Evening star., 1925-04-28
HAWAII REFENSE WEAK.
BY the Associated Press.

~ thc AssOcldleu fFess.
HONOLULU, April 2s.-The grand
fleet of the United States demonstrated
the weakness of the defense of the
Island of Oahu, the purported center
OF the Nations web of defense in the
PACING, when it delivered its main at,
tack in the joint Army and Navy ma
neuVers, which ended at noon yester-
day in the vicinity of Haliewa, on the
northwest coast of the island.
The attack was preceded by q feint
attack at Maunalua Bay and a sec
ondary attack on BARRIERS Point. The
attacking fleet forces were known as
the Blues" while the defending land
forces were known as the Blacks"
All three attacks We're preceded by
preparatory barrage by bonlbers of
the Blue" ships and a subsequent
landing, which was accompanied by
heavy losses on the part of the
Blues The landing parties, how
ever, were to a certain extent sue
cessful, in that they occupied a con-
siderable number of BLACK" in
trenched places.
The main attack of the blue"
fleet was delivered shortly after the
zero our-dawn-between Waialua
and Kawaihapai. where a large num-
Der of Blue" troops landed success
fully, despite heavy Casualties The
landing forces took up an initial posi-
tian on the beach preparatory to de-
veloping arrangements for assaulting
the BLACK" defenders farther inland
Some casualties to the BLUE" forces
resulted from the heavy surf. which
made landing difficult. From this
standpoint It would have been to the
advantage of the Blue" forces IL they
could have arrived two days ago, when
the sea was calm.
, The attackers were met by heavy
fire from machine gunners, rifles and
mobile artillery, the latter being
placed in fields so as to make the To-
cation of the guns difficult to ascer-
tain from the sea.
The weight of numbers was on the
side of the Blue" force, and the
BLACK" first line of defenses fell back
TO previously prepared positions. Re
Inducements which had been pressed
| forward to that sector by the BLACK"
commanding general failed to repel
the Blue" attack.
The entire engagement was marked
by intense aerial activity on both
| sides, considerable damage and casual
ties being inflicted, of which no ac-
count has yet been determined.
The umpires are now considering
the conflicting claims of the high COM
mand of both forces in an effort to
ascertain who won the engagement" :"
The exercises were the most exten-
sive ever attempted by the United
| States Navy and Army. The defen-
sive forces consisted mainly in troops,
although several naval vessels and air
planes aided. For the purposes of the
| problem, the Hawaiian Islands, specifi-
cally the Island of Oahu, were assumed
to be in the hands of an enemy force,
| the Blacks The United States fleet
with skeleton landing force of Ma
| rines, Was sent out from San Fran
! cisco to capture the islands,"
| Contact between the Blues" and the
| Blacks" was established Saturday
morning. The objective of the Blues
| was to capture Oahu, on which is 10.
Gated the Pearl Harbor naval station
and the city of Honolulu, seat of the
| territorial government. Pearl Harbor
| is the only base of it's kind in the
| islands.
The war" between the two forces,
handled mostly by airplanes and sub.
marines, continued THROUGH Saturday
| and Sunday. Before dawn yesterday
a group of Marines managed to land
on Oahu. The theoretical capture of
| the Haleiwa followed within a few
| hours and the war" was declared
! over. The theoretical loss of life in
4 fha man9uyers SyaQ .areak~