The sun., 1916-09-26
MOSQUITO FLEET OF
Big VALUE TO N. y.
Recent ManGuvres Showed
Enemy Fleet Couldn't Sur
prise This City.
ALL SUBMARINES CAUGHT
Mines Also Discovered in
Every Instance-Help of
the AviatOrs.

Recent manHuvrcs OF the mosquito
hcet" Of privately owned power boats In
New York harbor proved such a success.
In the opinion OF Navy Department ex-
uerts. as to demonstrate conclusively That
no enemy feet could approach this city
undiscovered. nor could n submarine
hope to enter the port.
Both the navy officers who conducted
the game and the citizens who took part
In II have learned the astonishing powers
of small. fast motor boats in spying out
an enemy at sea and directing the at
tack.
The recent were from Boe-
ton to the Delaware capes N the At
lantic coast. The division about New
York was under the direction of Capt.
l.. A. Kaiser Of the battleship New Jer-
sey and Lieut.. J. W. Wilcox. while r. 8.
willard had charge Of the hy~droaeroplana
division. Through their efforts the ma
nGuvres went through without a hitch.
Enemy Detected Every Time.
At Block Island the attacks and coun-
ter attacks against the entrances to the
Sound and the home nee. Of battleshlrs
protected by the mosquito heet' re-
suited. the naval u~irS)ires have reported.
In the enemy being spotted and driven
back IN every case.
Trubcs Dawson and Paul Mccullough.
the two young aviators who took part,
helped materially by discovering the
approach OF the enemy fleet some sixty
miles out from Gravesend Bay. They
did II In a heavy squat and fog, under
the most trying conditions.
In every case the flying boats and the
patrol fleet discovered dummy mines
anchored eighteen feet below the sur
face and cav pertscopes Of dummy
submarines trying to enter the harbor
Tn aviators. out Of VI range above.
could signal down 10 the power boats
the exhct location OF the enemy. where
upon the fast little patrols either sank
the submarines or cleared the mine
field.
Capt. Kaiser's Recommendation.
At the conclusion Of the exercises
Capt. Kaiser called the the
beginning OF n great national movement.
He advocated adoption OF the European
system of patrolling. whereby tho mem
bers Of the fee; are specially trained in
handling the huge nets used 10 trap sub
marines, and In dragging for mines.
The owners and crews should he
brought together In one great body
he said. "a club or organization for
learning signalling and tactical nov
inents during tho winter. Undoubtedly
on request the Department would be
only too happy to assign regular officers
TO meet the civilians in their drill rooms
and give lectures and personal ins,ruc-
ton"
Something along this line has been
lone. II was suggested at n meeting
in the Atlantic Yacht Club by +. $.
Fisher, one OF the civilian owners. that
those Interested should get together and
1T a ,An 49,. D. sAA staz a, fy4f1a n
plans and vita similar engines. \ feet
Of such boats could be built at a greatly
reduced COS and by Standardization
could get repairs at "A base ship.
one Of the lessons learned was that
the average boat in the feet was not
properly protected from weather and
the sea. Many will have 20 be recon
struc.ed. The new boats are recon-.
mended TO have coming towers or AT
!eas, shields for protection. M many
Of the boats already built will have thes,
improvemen,s added by their owners.