Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1920-08-19
Atlantic and Pacific Fleets to Be
Combined in Great Sea
Spectacle.
ADMIRAL WILSON IN COMMAND
Not Intended to Concentrate All of
Nations War Strength and Only
Vessels Regularly in Commission
Will Participate.

Washington.-The greatest concen-
tration of sea power in the history
OF the American navy will result from
the junction of the reorganized Allan
tic and Pacific fleets off the Pacific
coast next January under plans now
being prepared by naval officers.
The great naval spectacle probably
will be staged in the vicinity of the
Gulf of Panama
Officials of the navy department. say
the proposed mobilization will in no
sense result in grand maneuvers. No
effort will be made to concentrate all
of the nations naval strength and only
ships regularly in commission with
trained crews will participate. The
mainly Of a competitive nature includ-
Ing unofficial athletic competitions be-
tween representatives of the two fleets
and of individual ships.
Admiral Wilson Senior Officer.
Admiral Henry B. Wilson, command
er-in-chief of the Atlantic fleet, will
be senior officer of the combined force,
with Admiral Hugh Rodman, chief of
the Pacific fleet, second in command
The maneuvers will be unique in
many respects. chiefly in that they will
afford the first actual mobilization Of
the bulk of the new American navy.
Before the war the forces were always
more or less scattered and shortage
of several types of vessels, particularly
of destroyers, submarines, light cruis-
ers, aerial forces and fleet auxiliaries,
made it impossible to concentrate a
! well rounded out fleet, although the
major portion of the battleship force
met each winter at Guantanamo, Cuba,
for target practice and drills.
During the war the shortage in most
types of small vessels, notably destroy
ers and submarines, was overcome, but
the entire fleet was never modified
due to the use of practically all light
craft in the war zone. the detail Of
cruisers to escort duty and the fact
that considerable portion of the bat
| tleship force was on duty abroad much
of the time.
Will Set New Mark.
The january maneuvers will set
new mark in American naval progress
For the first time in the history of the
new navy the battleship fleet will be
I supported by a reasonably adequate
number of destroyers and other light
/ craft. Submarines will be available
| in abundance, together with sufficient
naval aircraft for all tactical purposes
and fully rounded out fleet of aux
Hilary vessels. The total number of
vessels to participate will depend on
the progress Of recruiting, as many
ships are in reserve now for lack of
crews. but 1t Is probable that Admiral
Wilson will command at least 300 YES
sells Of all types.
The most modern of dreadnauphts
to participate in the maneuvers will
be the great Tennessee. The last word
in naval construction, this great float
ing fortress displaces $4,000 tons, car
ries 12 14-inch guns and is propelled
by electric turbines. The Tennessee
Is attached to the Atlantic fleet. A
sister ship, the California, probably
will not be completed in time to join
Admiral Rodman's forces before the
maneuvers.
A comparison of the ships available
for next winters maneuvers with the
naval strength available for a similar
concentration ten years ago affords
some striking contrasts. January 1,
1910, the latest battleship in the navy
was the New Hampshire, authorized by
congress in 1904, and completed in
1908. A comparison of the New Hamp.
shire and the Tennessee follows:
! New ampshire-Length, $50 feet
BREADTH 76 feet; draft, 81 feet; dis.