Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-29
And Baltimore by Strong
Fleet of Modern Warships.
THE WAR EXERCISES"
TO BE CONDUCTED JOINTLY BY
ARMY AND NAVY THIS SUMMER.
Object of Maneuvers is to Develop the
Strength Of the Defensive Works in
Chesapeake Bay and Tributaries.


of modern warships and the defense of the
two cities by strong Notifications with
heavy guns. assisted by submerged mines.
comprise the war exercises to be con-
Quoted jointly by the army and navy this
summer. The project was prepared by the
joint army and navy board of which Adj
miral Dewey and Lieut.. Gen Chaffee are
the ranking members. Its primary object
is to develop the strength of the defensive
works in the Chesapeake and it's tributaries.
The elaborate plan first contemplated by
the joint board has been greatly modified
because of the lack of available funds. The
original plan called for extensive offensive
and defensive movements by both the land
and naval forces, including the National
Guard and the naval militia, and involved
strategic operations on a most comprehen-
sive scale. By reason of the reduced APP
propriations available for such exercises it
has been found necessary to revise the
plans so as to restrict the operations to an
artillery defense of Washington and Balti-
moro against an attack by a squadron of
warShips. The operations will be known
officially as army and navy exercises, in
stead of combined army and navy maneu-
Vers, as originally designed, and they will
be conducted exclusively by regular forces.
The operations will be confined to the ar
tlllery districts of the Chesapeake, Baltl
more ana the tOlO1nac, ana Will cover the
period from June IL to II. For the de-
fensiVe operations about 5,400 artillery
troops will be stationed in the territory In
volved, of which number 5000 are assigned
to the Chesapeake district, 1900 to the Po-
tomac district and LOCO to the Baltimore
district. These troops include all the regu-
lar garrison in the districts named, together
with other troops brought from stations
along the coast from Alabama to Maine.
The Attacking Force.
The attacking force will comprise the At
lantic coast squadron, composed of the bat
tleship Massachusetts or Texas, the mont
tors Florida, Nevada and Arkansas, and a
number of torpedoboat destroyers and
probably the old frigate Hartford, now
used as training ship.
Maj. Gen. James F. Wade commanding
the Atlantic division at New York, will
have supreme command of the land forces,
and Rear Admiral +. w. Dickens COM
handing the Atlantic coast squadron, will
be in command of all the naval forces.
Each branch of the military service will be
represented by umpires or observers. The
army will have umpires ashore for each
battle command, fire command and mine
command, and also umpires afloat, one to
each separate ship. The navy will have an
observer at each separate fort or detached
battery.
Generally it is contemplated that the ma
val feet will make its approach from the
ocean through the virginia CdpeS, anu llltN
the artillery forces at Fort Monroe and
Fort Wool will exert their full strength to
prevent it's passage further into the bay by
the use of high-power guns, mining and
torpedoes. The fleet is to follow one of sew
eral forms of attack designed by the gen.
eral board to develop the effectiveness Of
the defensive works, the system of mines
the searcblight system and the systems for
range and position finding. The vessels
will run by the forts and attack the search
lights and observing stations, while the
army will endeavor to meet whatever form
of attack is made. Strict rules have been
adopted to govern these inter-service eXer-
cises, and the results of each phase of the
operations will be determined by the reports
of the umpires for each side. The begin
ming of each phase of the exercises VIII be
indicated by the approach Of the fleet with
flags flying and the termination by hauling
down the flags in the daytime or by turn
ing down the lights at night.
Regardless OF the result of the prelim-
mary engagement with the Virginia forts
In Chesapeake bay, the fleet of warships
will continue their offensive operations
against Washington city and Baltimore,
the land forces meanwhile disputing their
progress at every possible stage.
Appearance of Actual Warfare.
During the six days that the maneuvers
will be in progress the forts will take on
the appearance of actual warfare and
everything will be conducted as though
some foreign fleet was the adversary and
this country was preparing to sink every
ship that comes within range of the guns.
AS the accommodations at the river forts
will not permit of all the outside troops be-
ing houses in the barracks, they will in
consequence live in tents, to be erected as
soon as the artillerymen arrive from the
distant forts. The forts will be modified
on a war basis, allowing two reliefs for
each gun emplaced, with such additional
men as may be needed to furnish three re-
liefs for the range-finders and the complete
complement required for the submarine de-
lenses.
Upon the recommendation of Brig. Gen.
J. p Story chief of artillery, the enlisted
men and officers of the torpedo school will
be employed In the defense of Baltimore
and Washington. Gen. story objected to
rule which prohibited the artillery from
getting such information as it may of the
war vessels operating in the Chesapeake
bay by such means as would be available
In war, and this rule was Withdrawn.
Water Approaches to Cities.
The water approaches to the respective
points of attack will be treated as mined
only for countermining or the removal of
distractions from the channels by the navy.
For reconnaissance, direct attack or the
forcing Of the passages the channels OF APP
proach will be treated as unobstructed- No
channel guides Will be changed or removed.
Under the rules the naval forces Will be
permitted to countermine or remove mines,
to reconnoiter in force either day or night,
to make gun attacks on searchlights,
range-hnders and signal stations, and gen
orally to make such direct attack on the
principal defenses as may be feasible
In view of the narrow approach to WASH
ington-a dredged channel-and the facili-
ties which this channel afford for mining
or obstructing, the operations of forcing the
channel or running by the forts Is not
deemed practicable. Destroyers and other
small vessels sent up the channel will be
regarded as moving targets for the purpose
of testing the range-findlng system aHd
searchlights, and will not employ their bat
teries
The Army Signal Corps is making special
efforts to have all the means of obserYa-
ton and communication ready in time for
the exercises The new apparatus, much of
1t OF an experimental character, is being
installed and will be tested under true and
tried conditions. This includes the tele-
o,,l tha taI1 and A.