Evening star., 1915-10-10
Landing Forces Get Past Bat
tIeships and Steam Into
Delaware Bay.
SAME THING HAPPENED
AT SPRING MANEUVERS
Admiral Knights Destroyers, in
Daring Raid, Find and Sink
Nearly All Defense Vessels.

Its naval defense along the Atidftic
coast smashed-theoretically the
''blue'' fleet of Rear Admiral Fletcher
destroyed or scattered in flight, the
United States was last night invaded by
an acknowledgement of the imagination
when landing force from Rear Admiral
knights red" fleet steamed into Della
ware bay at o'clock, six days within
the time limit set for making the land
ing. Announcement of the second sue
cessive defeat Of the defending fleet in
the naval maneuvers was made last night
by the Navy Department, the landing OF
the imaginary enemy force bringing the
maneuvers to a close.
The announcement stated that the
blue" fleet was put out of business by a
night torpedo attack. The red fleet had
until October Is to effect landing or be
adjudged beaten by the defense fleet.
In the maneuvers last spring. Rear Ad-
miral Beatty's red feet broke through
the blue" defense and established base
in Chesapeake bay.
A Disaster in Theory.
Details Of the disaster which in theory
swept the blue" ships from the sea and
opened the way for Admiral knight will
not be available until reports of the UNI
pires reach the Navy Department. 1t is
clear from the brief report Of the result,
however. that Admirars F1etcher's scouts.
com bing the seas for signs fthe ap-
preaching enemy. failed to find him,
while Admiral knights destroyers, in a
daring night raid found and sank nearly
all Of the sixteen blue battleships. The
nouncement, cleared the sea of effective
opposition and enabled the red expedi-
tion to reach the Delaware"
The problem assigned Admiral
pedition directed toward getting foot
hold on our Atlantic coast" the de-
partments statement says. Under his
command were the sixteen battleships
submarines, a mining division and nee
essary auxiliary craft. Admiral
Knights fleet was Constructive" in
character. composed of the old armored
destroyers and five auxiliary ships: but
in theory 1t represented powerful
naval force conveying a huge fleet of
troop transports.
News Of Enemy's Approach.
News of the enemy's approach found
the blue" fleet concentrated at Hamp-
ton roads. The red" force was re-
ported about 1900 miles at sea of
Chesapeake capes. For purposes of the
war game the coast between Eastport,
Me-. and Monomoy point, Cape Cod. was
closed to attack. but all the wide
reach from Cape Cod to the southern
tip Of Florida was open to assault by
the red" fleet.
Admiral Fletchers scouting ships and
destroyers rushed to sea under forced
draft when the word came. while the
main feet cruised on patrol along the
coast. The scouts definitely failed in
their task, the umpires decided, while
red" destroyers. coming far ahead of
the battle fleet and troop ships. found
and destroyed the blue" fleet.
Officers Here Participated.
The game was played not only by
the fleets but by all coast navy yards
and stations and the bureaus of the
department here as we'll. Admiral
Fletcher reported constructive acci-
dents and casualties from time to time,
and officers were at their desks day
and night in the bureaus here, ready
to give instructions to the yards. Once
the battleship Wyoming. theoretically,
was swept by an epidemic of diph-
iberia, and ordered back to the New
York yard. The Medical Corps issued
orders for care of the men to be landed
hasty orders for assem- bling a new
crew were flashed by the bureau of
navigation. Again. the Wyoming was
rammed and headed toward Narra
gansett bay. according to Admiral
Fletcher's Constructive" report Prompt
arrangements to dock the ship at New
York were made.
The Navy Departments statement
lays stress on the fact that no special
efforts were made to augment the
blue" feet by fastening repair work,
putting reserve ships in commission. or
withdrawing ships on special duty. The
ad it =
for any sudden emergency. In its
statement the department says:
1T is proposed. with such maneuvers
conducted in stimulation of war condi-
tions. to repeat and develop the exer-
else of all functions of the department,
SO that such rehearsals may finally
be made to approach very nearly the
conditions of actual war.