South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-07-20
PACIFIC FLEET
TO HOME WATERS
New Fighting Force to Con-
tain 200 Vessels - viii
Use Panama Canal.

NEWPORT NEWS. Va. July 10
The new Pacihc feet the first !
powerful battle force this country 4
ever assembled 10 guard the west 4
coast. sailed from Hampton Roads /
Saturday FOR its home waters
For weeks the huge fleet has been /,
gathering off Old Point Comfort /
Eight battleships. the flagship Bir-
.nineham Of the destroyer squad I
ron. tender and dozens OF des-
troyers were lined up Saturday along |
the Roads ready for the start.
Admiral Hugh Rodman, COM
handing the hee>, was with the
flagship New Mexico. With the
New Mexico were seven battleships
the Wyoming, Arkansas. New
York. Texas, Arizona. Idaho and
Mississippi The Birmingham and
the tender Vestal were with So des-
troyers and smaller ships.
The fleet will make for the Pan
ANA canal II will be the greatest
that has passed through the canal.
When il is assembled on the Pacif-
ic IL will comprise 200 ships with p
900 officers and 80, 900 men. 1t will
be more than twice the tonnage Of
the huge" fleet which sailed
around the world in 1908.
To Add Ships
From the time the fleet reaches
the open sea it will begin 10 in
crease. Six more battleships-th
Virginia. New Jersey Rhode Island,
Georgia. Nebraska and Vermont
wills join IL, as will all Of the cruis-
ers now on the Pacific coast
The Virginia is the flagship OF
VICE Admiral Clarence S. Williams
second in command.
Some OF the ships-particularly
destroyers and mine sweepers-are
now in European waters and a few
cruisers are already on the Pacinc
side When the fleet is complete
there will be 16 battleships.
Admiral Rodman estimated that
about 100 OF the fleet Of 200 vessels
will cruise through the canal. OF
these So or more will be destroy
ers Many units scattered at At
lantic coast navy yards will join in
time for the canal trip. expected to
be made a test OF the speed with
which "A huge fleet can pass through.
With Admiral Rodman on the
New Mexico are his staff officers:
Rear Admiral Nathan A. Twining.
chief of staff: Captain George r.
Nena BILE. fleet supply officer: Com
mander Samuel II Robinson, fleet
engineer officer: Lieut.. Commander
James H. ingram, flag lieutenant;
Commander Roland Brainard, fleet
e1nnery officer: Lieut.. Commander
Stewart A. Manahan. fleet radio Of
;!cer. Lieut. Commander Chauncey
A. Lucas flag secretary; Command
or Julius a Furer, fleet construc-
ton officer: Captain Evan W. Scott,
feet chaplain; Major Harold Wirg-
man. fleet marine officer. The New
Mexico is commanded by Captain
Arthur l. Willard.
Other Fleet Commanders.
other capital ships in the fleet
with their commanders are:
Battleship squadron one, division
one: Commander. Vice Admiral
Clarence Williams: flagship Virgin
la. Captain William II. Stanley; New
Jersey. Captain Walter Gherardi'
Rhode Island, Captain Walter 5
CICsley
division two: Commander Rear
Admiral William r. Shoemaker;
flagship Georgia. Captain Leigh c.
Palmer. Nebraska, Captain Percy NJ.
OImstead Vermont, Captain Ed
ward : Kellogg.
a O.
snip New Mexico.
Division six. Commander Rear
Admiral Robert r. COontz; flag
ship Wyoming; Captain Harley II.
Christy: Arkansas. Captain Louis
lie Steiguer: New York. Captain
William V Pratt; Texas. Captain
Trenk Scofeld.
Division eight: Commander un-
named) flagship New Mexico; Ari-
IONA. Captain John II Drayton; Ida
no. Captain Carl T. Nogelgesany
Mississippi. Captain William A.
Mcffet
Cruiser squadron two. (Com-
nander unnamed); flagship Seattle
Captain John r. y Blakely.
Division two. Commander Rear
Admiral Spencer 5. Wood flagship
Chicago. Captain Ernest Frederick
Cleveland. Captain Frank L. Fin
nev. Denver. Captain Edward B.
Fenner. Tacoma. Captain Edward 5
Jackson. Marblehead. Captain VIII
liam T. Terrant; Machias Com
mander Frederick r. Naile; Nicks-
turz Lieut.. Commander Charles d
Reordon.