Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-07-29

The greatest concentration Of sea
power in the history of the American
Navy will result from the junction of
the reorganized Atlantic and Pacific
fleets Off the Pacific coast next Janu-
AIRY under plans now being prepared
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" maneuvers.
No effort will be made to concentrate
all Of the nations naval strength, and
only ships regularly in commi SSlon
with trained crews will participate.
The exercises and drills will be simple
including unofficial athletic competi-
tons 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 few weeks of good-natured
rivalry.
Admiral Henry B. Wilson. COM
mander-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.
Mnneuvers to BE Unique.
The maneuvers will be unique in
many respects, chiefly in that they
Will afford the first actual mobiliZa :
ton of the bulk of the new 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 it impossible to con-
centrate a well roundabout fleet, al
though the major portion of the bat
tleship force met each winter at
Guantanamo, Cuba, for target prac-
tiCe and drills.
During the war the shortage in
most types of small vessels, notably
deSroyerS and submarines, was over
come. but the entire fleet was never
mobi LIKED, due to the use of practi-
cally all light craft in the war zone,
the detail of cruisers to escort duty
and the fact that considerable por-
ton of the battleshipr force was on
duty abroad much of the time.
The January maneuvers will set a
new mark in American naval prog
ress. For the first time in the his
tory of the new Navy the battleship
fleet will be supported by a reason
ably adequate number of destroyers
and other light craft. Submarines
Will be available in abundance. to-
gether with sufficient naval aircraft
for all tactical purposes and a fully
roundabout fleet of auxiliary yes
sells. The total number of vessels to
participate will depend on the prog
ress of recruiting. as many ships are
in reserve now for lack of crews, but
it is probable that Admiral Wilson
will command at least 900 vessels of
all types.
The most modern of dreadnaughts
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 twelve 14-inch guns and is pro-
PEELED 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 maneuvers.
Comparison of Strength.
A comparison of the ships available
for next winters maneuVerS with the
naval strength available for a SINH
lar concentration ten years ago az
fords some striking contrasts. jan
uaryel, 1910, the latest batthship in
the Navy was the New Hampshire,
authorized by Congress in 1904, con-
Struction started in 1905 and com
pleted i'm 1898. A comparison of the
New Hampshire and the Tennessee
follows:
New Hampshire-Length, $50 feet;
breadth. 76 feet; draft. 81 feet: dis
placement. 1900 tons; speed, IS
knots: main battery. 12-inch guns
and S-inch: secondary battery: II
3-inch; submerged torpedo tubes;
9-inch armor; propelled by triple ex-
pansion steam. engines. developing
Is, 900 horsepower; crew, LOU, IN
GLIDING marines
nessee-1920 Length, 600 feet:
breadth. 81 feet; draft, 81 feet; dis
placement. $4,000 tons; speed icon.
hot
inch guns; secondary bat
terry. IA five-inch guns; two sub
merged torpedo tubes: propelled by
electric turbines developing 2S.500
crew. 1000 men, includ-
ing marines.
classed as dreadnaughts will be avail
able for the January maneuvers that
were not completed in 1910. They
have a combined displacement of 445.
900 tons and a combined gun power of
112 14-inch guns, 80 12s, 2sS 5-inch
and % 3-inch.
A comparison of total battleship
forces available in 1920 with 1910
shows that this year there are Is
dreadnaughts and 10 pre-dread-
naughts, excluding the Oregon class.
against 90 pre-dreadnaughts in 1910.
Including the Oregon class. Most of
the battleships listed as available in
1910 are now considered obsolete.
Little Change in Cruiser Force.
Ten years ago the Navy destroyer
force consisted of about 80 vessels.
including II torpedo boats even then
practically obsolete. This year Ad-
mirals Wilson and Rodman command
destroyer forces aggregating more
than 200 vessels. with over 100 more
in reserve or under construction. In
1910 16 submarines were carried on
the active list of the Navy This year