Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-22
AVIATION
BY JOSEPH S. EDoERToN.

/ grim trade in the wooden ships of an
other day.
Their air exercises, of the type which
have made American naval aviation a
world model of efficiency, will involve
all units of the scouting feet and the
u S. S. Saratoga and Y. S. S. Lexing-
| ton. aircraft carriers from the battle
fleet, In all, there will be l battle
ship, 3 carriers, aircraft tenders, Is
| light cruisers and "a destroyerS on the
surface, and the aerial force will in
clude virtually all types OF Navy air.
craft, including shore-based patrol
squadron.
Though the forces will go on combat
status tomorrow morning at dawn, the
climax of the first problem will not be
reached until Thursday, when the two
carrier groups will search for and oper-
ate extensively against each other in
the southwestern waters of the Carib-
bean Sea. In one group will be the
Saratoga and six cruisers, with an APP
proximate air strength of SO planes. In
the opposing group will be the Lexing-
ton and six cruisers, with approx
mately the same air force.
Destroyers as Screen.
The second problem is to be fought"
in mid Caribbean on March ~ an. will
~
group against surface craft eouippe Z
with lesser force of airplanes. The
q. S. s. Lexington and six cruisers, with
their aircraft, will form the attacking
force and will be pitted against a force
composed Of the battleship Arkansas,
the U. S. s. Langley, second-line air.
craft carrier, and the destroyer squad
rons of the Scouting Feet, including
the U. S. S: Concord, cruiser flagship
Of the squadrons, "a destroyers and 2
destroyer tenders. 1t will be the duty
Of the defending force to detect air at
tacks delivered against 1t, using de-
stroyers as SCREEN" and to repel air
attacks by means Of the Langley's
planes.
In the third phase Of the air ma
neuvers the attacking unit will be COM
posed of the main body Of surface craft
augmented by a carrier group. The tar
get will be the Cuba Haiti area, which
will be defended by carrier group and
two squadrons of Navy patrol planes
operating from a feet air base.
The attacking force will include the
Arkansas, Langley, destroyer squad
rons, Lexington and six cruisers, with
an aircraft strength of about 100 planes.
In the ranks of the defenders will be
the Saratoga and six cruisers, aug
mented by patrol planes operating with
aircraft tenders, the defense air force
totaling approximately 127 planes.
It will be the mission Of the defend
ing force to reduce surface ship strength
of the attackers, while the primary at
tack mission will be to destroy the air
force Of the defense so that a landing
force may be put ashore.
The air forces to be operated in
solving the three problems will include
approximately 90 fighting planes, SO
scouting planes, II patrol planes, SO
torpedo planes and 20 utility planes
Upon completion Of the problems the
Saratoga and Lexington are to return
to San Pedro, Calf.
Monument Lighted.
The Washington Monument Is TO be
obstruction lighted every night from
now on in an effort to reduce its po-
tential hazard to night-fiying aircraft.
Though the present red lights in the
windows on each of the four sides we're
installed for experimental purposes,
they are to remain in service until
some better method of lighting the
shaft is devised.
The lights which will be visible in
the Monument tonight and every night
are 16-inch course lights" Of the type
employed by the Department of Com
merce to mark out the course of its
Nationwide network OF airways. From
each side of the Monument the con-
centrated beam from 500-watt lamp