Fergus County Democrat. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1904-1919, 1915-05-27

Base on the Coast-We Lost.
WASHINGTON, May 26.-Superi-
ority Of the enemy" in units repre-
senting fast and heavily armed battle
cruisers, coupled with weather connl-
tions favorable for an attack, Drougnt
about the failure of Admiral FIetchers
defense of the Atlantic seaboard IN the
naval war game, which closed yester-
day with Rear Admiral Beattys IN
vaders in a position to establish base
in Chesapeake bay
The story Of the game, as told in
repcrts Of the commanding officers
to the navy department, revealed that
Admiral Beatty, with theoretically
stronger force, engaged the main Douy
Of the defending fleet last Thursday
and destroyed about half OF Admlral
Fletcher's scouts while easily eludlng
the supporting dreadnaughts. Ihen,
when Admiral Fletcher drew OIL to
guard against movement against
New England or New York, the "en-
envy" swept southwark, prepared to
establish base of operations by land
ing an expedition from his transports
and at the same time faced northWard
with sufficient force to deal with any
suuadrons the defenders might SEND
against him.
Admiral F1etcher's defensive cam
paign was described as q. good one,
but he was handicapped not only by
the weather and lack of speedy scouts
with long range guns, but by inability
to have submarines on the scene when
the final test against the enemy came.
The department tonight issued the fol
lowing statement summarizing reports
of the maneuvers:
"The war problem which has Just
been played off the Atlantic coast had
for it's purpose the training OF the Of
ficers OF tie fleet. he problem ON
the part Of the Atlantic fleet, was, in
brief, to prevent more powerful fleet
than our own from establishing a base
at some point between Eastport, Me-,
and Cape IIatteras, from which TO
invade the country.
"When Admiral Fletcher novel out
from New York at noon on May Is
with the blue fleet, he faced the dill
ficll!t problem of meeting an enemy
stronger than his own in every branch
except submarines, and especially SUI
perior in scouts. Admiral Fletcher,s
plan Of defense was excellent, but not
successful, owing to weather condi-
tions and the marked superiority OF
enemy in scouts.
"The attacking red fleet, under Rear
Admiral Beatty, approached at dis
tance of several hundred miles by a
line of fast scouts spaced at intervals
and covering a front of nearly 900
miles; behind this line and ready to
stiffen it at any point where neces-
sary, came a line of battle cruisers
and armored cruisers Three red
scouts and cruisers had the problem
not only of locating the blue fleet, but
also of preventing any concentration
of ships from the blue fleet from
breaking through a weak point in
their line and attacking the red trans
ports following behind the main red
fleet.
"These transports were intended to
effect a foothold on the coast and
maintain themselves there until rein
forcements could be brought to their
support.
"The advance forces came in contact
soon after daylight of the twentieth.
Within a few house about half of the
blue scouts had been put out of ac-
ton, the most effective work against
them being done by the enemy's bat.
tie cruisers, whose high speed and
long range enabled them to pick Oft
the slower and weaker cruisers al
most at will, at the same time elud-
ing the supporting dreadnaughts. Ad
miral Fletcher withdrew to the north
ward, using his remaining scouts tc
search and guard the area from which
he believed the red fleet would pass
if it contemplated landing on the New
England coast. This was, as matte,
of fact, Admiral Beatty's plan, al
though Admiral Fletcher had not ac
tually located the red fleet. The blue
fleet succeeded in protecting this re
gion and forcing Admiral Beatty in the
end to seek an opening to the south
ward.
"In the meantime Admiral Beatt,
was holding his main force we'll ou
to sea and following up every move
of the defending fleet with his scouts
Thus one fleet was able to make ever!
frortinued on mage tWelvel