The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1905-06-05
ARMY AND NAVY
PLAN WAR GAME
Mimic Attack to Be Made by
Squadron on the Defenses
Upon the Atlantic Coast
WILL TEST THE FORTS
Fleet to Undertake to Solve
Certain Problems While
the Forces OH Land Resist

WASHINGTON, June 4.-Sixteen
warships will attack the defenses of
Washington and Baltimore at midnight
on June 1 and continue their offensive
operations for six days and nights.
Meanwhile the fortresses along Chesa-
peake Bay and the Potomac River, con-
stituting the artillery districts of the
Chesapeake. Washington and Balti-
more, will put forth every defense of
which they are capable. With IL all,
the struggle is to be bloodless, prac-
tically noiseless. devoid of the spectac-
ular, and intensely interesting only to
the army and navy experts who are
playing the game and know the con-
structive effect of the unloaded mines
and the empty shells.
The exercises are to constitute the
only joint operations of the army and
navy during the year. They have been
designated Joint exercises" to dis
tinguish them from the more elaborate
combined army and navy" maneuvers,
which were first planned but which
failed of approval for lack of an ade-
quate appropriation from Congress.
The operations are to be conducted
under rules which have been agreed
upon by a joint board OF army and
navy officers. Considerable Importance
is attached to the distinction between
maneuvers and joint exercises
Maneuvers are held to apply to oper
atoms where actual war conditions are
simulated, while exercises mean only
that certain prescribed problems are to
be attempted
ADMIRAL DICKENS COMMANDS.
In the present instance the object of
each of the several forms of attacks
by the navy will be to demonstrate the
strength or weakness of some partic-
ular phase of the defense.
From the information obtainable. the
programme first contemplates the test
of Fort Monroe. Expert artillery
opinion has long held that this fortress
is the principal defense of the Chesa-
peak and consequently the cities OF
Washington and Baltimore
The hostile fleet has been assembled
under the command of Rear Admiral
Francis w. Dickins, who with his flag
ship, the Texas. is lying at Annapolis.
On the 10th OF June Admiral Dickins
will hold his last communication with
shore He will not divulge his plans
or place of his attack, but it Is the sup
position that he will put to sea- hav-
ing technically established base at
Norfolk His squadron consists of the
battleship Texas, under command of
Captain Bicknell. the protected cruisers
Newark and Atlanta, Commanders Bad
ger and Halsey respectively; the double
turret monitor Terror. commanded by
Fulton; the single turret monitors
Florida, Arkansas and Nevada, under
Commanders Fremont, Gait and Rey-
nolds: the cruiser Hartford, Com
mander Veeder;. the torpedo boat de-
stroyers whipple. worden. MoDonough
and Stewart. under command of Lieu
tenants Chase. Mccormick. Curtin and
Sellers; the gunboats Hornet. Siren and
Sylvia, manned by the Maryland naval
militia, and the monitor Puritan, by the
naval militia of the District of Column
bia.
Anchor is to be weighed on June 5 and
from then on a fascinating game of hide
and seek will be INDUCED in between the
artillery and the navy.
MUST LOCATE THE MINES.
1t is explained that the night attacks
are to ascertain the efficiency Of the
searchIights of the Notifications and also
to give the navy exercises in construc-
lively making these lights dark. To rem
der this more effective the ships of the
squadron have been painted four colors.
The Texas, Newark, Atlanta, Terror,
Hornet, Siren and Sylvia are white; the
Florida Arkansas, Nevada. war color;
the Hartford black, and the torpedo boat
destroyers dark green. Artillery fire will
be directed on the ships as they are
picked up by the lights. but for this ex-
ercise the mines are not regarded as In
existence.
Tabulated observations of what has
been accomplished on each side are to
be made by the umpires and observers.
On each ship will be naval umpire and
an artillery observer and in each fortress
will be an artillery umpire and a naval
observer None of the big guns of the
navy will be fired, neither will the big
guns OF the Notifications be heard. These
guns on both sides. however. will be
trained on the target the same as in
actual war, and their fire viii be indi-
Gated by the discharge of a blank cart
ridge in one-pounder.
To locate the mine fields constitutes an
other problem. For some weeks the ar
tillery has had four boats planting mines.
These mines are not loaded. but construc-
lively they will be Just as dangerous to
plosives unless located and destroyed
through countermining operations. Dur
ing these operations also the artillery of
the fortresses will play on the vessels.
When these exercises have been con-
cluded before one set of defenses, the
actors will move to another, and should
Fort Monroe be the first point of at
tack. as is anticipated. the conclusion of
the programme there will be followed by
the same operations against the forts
nearer Washington and Baltimore
The operation of the defenses are I'M
der the general supervision of Major Gen
eral James r. Wade. commanding the De-
partment Of the Atlantic The men and
officers under him for the exercises will
number nearly 10000