Evening star., 1902-08-20
THE MIMIC NAVAL WAR
1t Began Off New England
Coast at Noon.
THE RIVAL FLEETS
CONFIDENTIAL INSTRUCTIONS IS
SUED TO EACH COMMANDER.
Scope and Character of the Contest
Value Placed Upon the
Vessels.


The mimic naval war off the New Eng
land coast between the rival fleets of the
white and blue, the former attacking and
the latter the defending squadron, began at
noon today. under confidential instructions
which have been supplied by the Navy De-
plrtment This contest will be technically
known as a scouting or search problem.
Commander Pillsbury, who commands the
white is at sea with the cruisers Prairie
and Panther and the supply ship Supply,
while Admiral Higginson, in command of
the blue. has twenty-One ships in the de-
Tending fleet. According to the hypothesis
of the game the respective strength of the
two fleets is as forty-five is to 102, the blue
being the superior to the latter extent. Each
ship has hypothetical strength by num-
bers. The problem is for Commander Pills
bury TO eIude the defending fleet and make
a landing on the New England coast be-
tween Portland. Me-. and Cape Cod. If he
succeeds in doing for six hours without
being confronted by a superior force dis
patched by Admiral HigginsOn. the attack
Ing fleet wins. The torpedo boats are to
represent scouts for the purpose OF con-
yeying information TO the commander OF
the blue.
Confidential Instructions.
The scope and character of the contest
Is made manifest In the following confiden-
tIal instruction sent to the commanders of
the respective fleets:
Sent to Admiral Higginson: General in
formation for blues: AT noon. August
2D. you viii receive a dispatch stating that
an enemy's fleet has been sighted in
given latitude and longitude on August IS,
steering west They are known TO nave
left FayaI on August IA, and consist of
three heavy ships, with supply vessels and
COilierS. These auXiliaries are not repre-
sented in the maneuvers. At the above
time the vessels Of your fleet must be at
anchor in port, or near the coast. You
have reliable information that the enemy is
to seize an undefended anchorage, suitable
for his use as an advance base, somewhere
on our coast between Portland. Me. and
Cape Cod. Portland harbOr is included.
but not Casco bay. He will succeed in this
unless you oppose a superior force to him
at sea, or in the port he has seized within
six hours after the anchorage of the first
Of his vessels
General Information for Whites.
Sent to Commander Pillsbury: General in
formation for the whites:
AT noon August 20 you are to be with
The vessels under your command at some
point in the North Atlantic, which is less
than $50 miles from latitude 40 degrees
north and longitude 30 degrees west. You
then TO proceed with all your vessels
in company to such undefended anchorage
as you may select on the coast of the
United States between Portland and Cape
Cod and anchor there before noon August
p The harbOr Of Portland Is included
within these open to you, but not CascO
bay. The port selected must have an an
ChOrage space for several large ships, with
not less than six fathOms of water. must
be capable of gun and mine defense. and
b. in all respects suitable for an advance
base for enemy's fleet. including heavy
ships"
This carries with it as a condition suit
able deep-wate- approaches from the sea
il is assumed that you would at once COM
mence mining and fOrtifying the port
s. lied, and you will be considered success
full In this unless blue opposes a superior
force to You IN less than six hours after
the time Of the anchorage of your first ship
In port
Value Placed on Vessels
The following value is to be placed upon
the vessels.
White-Panther. 20: Prairie 20; Supply, 3.
Total -.
Blue-Alabama. %; Kearsarge, 20; Massa-
chusetts, -: Brooklyn. 8; Olympia, 8; Gin
cinnati. ;; Gloucester, 3; Mayflower, 3;
Montgomery, ,: Scorpion. 3; Hist. Leyden.
Nina Peoria and seven torpedo boats, l
each. making a total of 1O2.
From the strength of blue. however must
b. deducted the Cincinnati. given a value
O. - "Hlch was to nave been attached to
the fleet. but which has been detained in
South American waters, The question of
superiOr force is to be determined by the
totality Of points each side when the
vessels are IN port, or in the event they
should meet in the open sea.
The Navy Department here explains that
TO torpedo attack is contemplated as part
of the maneuvers A statement issued
says: The torpedo boats may be used as
scouts and to carry dispatches and have a
fighting value Of one each. when accom-
panytng battle ships. In case the vessels
OF the opposing forces come together the
blue to win must have a superior force
composed preferably Of battle ships and
heavy cruisers. The purpose of the blue
in the problem is to find the white fleet and
bring a superior force against II, either at
Sea in the port where ii has estab-
lished itself. Blue can utilize any existing
facilities of telegraph or telephone or any
that can be created
Lookouts Along the Coast.
Admiral Higginson has been authorized
q employ agents or Iookouts all along the
coast threatened. Blues largest scouts.
referred to in the general Idea, are hypo-
thetical-supposed to be American line
steamers. One of them Is supposed to
make the initial report. and then take no
part in the further maneuvers.
Both blue and white are absolutely un-
restricted as 10 speed and movement after
August -. The lime assigned in whites
orders is not known TO the blue admiral.
In case the white fleet becomes separated,
the time of the anchorage Of the first one
To reach port IS to be taken as that of the
feet
Under the above instructions. defining the
character of the harbor which Commander
Pillsbury must select, IS considerably re-
stricted. The Prairie, which IS the heaviest
draft vessel in his feet, draws slightly un-
der twenty-five feet. The Panther but
eighteen feet two inches and the Supply
twenty feet, but under his instructions he
must enter harbOr with suitable deep
water approaches and containing not less
than six fathOms Of water.