The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1915-02-06
MONSTER FLEET
NOW ASSEMBLED
FOR MANEUVERS
United States Warships in for
Month of Hardest Kind
of Drilling.
COMMANDED BY FLETCHER
Largest and Most Powerful Fleet Ever
Assembled Under the Stars and
stripes-May Solve Efficiency
OF Our Navy.

w hC 6Cot anu Lioos
powerful feet ever assembled under
the Stars and Stripes is now gathered
of Guantanamo, on the North coast of
Cuba, for a month of the hardest kind
of drilling. 1t will be great spectacle
for the few civilians who will see 1t,
but for the more than one thousand
officers and $4,000 enlisted men 1t
means work, unceasing labor. to fit the
American navy for battle.
Yet every Jack Tar is glad he Is
there. Great fascination surrounds the
maneuvers, the orderly marching and
counter-marching over the parade
ground Of the ocean, dreadnaughts and
cruisers taking the place of individual
soldiers, but obeying the orders sent
by wireless and wigwag just as Inn
plicitly and readily as a squadron OF
well-drilled cavalry.
The firing of the great guns is fun
for officer and man, too. Target prac-
tice Is a great game. Every nerve is
strained to make the enormous rifles
do their best, and hot rivalry is exhib'
tied by the gun crews. Business Is
pleasure when the heart is in it.
The eyes Of the whole United States
are directed to Rear Admiral Frank
Friday Fletcher and his ships today.
A great wave of criticism has swept
over the country. The European war
has created interest in the army and
navy; and every patriot feels that II
not the greatest we should have the
best navy in the world.
Is the navy up to scratch?
This is the question the maneuvers
may solve and at the same time do a
great deal toward making 1t possible
to answer in the Affirmative. The navy
needs maneuvers. just as an army
needs drills. A feet will be awkward
in forming in battle line in time OF
war II the superior officers have not
performed all the evolutions often in
time of peace.
Much PractIcing Necessary.
Partly due to the use Of the big
ships OF the coast Of Mexico, the
maneuvers have been neglected. This
IL the first time in three years that the
entire feet will be assembled for bat.
tie practice. Three years means a
long while when one considers how
fast the art Of naval warfare Is de-
veloping. Just to mention one item:
Naval guns Of 14-inch caliber were car
yfad nm NJ chin In
years ago. Now the Texas and the
New York carry these mammoth
rifles. and II is currently reported
that Great Britain's new Queen Eliza.
beth class. now building, will have Is
inch guns
When one considers that the fleets
Of Great Britain, Germany, France,
Austria, Russia and Japan are now
engaged In actual war work every
day In the year. 1t Is easy to see that
the United States must do lot OF
practicing even to approximate the de.
gree OF efficiency to which the fighting
navies of the world are arriving.
The Guantanamo maneuvers will be
the most extensive target and feet
practice the American navy has ever
gone through. They will last through
the greater part of the month, and
will be followed by the Panama cana
opening exercises. which may involve
some maneuvers of value. too.
The armored feet (the bigges
ships) will be In four divisions of q
vessels. Ten will be of the so-called
"dreadnaught" class and IL of the pre-
dreadnaught type. Besides these, two
of the four armored cruisers of the
feet and all of the torpedo fiotillas
except those in reserve. will be pres
emit.
Never before did the feet contain
practically two complete divisions o.
the dreadnaught class. The first divi
sion consists Of dreadnaughts of the
most powerful type and the secont
division is made up of these powerful
vessels except one battleship.
In addition to the battleships, five
of the seven divisions of torpedo
boat destroyers will have a part il
the exercises. This means 81 more
craft. There will be ten alxiliarie.
and the scout cruiser Birmingham
which Is the flagship of the torpedo
fotilla.
Directs 1903 Vessels.
This does not mean that all the
vessels under Admiral Fletcher's com
mand will be at Guantanamo. There
will be missing all the submarines
as well as all the smaller cruisers
and gunboats and two divisions of the
destroyer flotilla. Admiral Fletcher
directs 103 vessels. of which IS will
be at Guantanamo
It was figured by a naval officer
here that the 12-inch guns of the flee,
can fire broadside of 105, 400 pounds
and the l4-inch guns bring this up to
133,400 pounds. There are 124 IL.
inch guns in the recognized feet
all Of which are placed so that they
can be fired In a single broadside.
The New York and the Texas each