The Winslow mail., 1925-05-26
FUELING SHIP AT
SEA TO PREPARE
FOR BATTLE DUTY
By CHARLES F. RENICH,
Especial Correspondent. of The
Winslow Mail)

States fleet nears Honolulu the
orders have been issued that every
craft must be as nearly as possible
up to maximum of fuel supply,
otherwise it might be put out of
commission and at the mercy Of the
enemy by lack of motive power
when the actual maneuvers for
the capture of the islands are in
progress.
With very few exceptions the
various units OF the fleet are oil
burners, The West Virginia will
not need to refuel, as she can
cruise for about three months at
ten knots per hour with refueling.
This is true Of the other battle
ships, in varying degree, but the
smaller craft must be refueled at
short periods.
In what is called the train OF the
fleet, which means the troop
ships, supply ships and other craft
which the fleet is supposed to be
conveying in safety through sup
posedly dangerous waters in this
mimic warfare, there are several
tankers carrying fuel oil.
For the purpose Of refueling the
speed of the fleet has been reduced
to five knots per hour, while one
after the other the craft needing
fuel go alongside one of the tank
ers where the ride along under
tow, while oil is pumped from the
oh, orb thrnn
four-inch hose line.
AS we look out over the sea we
can see these tankers and the
cruisers, destroyers and other craft
move back and forth for supplies.
Every day we witness various
maneuvers among the ships, all be-
ing done as practice and with an
imaginary foe somewhere in the
distance.
The maneuvers are directed from
the Flagship California, messages
being transmitted to the other flag
ships, including the West Virginia,
which in turn relay the orders to-
the ships in their division or sec
tor.
In these maneuvers the fleet is
part time spread out over such
distance that many of the ships are
out of sight, while at other. times
the ships close in and perform
much like company of soldiers
giving an exhibition drill, with
each ship representing an individ-
ual soldier.
During these maneuvers we see
perhaps to our right or left
smoke screen being laid by one or
more cruisers, with other ships
passing under its protection. Then
several of the big battleships Will
take special positions while the
destroyers will, be zigzagging
through the water, supposedly
guarding against enemy submar-
ines.
While the ships are thus maneu-
vering the big guns on board Will
find the range of the supposed enc
nv and they will blaze forth-not
the big guns themselves, but little
miniature guns set up on the Dig
ones for practice only.
Thus the day goes on. The fleet
is in what is called radio silence"
meaning no ship is communicating
with the outside world by means
of radio. Of course all of the re-
ceiying sets are at work, and every
thing is picked up, both from the
shore and from any merchant yes
sci which may be broadcastlng III
this locality.
Radio silence on board is giving
the radio fans who have private
receiving sets plenty OF leisure ana
opportunity to tune in on the varl-
Gus broadcasting stations and the
writer has heard most OF the Pa
cific coast stations. Denver, Chi
cago, and even KDKA, at East
Pittsburgh, come out here l,2OO
miles from San Francisco.
While we are at radio silence IN
the fleet and no information as 70
our activities is being broadcast, on
Tuesday the big Pacific Mail liner,
President Taft, a merchant vessel
which left San Francisco for Homo
lulu on Saturday, passed through
the area of the fleet The Presi-
dent Taft was proceeding at a
comparatively rapid speed and was
alongside the West Virginia only
a few moments. We say alongside,
but we mean about quarter OF
mile on the starboard side. Through
the glasses we could see the pas
sengers lined up on the deck wav-
ing at us. Several of our officers
were especially interested, as their
wives are on board the President
Taft to meet them upon our arrival
at Honolulu. Had we been at ac-
tual war the President Taft would
not have been permitted to APP
proach the war vessels.
Radio silence does not mean
that there is no communication be-
tween the various ships of the
fleet This is going on all the time
mostly by means of searchlights.
In another day the fleet will enter
a period of flights out" and then
all communication will be con-
fined to daylight signaling by wig
wagging or the semaphores. The
purpose of all this is to prevent the
constructive" enemy from know
ing anything about the movements