Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-06-16
Most Powerful American Fleet
Will Assemble in July.
NOTABLE FOR HEAVY GUNS
First Division to Be Formed Entire.
ly of Dreadnoughts.
COMPLEMENT OF 10000 MEN
Vessels Will Engage In Maneuvers
in tho Vicinity OF Cape Cod
=, Attack by Submarines.

Plans are under way for the assembling
of Cape Cod In July of the largest bat
tleship fleet ever brought together under
the American flag. The fleet is to be
composed Of twenty-one battleships, with
their auxiliaries making the most for
midable squadron in the navy's history
The new fleet will be divided into five
divisions and the flagship, comprising
twenty-one battIeships, six of which are
dreadnoughts and four armoTed cruisers.
In Iong-range guns IL will be nearly twice
as powerful as its predecessor-which
passes out Of existence as an organiZa-
ton July mounting 116 twelve-inch
and sixteen tcn-inch guns. as against
eighty-four twclve-inchers in the old fleet.
Entirely of Dreadnoughts.
The addition ~ the two new and power
full dreadnoughts. the Utah and Florida,
now fitting out in the navy yards. makes
II possible for the first tim. to form
the first division entirely Of drezidnoughts.
With forty-eight twelve-inCh guns, that
division alone contains more than one
third of the total strength of the fleet.
The van will be led by the flagship
Connecticut. which held the same honor
in the old fleet for several years. The
noughts-Ctah, Florida. Delaware and
North Dakota-each Of 2n,Nn tons or
more displacement, and the Michigan, OF
l60e0 tons. The sixth dreadnought. South
Carolina. and the four 161n-ton sisters
Louisiana Kansas. Vermont and New
Hampshire-w form the second division.
In the third division are the four 1900
ton sisters-Georgia, Nebraska. New Jer-
sey and NTgnia-and the smaller 12,.LO-
ten Ohio. The fourth division is made
fEa a
ship: the Mississippi and Idaho, of 13.on
tons, and the two sisters. Maine and
Missouri, of Zoo tons each.
The NTH division comprises the four
armored cruisers Tennessee, Montana.
North Carolina and Washington. sister
ships, of IL. 800 tons each
Crews Will Total 10000.
The total displacement of the feet is
nearly 100000 tons, and to man all the
ships requires more than 10000 men be-
sides the officers. The total number of
guns carried is 1.436 and there will be
rs under water torpedo tubes.
In addition to the vessels mentioned
il is probable that when the summer
maneuvers begin the fleet will be aug
mented by the three swift scout
cruisers Birmingham. Chester and
Salem and the Atlantic torpedo fleet.
consisting OF sixteen or seventeen de-
stroyers and seven submarines. bring
ing the number of fighting craft in the
fleet 10 more than fifty
Rear Admiral Osterhaus will be in
command of the fleet.
The vessels will engage in maneuvers
in the vicinity of Cape Cod bay dur
ing July. One Of the interesting day
and night drills in connection with the
maneuvers will be an attack upon the
fleet by the submarines, with the de-
stroyers acting as line of defense be-
tween the battleships and their SUBJ
merged enemy. Night battle attacks.
with searchlight drills and landing de-
tachments on shore as infantry and
light artillery. will be included in the
summers work.