Evening star., 1932-01-31
81 i. s. WARSH|PS
READY FOR CHINA
II SeapIanes in Powerful
ASiatic Squadron, Or
dored to "Stand By"

BY the Associated Press.
The ASiatic Fleet of 81 vessels and
- seaplanes, ordered to stand by In
readiness to evacuate or protect Ameri-
cans in China, has its base at Manila.
At present the Houston, cruiser flag
ship of Admiral Taylor, is at Manila,
as are most Of the destroyers which
make up the larger part of the fleet.
The flagship has a crew of SO officers
and 5l2 men.
Two deStroyerS are at Shanghai and
four more are en- route. Three are
on patrol in South China and one is at
Marking. Other feet units, with the
exception of Yangtze River gunbOatS,
are in the Philippine port.
These include a gunboat converted
Yacht u submarines, 2 submarine ten
ders and a rescue vessel, 2 mine sweep
erS and 3 aircraft tenders.
Flagship Built in 1880.
The Houston, Admiral Taylor'S flag
ship, is one of the Nays most modern
warShipS 1t was completed and COM
missioned June IT, 1880, under the con-
greSSional act of 1924 authorizing the
construction of eight new cruisers.
It's armament consists of nine 8-inch
guns, four 5-mCh anti-airCraft guns,
two triple torpedo tubes and carries
four observation aircraft.
Including the Houston. the names
of the war craft composing the feet
and their location follows:
The Tulsa, gunboat with a crew of
9 officers and l48 men. now at Hsin Ho,
600 miles north of Shanghai; Isabel,
converted Yacht 5 officers 79 men,
Manila
Yangzte patrol Rear Admiral Yam
cey Williams, commander: LuZon, gun
boat. IL officers, 54 men, Hankow, 900
miles above Shanghai Tutuila gun
boat. officers, 81 men, Low Port, 156
miles above HankoW; Panay, gunboat,
officers, Sd men, MowangtSui, 500
miles above Shanghai; Oahu, gunboat,
5 officers. 54 men, Hankow; Guam,
gunboat. officers, 81 men. Chungking,
500 miles above Shanghai: Monocacy,
gunboat, 4 officers, l3 men, Ichang,
1000 miles above Shanghai; PaloS.
gunboat, 4 officers, l3 men, Hankow.
South China Patrol.
South China patrol, Capt. C. w.
Early commander: Mindano gunboat,
officers. 81 men, Canton, 100 miles
south of Shanghai; Helena, gunboat, 7
officers, 79 men, Canton.
DestroyerS, Capt l. E. Dortch, COM
mander, having an allowance of 6
officers and lis men: Black Hawk,
destroyer tender, 33 officers, 573 men,
Manila; Paul Jones, en- route to Shang-
hal from Manila; Whipple. Manila;
Smith Thompson Manila; Barker. Ma
Mia; John D. Edwards Manila; Stew
art, Pagoda Anchorage, 400 miles south
~ hlT1 1nlN Do,
Shanghai; Edsall, en- route to Shang-
hal; Bulmer. en- route to Shanghai;
Perry, Manila; Pope Manila: Pills
bury, Manila; John D Ford, Manila;
Tracy. en- route from SwatOn to Ma
Mia; MacLeish, Manila; Simpson Nam
king. l25 miles up-river from Shanghai;
Mccormick. Pagoda Anchorage; Borie,
Shanghai Truxton, Shanghai.
CanopuS, submarine tender, 81 off,
GERS, 373 men, Manila; Pigeon, rescue
vessel, officers, 81 men, Manila; Bever,
tender, % officers, 353 men, Manila.
Eleven Submarines.
Eleven submarines having crews of
officers and SO men each are at Manila
under the command of Comdr. F. w.
Scanland. They are the $50 to
the Sal.
Minecraft-An at Manila; Finch.
mine sweeper, 5 officers, 50 men; Bit
tern, sweeper, officers, 50 men.
Aircraft tenders, all at Manila-Ja-
son, l9 officers, 23O men; Heron, Off
GERS, 40 men, Avocet, tender, officers,
49 men II aircraft with II officers and
l08 men
Auxiliaries at Manila-Pecot, oiler,
II officers, l26 men
The disposition of the United States
Marines in the Far East is as follows:
Fourth Regiment at Shanghai, so
commissioned and warrant officers, ,l73
men; legation guard at Peiping IA
commissioned and warrant officers. 4l9
men Marine Barracks. CaVite Philip
pine Islands, s officers. 266 men, plus
so at Olongapo; on board Houston,
officer, 35 men,