Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1907-08-17
FLEETS TARGET Practice
ADMIRAL EVANS FLEET TO
HAVE AN EXTENDED
TARGET PRACTICE
North Amefiean BatfIeships Win Try al
War For Two Weeks. and the
World VIII wzi9h

number uf vessels nt AtEfHifAA
Eyans' feet ara on their say e.
Hampton Roads - rendezvous prar2r-
atory 10 two weeks 90 tactical ma
neuyers and exercises IN feet and
squadron formation up AMI dowu the
Atlantic coast.
These mancuycrs will he heid from
sunday, August -. unrli Monfiay.
September .. The character q these
movements cannot be- obtained. nut
in view of criticisms fhat have been
ioYeicd Of the Administrator fer me-
glecting ~ induige in certain kinds
of battle practice IL u nelived that
some such exercises vii b. beid A.
require the division of the feet into
two units which can he matched
against each other for mansgVerinx
purposes ~ in actual war.
A great deal 90 mancuVerinE tactics
have been observed IN the navy. but
little of this particular kind ~ ma
nou1cring. In Great Britain aeets afe
divided into two parts, one q Which
a. labeled the Red All tAe others
the Blue, and the Reds and B4ues
are pitted against each other - de-
tefminc their military prepafe.incss
and tactical ability and agility.
way down the Atlantic coast from
Cape Cod ~ Hampton Roads and
while the details are left IN che bands
Of admiral Evans ofncers declare tbas
they will be extensive in character AMI
that they will b. surrounded with eer-
tain measures 81 secrecy. Immesiiafe-
ly after these tactical maneuveFs the
Atlantic fleet will 20 into what Is
Al. q
practice" Of r0vfncetown. Mass.
in the vicinity Of Cape Tod bay. This
target practice will commence on sep
tember and will last several days
Prior 20 the Inauguration of the
fleet maneuvers Admiral Evans CON-
plemcnt Of vessels will be divided
The second squadron, consisting 0f
the Alabama. Illinois. Kentucky,
KearsaTge, ohio. Maine. Missouri AMI
Minnesota, will assemble 81 Prov
incetOwn, Mass, on August 70 for the
ceremonies in connection with the
monument which is to be erected At
that place. President Roosevelt viii
be present.
The other baftleship squadron. kloN y
as the first squaroB, consisting 81 the
Connecticut, Kansas. Vermont. Nir-
ginia, Georgia. New Jersey and Rhode
Island, will rendezvous at Hampton
Roads between now and August - in
order TO be able TO inaugurafe the
tactical maneuveTs on that date. with
Hampton Roads as the starting point
Some Of these vessels are ON their
way there. The Louisiana sailed on
Thursday from I'll North river. New
York, for Hampton Roads for the reu-
devious. The Vermont sailed from
Lynnhaven bay for Hampton Roads on
August II. The Connecticut was sent
to Tompkinsville, y u on August
. and Is about TO start for Hampton
Roads.
During the maneuveFs the second
squadron will use Koekport, Mass as
its headquarters during the week q
September ?, and on September > the
whole fleet Will rendezvous at Prov
incetOwn for the battle target prae-
tice. Target practice is held twice a
year. The record target practice
was held in the tropics in the spring
Several vessels like the Georgia. y hieh
failed 10 participate i'm the spring rec
ord practice, recently indulged in such
practice in Cape Cod bay. Nov prac-
tically all of the vessels Of the North
Atlantic fleet will have their battle
practice in Cape Cod bay
The forthcoming practice stunts
will be watched with great interest
not only in the American navy. but
also in Great Britain. which Is pay
ing close attention Ia our target work.
The British naval officials claim
that they .'haye America beat in The
matter of battle practice AT targets
our naval experts declare that Amer
ican gunDers have made higher aver
age for every Galiber Of gun excepi
the S-inch gun than any. foreign navy
They admit that our S-inch targei
work is excelled in rapidity Of hitting
by the British 9.2-incb gun. which
throws an even heavier shell than
our s-inch guns.
Six new battleships will on S1ptem-
ber 90 into battle targer prac-
tice' for the first time. These are
four big "a. .94S ton battleships-Nir-
ginia. Rhode Island. New Jersey and
Georgia. all sister ships. which were
not ready for that kind Of practices
at first-and the two big l6,ooO-ton
sister ships. the Louisiana and Con
necticut, which were also not then
ready for the work. The Connecticut
and Louisiana will be the first i. GOO
ton battIesbips that we have ever pui
into battle target practice Zach o.
these six ships carries twenty-f0ur
guns OF a caliber higher than -four
inches-a greater ordnance fire than We
have ever concentrated in the battle
target practice