The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-04-25

" HE coast artillery war game is
played in spacious room,
wherein is set up a large
green board twenty-five by
forty feet on which models of dread
noughts, battleships, cruisers, destroy
ers, &C., made carefully to scale by
a master gunner. manpuvre about in
column and line. in double echelon for
pursuit or retreat. and in othor famil
lar formations.
Bounding this sea area, which rep
resents a water range of eight or ten
miles, are the land features of some
fortified harbors shown in great topo-
graphical detail, with batteries. range
finding stations, searchlights, mine
feds. barracks, roads, streams, woods:
in fact all points of military impor-
lance.
At one end OF this room a group Of
four officers direct the attack of ships
against the shore. At the other end on
raised seats, a larger group. sixteen in
all, Of battery commanders, fire COM
manders and the supreme fort COM
mander. study the board with special
field glasses. decide on situations as
they arise and conduct the operations
of defence.
A separating curtain. drawn at one
minute intervals. allows the attack
ing party to move their ships over the
board. as the ships might move over
the water, without the defenders see
ing each new position until the cur
tain is withdrawn. one of these war
game campaigns may last for weeks.
These coast artillery war games are
played with the greatest seriousness
by all concerned and in absolute
silence save for necessary commands
which are given and transmitted with
pretence of telephonng from point to
point, exactly as they would be given
in a real battle. a wonderful simula-
ton Of actuaity is obtained eSpe-
cialiy in night attacks, when the room
is darkened and tiny searchlights
(small rejecting mirrors) flash their
beams to the proper ranges, are placed
''in" or 'out" Of action, are traversed
or elevated as the need is by a search
light operator in accordance with
commands received from the fire or
battery commanders.
AS the engagement proceeds the ex-
element grows. Differences of opin-
ion arise as to hits and damages, as
to the correctness of movements and
man9uvring. Is this ship out of ac-
ton? Is that battery silenced? I'M
pires are necessary-one for each side
and "A chief umpire. For weeks after
ward officers argue over details and
decisions. There Is no principle Oh
method of coast defence operations
that cannot be demonstrated in this
war game.
AS to the method Of estimating hits
either by ships or shore defences il
may be explained that this is accom-
plished by applying the law of proba-
biities as established to target prac-
tice records.
To explain how this is done would
take us too far into military techni-
calites. The point is that substantial
advantages are gained by this wal
game practice. Lessons are learned ir
the handling Of guns and men. Ar
officer who has never been in actor
gets vivid illusion of action and re-
ceives training in vital decisions or
which the issues Of a battle may de-
pend.
Let us now consider in detail as the
war game experts do, what would hap
pen if dozen hostile battleships APP
peared some morning eight or tel
miles off Sandy Hook and proceeded t
concentrate their fires upon Fort Han
cock. Suppose this happened withou
interference from our own fleet, which
was occupied elsewhere. Would New
York city be in danger? Could GU
harbor forts prevent the enemy's ship
from penetrating the upper bay an,
using as targets the Woolworth Build
ing, the City Hall or the metropolitan
Opera House? l have laid this tacti
cal problem before several Of GU
leading coast artillery authorities an
| give their opinion, partly in thei
own words, partly in my own.
We will assume that the enemy
aim is to pass through the Narrow
and to hold up New York city. To d
this he must silence Fort Wadswortl
he must silence Fort Hamilton. l
This possible? How can he silenc
these terrible fortresses with thei
fourteen inch guns, their twelve inc
guns their mortar batteries and a
the rest OF their formidable equip
ment? Let us see what the enem
may do. He has choice among sew
'ral methods of attack.
one thing that the enemy will ne
do except by way of reconnaissance
Is to attack these forts in clear day
light, The overwhelming supremaC
Of first class and fully manned Goa!