The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1920-08-08
A t a n tic and Pacific
Fleets Unite for
Maneuvers.
= 1910 TYPE OBSOLETE
Planned to Concentrate Uncle
Sans Fighters in One
Grand Show.

the reorganized Atlantic and Pacific
fleets off the Pacific coast next
January under plans now being pre-
pared by naval operations. 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 maneu-
vers. No effort will be rlade to con-
centrate all of the nations naval
strength and only ships regularity
in commission with trained crews
will participate. The exercises and
drills will be simple and mainly OF
a competitive nature. including un-
official athletic competitions between
representatives of the two 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 n
few weeks OF good -natured rivalry.
Admiral Henry r. Wilson, COM
mand chief OF the Atlantic fleet,
will be senior officer OF the COM
hined force. with Admiral Hugh
Rodman. chief of the Pacific fleet.
second In command
The maneuvers will be unique in
many ItSptClS, GIlltll1 III lldl lnty
will afford the first actual mobi-
llzation of the bulk OF the American
navy, Before the war the forces
. were always more or less scattered
and a shortage OF several types OF
vessels. particularly of destroyers.
submarines. light cruisers, aerial
forces and fleet auxiliaries made IL
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
destroyers and submarines was over
come, but the entire fleet was never
modified. due to the use OF practi-
cally all light craft in the war zone,
the detail cruisers TO escort duty and
the fact that a considerable portion
Of the battleship force was on duty
abroad much of the time.
The January mHneuvers will set
a new mark in American nava!
progress. For the first time In the
history of the new navy the battle
ship fleet will be supported by a rea-
sonably adquate number OF de-
stroyers and other light craft. Sub
marines will be available in abun-
dance. together with sufficient ma
val aircraft for all tactical purposes
and a 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 II is probable that Ad-
miral Wilson will command at least
900 vessels of all types.
n1n ~ Arn ~ hi
TO participate in the maneuvers will
be the great Tennessee. The last
word in naval construction, this
great floating fortress displaces
$4,000 tons, carries IL fourteen 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 force before the maneu-
vers
A comparison of the ships avail
able for next winters maneuvers
with tho naval strength available
for a similar concentration 10 years
ago affords some striking contrasts.
January /, 1910, the latest battle
ship in the navy was the New Hamp-
shire, authorized by congress in
and completed In 1905. A compar-
ison ot the New Hampshire and the
Tennessee follows;
New Hampshire Length $50
feet. breadth 76 feet, draft 81 feet;
displacement 1900 tons; speed Is
E-ctS. main battery four l2-iuch
EDns ana ciEht Sainch, secondary
battery - thrrc inch, four sub
merged torpedo tubes, nine inch
srmor. Propelled wv trirlc cxpan-
sion steam engine developing $4,000
horsepower; crew l,gSo including
marines
Tennessee. 1890. Length 600 feet;
breadth Of feci, draft 81 feet; dis
placement ~ 500 tons; speed (con-
tracD 81 knots, main battery IL
l4-inch guns, secondary battery n
b-inch guns, two submerged torpedo
tubes; propelled by electric turbines
developing $500 horsepower; crew
1900 mon. including marines.
Eighteen single Calihro gun ships
classad at drcndnoughts will ba
available for the January mauouvers
that wero not completed In 1910
They have combined displacement
!. OF 445, 900 tons and n combined gun
power OF li2 i4-inch guns. SO
twelve8. 226 flve-inch and 2s 3-inch
A comparison OF total battleshin
fci ces available in 1920 with 1910
shows that this year there are is
dreadnoughts and 10 pre-dread-
noughts. excluding tho Oregon class
aainst 20 pre-dreadnoughts In 1910,
including the Oregon class. Most OF
the battleshlps listed as available in
1910 are now considered obsolete.
Ten years ago the navy destroyer
force consisted of about 3s vessels
including II torpedo boats even then
practically obsolete. This year Ad-
mirals Wilson and Rodman com
nand destroyer forces aggregatlng
more than 200 vessels with over 100
more in reserve or under construc-
tion. In 1910 is submarines were
carried on the active list OF the navy
This year nearly 100 OF the sub
mersibles are attached 10 the two
= fleets, with about rs more under
construction
The cruiser strength OF tho navy
has shown little change in the past
10 years. In 1910 the backbone of
the cruiser force was the big
eight" armored cruisers, now re-
duecd TO six by the loss OF the San
Diego and the Memphis. No ligi,
cruisers OF importance have been