The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1923-11-06
NAVY TO STAGE
BIC MANEUvERS
Combined Fleets to Meet al
Panama for Training in
StrategicaI Problems.

of operation for 1924, comprising wha
was described as "the greatest scop
Of activity by the American navy sine,
the World war;" were revealed aboart
the flagship Seattle by Admiral Rober
f.. Coontz, commander-in-chief of th,
United States fleet now al San Pedro
The plan centerS around a Carib
bean cruise on which more than l5t
warships of the combined fleets baseC
OH Vasquez sound, Porto Rico, will bf
engaged for more than three months In
a comprehensive program of strategy
cal problems, tactical exercises anC
battle
The United States battle fleet, in
command of Admiral Samuel S.. Robin
son, will cav San Pedro January a
next for the first rendezvous at Pan
anna. 1t will be accompanied by the
fleet base force under Rear-Admiral
John V. Chase, both forces reaching
Balboa January 10, after carrying out
two battle programs on the way.
To Attack Canal Defenses.
Destroyers, submarines and air.
craft will accompany the fleet on the
3.OOO-mile voyage to h Panama ca
nal, operating directly with the dread
naughts.
The scouting Zee operating in the
Atlantic, in command of Vice-Admiral
N. A. McCully, will leave Hampton
Roads for the canal January 4. The
east coast dreadnaughts, destroyers
and submarines will be accompanied
by the control force under Rear-Ad-
miral Montgomery NJ. Taylor. This
fleet Is due to reach Colon January IA.
The first big strategical problem of
the cruise will be staged at Panama.
The scouting fleet and control force,
assembled at the eastern entrance to
the canal, will defend it against the
Onslaught" of the great armada of
dreadnaughts, aircraft, d~estroyers and
submarines sweeping in from the
Pacific.
Liberty Cruise" Planned.
The entire United States fleet will
then assemble off the Colon break
water and there will follow weeks OF
fueling, machinery O~verhauling and
liberty for the $4,000 men.
The combined fleets, under the di-
rect command of Adnliral Coontz, will
leave Colon January % for Vasquez
sound, arriving about January 20.
Then will follow another strategical
problem, battle conferences, more fuel
ing and inspection of machinery.
Tactical exercises, with the fleets
engaged under what will approximate
battle conditions, viii take place be-
tween February IL and March 3.
On the latter date the fleet will
start on a two weeks liberty cruise"
visiting every port in the West Indies
and along the gulf and South Atlantic
This will he the first time in
four years that the dreadnaughts of
the battle fleet will be in Atlantic
waters.
Tactical exercises and maneuvers
will be resumed March II and con-
tinue into April. Early in that month !
also, athletes Of the navy, 1900 in
number, it is stated. will hold their
a~ll-f1eet competitions.
Battle to Be Staged. ,
On April IA the combined forces will !
stand out from Culebra bay, breaking ]
I'D into two 'hostile" forces for bat !
lie maneuvers to continue throughout
run to Colon. ,
Upon completion of the problem the
scouting fleet n control forces will !
to Guantanamo. Cuba, arriv- !,
April 81. :
The battle fleet and the base force }
will reach the Panama canal April 10, !
nd leave Balboa for the hOmeward I
up the west coast April 25. The :
asst coast forces will leave Guantana- }
no Nav I for Roads and \
Jew York. The Pacific forces will re- I
urn to San Pedro May 5, the same Z
ate those in the Atlantic reach their )
Several new and powerful YES J
els will be added to the forces on 4
west coast, it is announced. z
The battle fleet will engage In gun :
cry practice on h drill grounds off !
Pedro until late in June, when 1t Z
ill visit San Francisco and the Puget Z
ound. :