belonging TO the north Atlantic
station viii represent an enemy's fleet
and will attempt TO eiude a defensive
squadron. commanded by Rear Admiral
Higginson, and accomplish a landing at
some point on the New England coast
inside of limits not yet prescribed.
The duty OF the defending squadron
VIII be TO send out scouts to locate the
"enemy's' vessels before they reach the
coast The vessels participating in
these manoeuVres VIII include the bat
tleShipS kearsarge, Alabama, Massa-
chusetts and Olympia, comprising the
north Atlantic squadron, as we'll as the
Montgomery, Scorpion, Marblehead,
Hist and such other vessels as can be
spared at the time. At these naval
manoeuvres the officials also hope to
experiment with wireless ~telegraphy
and there also will, IL is said, be expe-
riments in coaling ships. transporting
supplies n other comparatively minor
features of naval warfare.
The second and more important part
of summer mannanvraS will nnn1f0t 81
a naval attack upon a point or he
north Atlantic coast by a supposedly
hostile fleet, which is TO be met by a
joint defense by the army and militia
assisted by a small number Of naval
vessels detached for the purpose from
the north Atlantic squadron
Active preparations are In progress
by the army for it's part in the coming
manoeuvres. The defense is under
the general direction Of the commanding
officer of the department OF the east
though the actual work devolves on the
coast artillery, whose officers. in The
district which are to be attacked, Will
be in active command.
1t has been determined that the at
tack viii be made New Bed
ford, Mass, on the east and the eastern
defenses Of Long Island sound. This
will include the artillery district of Mar
agansett, commanded by Colonel Henry
- 1Aa AN ASh Vi Y
London, commanded by Lieutenant
Colonel j. NJ. K. Davis. The Maria
gansett department includes Forts Ad-
ans, Wetherill and Grebel, Il. l., and
Rodman, Mass.
The New London district is composed
of Forts Trumbill, Conn; Mansfield, r.
l.; II. G. Wright, Niche and Terry, N.
Y. The New York forts are situated at
the entrance OF Long Island sound and
are located for the purpose OF defending
all h cities Of the sound as well as the
upper approach to New York city.
All the engineer officers available
nave been ordered to these districts n
are directing the preparation of such
portion Of The defense as would come
under their charge.
Ordinance officers have been directed
to give attention to the inspection OF
guns and quantities of ammunition with
blank charges hav been sent to the va
rious forts. Not only will the defense
consist of handling and firing the guns
but also Of the appliances, such as
range finders, Geographic facilities.
signal operations and everything else
that Is necessary in a perfect sea
fort.
Within the radius Of operations the
army will have no notice of where and
when the attack will be made. The
army must find that out for itself.
The signal corps will be utilized for
this purpose, as well as all the tele-
graph and telephone stations along the
coast. The navy will take every pre-
caution to conceal the point of attack
but the army will do its utmost TO find
out just where the feet will approach
the coast and also at what time.
Owing to the secrecy to be maintained
by the navy the troops in the different
forts will be kept in a state OF readi-
ness either for a day or night before