The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1915-02-18
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
strlpes-May Solve Efficiency
Of Our Navy.

Washington.-The largest and most
the Stars and Stripes is now gathered
OF Guantanamo. on the North coast OF
Cuba, for month OF the hardest kind
of drilling. 1t will be a great spectacle
for the few civilians who will see it.
but for the more than one thousand
officers and $4,000 enlisted men it
means work, unceasfng 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 i'm
plfcitly and readily as 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
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
great deal toward making it possible
to answer in the Affirmative. The navy
needs maneuvers, just as an army
needs drills. A fleet will be awkward
in forming in battle line in time of
war if 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 Off the coast of Mexico, the
maneuvers have been neglected. This
is the first time in three years that the
entire fleet will be assembled for bat
tie practice. Three years means a
fast the art of naval warfare is de-
veloping. Just to mention one item:
Naval guns Of 14-inch caliber were car
| ried on no ship in the world three
years ago. Now the Texas and the
New York carry these mammoth
rifles, and it is currently reported
that Great Britain's new Queen Eliza
| beth class, now building, will have 15-
| 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 a lot Of
practicing even to approximate the de-
] gree of efficiency to which the fighting
navfes Of the world are arriving.
| The Guantanamo maneuvers will be
the most extensive target and fleet
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 canal
opening exercises, which may involve
some maneuvers of value, too.
The armored fleet (the biggest
ships) will be in four divisions OF 21
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
fleet and all of the torpedo fiotillas,
except those in reserve, will be pres
ent.
Never before did the fleet contain
practically two complete divisions of
the dreadnaught class. The first divi-
sion consists Of dreadnaughts of the
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 in
the exercises. This means 21 more
craft. There will be ten aaxiliaries
and the scout cruiser Birmingham
which Is the flagship Of the torpedo
dotilla.
Directs 1o3 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 we'll as all the smaller cruisers
, and gunboats and two divisions of the
, destroyer flotilla. Admiral Fletcher
, directs 103 vessels, OF which 55 will
, be at Guantanamo
1t was figured by a naval officer
, here that the 12-inch guns of the feet
, can fire broadside of los, 400 pounds
| and the 14-inch guns bring this up tc
133,40O pounds. There are 12f 12
inch guns in the reorganizcd fleet
, all of which are placed SO that they
can be fired in a single broadside
The New York and the Texas each