Richmond daily register. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1917-1978, 1920-07-27
CONCENTRATION OF
GREAT SEA POWER.
Atlantic and Pacific Fleets To Be
United, According To Present
Plan
Bv Associated Pressl

Washington, July 27-The great
-st concentration of sea power in the
history of the American navy will
result from the junction of the reor-
ganized Atlantic and Pacific fleets off
the Pacific coast next January un-
der plans now being prepared by na-
val operations. The great naval spec
tacle probably viii be staged in the
vicisity of the g II Panama.
Officials of the navy department
say the proposed mobilization viii in
no sense result ii grand maneuvers.
No effort viii be made TO concentrate
all of the nations naval strength asd
only ships in regular commission
with trained crews viii participate
The exercises and drills will be sim
pie and mainly of u competitive ma
ture, including unofficial athletic
competitors between representatives
of the fleets and of individual ships.
The main object of the mobilization
Will be to give officers and men an
opportunity To compare notes and
meet for a few weeks of good-natur-
ed rivalry.
Admiral Henry B. Wilson, comman-
der-in-chicf 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 maneuver5 VIII be unique in
many respects, chiefly in that they
vii! afford the first actual mobiiza-
ton of the bulk of the new American
navy. Before the war the forces were
always more OF less scattered and
shortage of several types of vessels,
particularly of destroyers, subma-
rines, light cruisers, aerial forces and
feet au2liliaries made it impossible
10 concentrate we'll rounded out
fleet, although the major portion of
the battleship force met each winter
At Guantanamo, Cuba, for targes
practice and drills.
During the war the shortage in
most types of small vessels, notably
1estroyers and submarines, was over
come, but the entiro feet was never
mobilized, due t. tue use practi-
rally al light cr-It IN the = az zone,
the detail e cruisers u escort duty
and tho fact that a considerable por-
lion of tne battieship force was on
,luty abroad much of the time.
The January maneuyers will set a
new mark in American naval prog
ress. For the first time in the history
of the new navy the battleship fleet
will be supported by a reasonably ad-
equate number of destroyers and 9TH
er light craft. Submarines Will be
available in abundance, together with
sufficient naval aircraft for all tacti-
cal purposes and fully rounded out
fleet of auxiliary vessels. The total
number of vessels to participate viii
depend on the progress of recruiting,
as many ships are in reserve now
for lack of crews, but it is probable
chat Admiral Wilson will command
least 300 vessels of all types.
The most modern of dreadnaughts
20. participate in the meneuvers will
be the great Tennessee. The last
word in naval construction, this great
floating fortress displaces $4,000
tons, carries II 14-inch guns and is
propelled by electric turbines. The
Tennessee is attached to the Atlantic
fleet. A sister nip, the California,
probably will not be completed in
time to join Admiral Rodman's force
before the maneuveFs.