Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1916-05-16
FLEET TO SHOW
WHAT It Can DO

tic fleet of Uncle Sans navy starte'
out today to cut circles around itsel
to show the American people wha
it really can do in the way Of scrap
ping. The exhibition, in one form
or another, will continue until No
vember /. r@' .. .esa
The official program provides fo
| fleet and divisional exercises off thu
North Atlantic coast in the vicinity
of Newport, together with. a wal
game in conjunction with the army
from July "a to 20. b. "'..'. t@a'
Target practice will be held or
the southern drill grounds from
September 1 to 80, after which the
feet will be scattered to the home
ports for docking and minor repairs
Beginning today the battleships OF
the fleet will operate singly for
|steaming trials and similar individ-
ual operations, after which, on May
20, the divisions of the fleet will as
semble as follows:
The battleship Wyoming and First
division at Tompkinsville, The Sec
ond division in the North River, the
Third Division at Rockport and the
Fourth division at Newport.
After divisional exercises lasting
for five days the divisions will re-
turn to these bases, except that the
flagship and First division will go
to Hampton Roads instead of Temp
kinville.
Beginning on Juno divisional
exercises will again be held, the bat
tleships again returning to these
bases on June 10, on which date the
flagship and the First division will
return to Tompkinsville.
After five days spent in division
al exercises. from June 12 to June
IL, the entire fleet will reassemble
at Newport on June II for squad
ron exercises off Newport from June
10 to July 1.
The week from July / to will be
spent in the usual Fourth of July
calls at Atlantic coast ports for To-
,al celebrations.
On July the battleships will
again mobilize at Narragansett Bay
and on July 10 will spend a five day
period in feet exercises.
Returning to Narragansett Bay
On July Is, the next four weeks will
be spent at anchor for machinery
overhaul, ship drills and inspections,
with the exception Of five days from
July "a to 20, when the divisions
will operate in war game in an as
signed area. Torpedo exercises will
also be held, and the mining divis-
ION and destroyers will engage in
Joint exercises.
One division of destroyers will CO.
operate with the army in joint OPP
,rations in testing the defences of
Eastern New York.
Tactical exercises of the fleet will
1egin again on august and will
continue until August ~, when the
will return to Narragan-
;ett Bay for machinery overhauling,
ship drills, coaling and provisions
and conferences at the Naval War
College preparatory to strategical
from August 20 to Sep
,ember l., when the entire fleet will
proceed to the southern drill grounds
'or target practice until September
30, when the fleet will dispense to
he home ports.
The mining division Of the feet
will assemble in North River on May
Is and will cruise and engage in eX-
ercises on May 20 off New Haven,
On June / off Provincetown and on
June S off Plymouth, Mass.
After brief call at Boston this
mining division will continue its ex-
srcises off Salem, Cape Ann, Glou-
chester and Rockport until July /.
The Vestal and Solace will base on
Newport and will move according to
The needs of the fleet. -
The vessels of the active destroy
er fiotilla upon the completion of re-
pairs will make reconnaissance of
he New England coast, after which
they will assemble at Gardeners Bay
and prepare to participate in the
feet operations in Narragansett
Bay. .#
The active flotilla will hold tar
get practice in Narragansett Bay
from September | to November |.
The reserve destroyer flotilla will
continue on neutrality, aviation and
naval militia duty.
From July / to August so sum-
Iner submarine exercises will be
held from the base at New London,
during which torpedo practice, quar-
terly engineering runs and oscilla-
tor tests will be held.
The cruiser squadron of the Allan
-. 4