The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1915-06-02
DEFENDERS FAILED
HOW FLETCHER LOST CONTROL
WHEN ENEMY ATTACKED
LACKED ADEQUATE BOATS
Naval Experts See Splendid Teaching
in Strategic Fight off Northern
Coast-''Enemy" Possessed Air
Scouts and Battle Cruisers-Easily
Won Battle.

Won Battle.
Superiority OF the enemy" in its
units representing fast and heavily
armed battle cruisers, coupled with
weather conditions favorable for an
attack, brought failure of Admiral
Flet.ner's defence of the Atlantic sea-
board in the naval war game which
closed Wednesday with Rear Admiral
Beatty's invaders in position to
establish base in Chesapeake Bay.
The story of the game as told in
reports of the commanding officers
to the navy department wednesday
revealed that Admiral Beatty, with
a Theoretically stronger force, en-
gagged the main body of the defending
fleet last Thursday and destroyed
about half of Admiral Fletcher's
scouts while easily eluding the sup
porting dreadn OF, ,hts. Then, when
Admiral Fletcher drew off to guard
against a movement against New
England or New York, the enemy
swept southwark prepared to estab-
Ish base OF operations by landing
an expedition from his transports,
and at the same time faced north
ward with sufficient force to deal
with any squadrons the defenders
might send against him.
Admiral Fletcher's defensive cam
paign was described as 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 navy department issued the
following statement summarizing re-
ports on the manoeuvres:
1.-THE war problem which has just
been played off the Atlantic Coast
had for its purpose the training OF
the officers of the fleet. The prob
lem On the part of the Atlantic fleet
was, in brief to prevent more pow
erful fleet than our own from estab-
fishing a base at some point between
Eastport, Maine, and Cape Hatteras,
from which to invade the country.
When Admiral Fletcher moved out
from New York at noon Of May is
with the Blue fleet he faced the diff
felt problem of meeting an enemy.
stronger than his own in every
branch except submarines and especi-
ally superior in scouts. Admiral
Fletcher'S plan of defence was excel
lent, but was not successful, owing
to weather conditions and the mark
ed superiority of the enemy IN
scouts.
"The attacking Red fleet, under
Rear Admiral Beatty approached,
preceded at a distance of several hum
dred miles by line Of fast scouts,
placed at intervals and covering
front of nearly 500 miles; behind this
line and ready to stiffen it at any
point where necessary came line of
battle cruisers and armored cruisers.
These 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 ard attack
ing the Red transports following be-
hind the main Red fleet. These
transports were intended TO effect a
foothold on the coast and maintain
themselves there until reinforcements
could be brought to Their support.
"The advance forces came in con-
tact soon. after daylight on the 20th.
Within few hours 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 off
the slower and weaker Blue cruisers
almost at will, at the same time
eluding the supporting dreadnoughts.
Admiral Fletcher withdrew to the
northward, using his remaining
scouts to search and guard the area
from which he believed the Red fleet
would pass if it contemplated land
ing on the New England coast. Ghis
was, as matter of fact, Admiral
Beatty's plan, although Admiral
Fletcher had not actually located the
Red fleet. The Blue fleet succeeded
in protecting this region and forcing
Admiral Beatty in the end to seek
an opening to the southwark.
''In the meantime Admiral Beatty
was holding his main force we'll out
to sea and following up every move
of the defending fleet with his
scouts. Thus the fleet was able to
make every move with knowledge Of
the enemy's whereabouts, while the
other was in the dark. When con-
vinced that no opening was to be eX-
pected along the New England coast,
Admiral Beatty turned toward the
south and passed around the flank OF
the defending forces, starting out
about noon OF, the oath for the Chesa-
peake. During the night Of the Gath
Admiral Fletcher left the vicinity OF
Cape Cod where he had remained
for three days, and moved south
ward. News of this move almost
Immediately reached Admiral Beatty,
who was. at that time, heading for
Cape Henry, over 100 miles ahead OF
the Blue fleet.
'At noon on May 25 Admiral Beat
t. turned back with his fleet to meet
the enemy, his transports meanwhile
continuing south with an escort to
the mouth OF the Chesapeake Bay.
As the force with which he thus