The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1905-05-12
MIMIC BATTLE BETWEEN
WAR VESSELS AND FORTS

1er the play of powerful searchlights.
The next phase OF the attack will
probably be what is known in naval
and military parlance as the recon;
by the 'snemy's" feet. 10
nnd out the location and power OF the
heavier defending guns and mortars,
Inc batteries with disappearing car
riages and the mortar batteries, be-
cause they are concealed from obser-
vaiion seward, their parapets and
slopes being so constructed as to form
apparently portion of the natural
topography OF the heights upon which
they are placed.
General Artillery Attacks.
The location of the guns on shore
having been ascertained, the general
artillery attack will commence, and
both sides viii pound away until one
side Is silenced or the other beaten
back. The new monitors recently adj
ded to the navy win here show what
they can do as coast defenders, for
which they are designated, in assisting
the shore batteries.
Should the defense be able to with
stand all the force brought against il,
the attacking feet will retire beyond
range. and, at a safe distance from
the coast guns, land the sailors, ma
rines and imaginary army from the
transports supposed to accompany il.
The land attack will then take place
and this will probably be successfully
resisted by the army on shore, owing
to superior numbers.
The commanding general of tne de-
partment of the east, Brig. Gen Fred
erick ID. Grant, will direct the opera
tons of the land forces, seconded by
the artillery commanders of tee dis
tricts embraced in the maneuver
zone, while Rear Admiral Sands will
command the defense feet, comprising
the battleship Texas and the new mon
itors Arkansas, Nevada and Florida,
assisted by a large fiotilla of torpedo
craft and submarines.
Fighting Bob Evans.
The North Atlantic feet, which viii
engage in the attack, will be under
the command of Rear Admiral Robley
d. Evans, Fighting Bob" which fact
alone is an assurance of splendid
achievement on its part.
The fleet viii be divided into two
squadron and the armored cruiser
Squadron-upon which the brunt of
the heavy work will fall, and these will
be supported by an auxiliary squad
ron of protected cruisers and a torpedo
fiotilla of sdestroyers and torpedo
boats, for scouting and torpedo work.
Admiral Evans will have under his
command the finest and most power
full fleet ever assembled under the
American Flag, the composition of
which will include in the two main
sQuadrons the battleships Maine, Mis-.
souri,, Alabama, Illinois Kearsarge.
Kentucky, Iowa, Massachusetts, Geo--
gla, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Vir-
gina, and the armored cruisers New
York, Brooklyn, Pennsylvania, West
Virginia, Colorado and Maryland. a
total of twelve battleships and six
cruisers for the armored portion OF the
feet.
At each port all the separate de-
fensive works constitute the fort
res in command of ranking officer
OF artillery. At some commanding
position on the reservation, away from
the batteries, is the boom-proof case
mate. in which is stationed the fort
TESS commander, and this place IS
designated the battle" or fortress
commanders station its function be-
ing not unlike that Of the armored
coming tower of the battleship, where
the captain of the vessel has his sta
ton, in electric communication with
all parts of the ship.
Navy on Defensive.
A new feature TO be introduced in
the maneuvers of 1905 will be the par
ticipation by the navy in the defense
as well as in the attack. Heretofore
the navy alone has attacked and the
army defended, but as an approxima-
ton of actual war conditions the coast
torpedo craft viii aid the artillery in
the defense against the onslaught OF
the big battleships and armored cruis-
ers of the enemy" For the first time
as yet in real OF mimic war the new
submarine torpedo boats recently add
ed to the navy OF Uncle Sam will be
called upon to show the stuff they are
made of in assisting the defense. The
moral effect, upon the hostile" fleet in
the known presence of these little
craft awaiting its destruction will iu-
duce greater caution on the port of the
attacking commander than has been
the case in past exercises of the kim,
and the artillery look for considerable
aid from these dangerous little boats
Undoubtedly their participation viii
add an element of realism, and OF I'M
certainty and. risk heretofore lacking.
A probable novelty in the coming
exercises will also be In evidence IN
the land attack and defense of the
Notifications at at least one point OF
the defenses OF the Chesapeake. Fait
ing passage of the mine fields and
batteries supporting them, the hostile
feet will attempt to land large mum
bers of sailors and marines who
will try to find places 70
attack the flank and rear OF
the coast batteries To checkmate
sucn designs, infantry and field artil-
lery from nearby army posts, together
with troops Of the National Guard Ct
49, LII l. -