El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1915-03-08

{ our battle fleet now drilling off Guam
I tsnamo is to stay together well into the
] summer is interesting and perhaps q
/ trifIe reassuring.
The Guantanamo maneuvers and
target practice have brought together
the strongest fleet ever seen under the
Stars and Stripes. The experience the
officers and men are getting there is
quickly wearing away the rust which
I the Mexican troubles and other causes
had let collect
To Return North IN May.
After the Guantanamo working out
the fleet viii return north for con-
tinued practice These further exer-
cises win take place with Narragansett
bay as the base. The fleet leaves Cuba
in MAY
From Narragansett bay the fleet will
assemble in New York Here a most
extensive war game may be played The
plans are not fully matured but IL is
proposed that the fleet divide. one part
attacking the great metropolis and the
other taking Up the defence.
Then the fleet sails for Hampton
Roads, where q review ordered by con-
gress will be held in June. The fleet
viii probably proceed to the Panama
canal for the celebration Thence 1t
may 90 to San Francisco.
Not alone in fleet concentration will
the next few months be notable The
repairing Of rents IN the navy and the
creating Of new fighting machines is
ropean war has thrown rhe limelight on
the navy and also. as Robert Lansing,
counsellor Of the state department said
in a speech at New York recently. this
rs a time for serious thought. a time
for anxiety"
Is Being ReOrEanized.
The general board. consisting OF ad-
m1ral George Dewey. and rear admirals
c J. Badger, Bradley a Fislle and Al
fred Reynolds, is bent upon a complete
reorganization Of the fleet
It is expected the superdreadnoughts
oklahoma" and Nevada" will be
added to the fleet this month. This viii
make the first line consist of eight
dreadnoughts and four superdread-
nOughts. The divisions of the battle
fleet will be rearranged 50 as TO dis
tribute the power to the best advau-
taEe-
The fleet now consists OF four battle
snip divisions, cruiser squadron. de-
stroyer and submarine flotillas. GOLFERS.
supply ana hospital ships, mine LAYERS
and small auXiliaries. OF the four bat
ueship divisions, the first two are COM
posed Of. first line ships, or dread
thoughts (the sailor does not use the
term .dreadnOughts") Indeed the sec
Ond division has one second line ship
the kansas" But the addition of the
Oklahoma and Nevada" viii make
each possible and Of these craft four
VIII carry the new & inch rifle.
The New II Inch Guns.
Until Great Britain put the Queen /
Elizabeth into commission a few DAYS
ago, the United States navy was the !
only one in the world 10 have afloat I
guns as large as u inches diameter. /
The queen Elizab beth has eight Is |
inch guns. The superiority Of these TO /
Il inch rifles is not certain They may
give greater smashing power to their /
proJectiles, but probably do not in
crease the range Drawbacks may de- /
velop.
Our Il inch. gun does not have a /
greater effective range than the earlier
y inch gun The latter is regarded as
one Of the most efficient types possible |
to produce. Its length is Is times its
diameter, which gives great accuracy in /
sighting. In the IA inch guns il was 4
found necessary TO reduce the length TO
70 times the diameter, or 40 calibers."
Il Inch More Accurate.
Perhaps the u inch gun is the more
accurate, but the IA inch projectile
weighs 100 pounds. against $40 pounds
Tor the smaller weapon Both are enor-
mously effective at eight miles range
critics think this is the distance at /
Whlch the great naval battle between !
dreadnoughts an engagement the like
Of which the world has never seen. will /
be fought.
Capes recently. gunpOinter William Ruf.
OF the Texas scored eight straight /
hits with a Il inch gun on a moving
target y miles away. This sounds en-
cOuraEing.
Five still Larger.
In addition TO the oklahoma" and
Nevada the navy officials are now
hurrylng work on five larger vessels,
the Pennsylvania" Arizona" Cali j
fornia-" Idaho" and Mississippi" each 4
OF which viii have 30. 600 tons dfspIace- /
ment and carry u "a inch guns. They
will not be ready in 1915.
First Line Of the Navy.
By next month the first line Of the