The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1920-07-27
A GREAT NAVAL
DEMONSTRATION
Atlantic and Pacific Fleets win
Join in Southern Waters for
Grand Maneuvers
ASSOCIATED Pressl

=
Washington, July 27.-The greatest
concentration of sea power in the his
tory of the American navy will result
from the junction of the reorganized
Atlantic and Pacific fleets off the Pa
cific coast next January under plans
now being prepared by naval experts.
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" maneucers
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 exercises and drills will be SIM
pie and mainly of competitive ma
ture, including unofficial athletic COM
petitions between representatives OF
the two fleets and of individual ships.
The main object of the mobilization
will be to give officers and men an op-
portunity to compare notes and meet
for a few weeks of good-natured riv-
airy.
Admiral Henry B. Wilson, COM
rslander-in-chi of the Atlantic feet.
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 erspects, 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, subma-
rines, light cruisers, aerial forces and
feet 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 prac-
tice 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
mobilized, due to the use of practical
ly all light craft in the war zone, the
detail of cruisers to escort duty and
the fact that considerable portion of
the battleship force was on duty
abroad much of the time.
The January maneuvers will set
new mark in American naval pro-
gress. For the first time in the his
tory of the new navy the battleship
fleet will be supported by reason
ably adequate number of destroyers
and other light craft. Submarines
will be available in abundance, to-
gether with sufficient naval aircraft
foe all tactical purposes and a fully
rounded out fleet of auxiliary vessels.
The total number of vessels to partic-
ipate will depend on the progress of
recruiting, as many ships are in re-
serve now for lack of crows, but it is
probable that Admiral Wilson will
comman dat least 300 vessels of all
types.
The most modern of dreadnoughts
to participate in the maneuvers will
be the great Tennessee. The last word
HI HdN6A 104AS@1 4IbtOAAs Gul0 SIGS&C AOf1t-
ing fortress displaces $4,000 tons,
carries IL fourteen inch guns and is
propelled by electric turbines. The
Tennessee is attached to to the At
lantic fleet. A sister ship, the Cali
fornia, probably win not be completed
in time to join Admiral Rodman's
force before the meneuvers.
A comparison of total battleship
forces available in 1920 with 1910
shows that this year there are IS
dreadnoughts and 10 pre-dread-
noughts, excluding the Oregon class,
against % pre-dreadnoughts in 1910.
including the Oregon class. Most of
the battleships listed as available in
1910 are now considered obsolete.
Ten years ago the navy destroyer
force consisted of about SO vessels,
including 1t torpedo boats even then
practically obsolete. This year Ad-
n,irals 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
nearly 100 of the submersibles are
attached TO the two fleets. with about
n. - A.