Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1910-09-15
Ayers Cherry Pectorol
1910
SHIPS WIN CONTEST
Imaginary Torpedo Fleet Put
To R0ut
OVER TEN MILES COURSE
Big Boats Steaming In Four Divisions
Pick Up Targets Representing The
Enemy And Destroy The Sup
posed Boats With Ease

Enemy And Destroy The Sup
posed Boats With Ease
BY wireless from the u. S. S. Yer,
mont, at sea, comes the following
story from Portsmouth, Va:
A German tramp loafed across the
drill waters of the Atlantic battle
ship fleet, fifty miles off Cape Henry
light Tuesday afternoon, and tangled
up battle practice until Rear Admiral
Schroeder, with his little flags, told
the German to get along about his
business.
The four divisions of the fleet were
taking position to resist an attack OF
imaginary torpedo boats, and the
tramp was informed that when the
7-inch rifles began to shell the Allan.
tic scenery the neighborhood wouldn't
be healthy place for peace boats.
The German wasted no time in steam
ing out of the firing zone.
The battleships proved on Monday
night that they can take care Of
themselves against torpedo boat at
tacks. The big ships made a remark.
able and spectacular showing against
suggestions enemy who took ad.
vantage of the clouded moon. The
victory of the battleships against the
slim, low lying speedy torpedo firers
was clean cut and decisive. The
imaginary enemy was riddled and
sunk before its divisions got within
dangerous distance.
Rear Admiral Schroeder's fleet COM
menced Tuesday the maneuvers that
will last until September 20. The
fleet is divided into four divisions. In
the first is the Connecticut. Admiral
Schroeder's flagship, and the Mich
igan, Capt. Albert Gleaves Berry.
The North Dakota was attached to
this division, but the oil explosion
on Thursday of last week put her
out of commission.
In the second are the Louisiana,
Rear Admiral Vreeland's flagship
the Kansas, Capt. Charles j. Bad
ger; South Carolina, Capt. Augustus
f. Fechteler, and the New Hamp-
shire, Capt. Thomas S. Rodgers. In
the third division are the Georgia,
Rear Admiral Comly's flagship; Ne
brsska, Capt. John T. Newton !;
Rhode Island, Capt. Thos. d. Griffin,
and the Virginia, Capt. James H..
Glennon.
In the fourth division are the Min
nesota. Rear Admiral Murdock's flag
ship; Vermont, Capt. Walter Nc
Lean; Mississippi, Capt. William F.
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Tennessee, Rear Admiral Staunton's
flagship; North Carolina, Capt. Cliff
ford ]. Boush, and Montana, Capt.
John &. Quinby. With these is d.
vision of auxiliaries-Celtic, Culgoa,
Panther, Solace and Yankton.
The real work came at night, since
torpedo boats do not even in theory
attempt to sink battleships while the
ocean is sunlit. The weather condi-
tons rather favored the torpedo fleet.
The night was dark and the moon
was yelled almost continuously by
heavy clouds. The sea ran strongly
and there was brisk DETECTING wing
wind.
The manoeuvre as arranged by the
Rear Admiral and his staff of tacti-
clans presupposed that the fleet OF
battleships would be attacked at ar
unknown time by a powerful fleet Of
torpedo boats. Two targets, ter
miles apart. were planted in the
ocean to serve as the enemy.
The battleships raced up the coast
in four divisions, wheeled and begar
to search the waves with their IL
Illuminated tracers. One after the
other they picked up the targets anc
began to pitch shells at the enemy,
For hours the fleet steamed at full
speed up and down the coast, firing in
the dark at the supositious torp edoes.
There was continuous roar from
the 3-inch and 7-inch rifles as the big
ships got the range and let go with
broadsides.
The torpeo boats were supposed t.
attack in four divisions ten miles
apart, and the battleships steaming il
line between the two targets use
their broadsides on the imaginary at.
lacking divisions. The range varied
from 1900 yards to $500 yards, ano
when the fight was over all of the
enemy had been riddled and sunk.
The feet officers agreed that it hac
been a splendid demonstration of con,
centrated battle firing and that real
torpedo boats would have been dis
posed of i'm all probability as easily
as the imaginary ones were.
The manoeuvers will be over on Sep
TENDER 20, after which the fleet will
go to New York to anchor in the Hud-
son River. The men will get their
pay, about $4,000 there and have
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