The Marietta journal. (Marietta, Ga.) 1918-1944, 1920-08-20
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-
Tation 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
or the nations naval strength and only
ships regularly in commission with
trained crews will participate. The
exercises and drills will be simple and
mainly of competitive nature, ipclud-
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 ans a shortage
OF several types of vessels, particularly
of destroyers, submarines, light cruis.
@ers, aerial forces and fleet auxiliaries
made 1t 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 a considerable portion of the bat
tleship force was on duty abroad much
of the time.
viii Set New Mark.
The january maneuvers will set a
new mark in American naval progress
For the first time in the history of the
new navy the battleship fleet will be
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 a fully rounded out fleet of aux
Hilary vessels. The total number OF
vessels to participate will depend or
the progress Of recruiting, as many
ships Gre in reserve now for lack OF
crews, but it is probable that Admiral
Wilson will command at least 800 YES
sells of all types.
The most modern Of dreadnaughts
TO participate in the maneuvers vii
be the great Tennessee. The last wore
in naval construction, this great float
ing fortress displaces $4,000 tons, car
ries II 14-inch guns and is propelled
by electric turbines. The Tennessee,
Is attached to the Atlantic fleet. 4
sister ship, the California, prObabI,
will not be completed in time to joll
Admiral Rodman's forces before TIL
maneuvers
A comparison Of the ships available
for next winters maneuvers with tn
naval strength available for a simila
concentration ten years ago afford
some striking contrasts. January /
1910, the latest battleship In the nav,
was the New Hampshire, authorized b!
congress in 1904, and completed Ii
1908. A comparison of the New Hamp
shire and the Tennessee follows:
New Hampshire-Length, $50 feet
breadth. 70 feet; draft, q feet; dis