The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1935-06-15
MIDWAY ISLAND
BATTLE TEST
FOR FLEETS
FOLLOWING is the second OF q
series of articles on the United
States fleet.
BY RALPH JORDAN

OCI GCS " " LpSGCO Wv kIkO S"SON~
States fleet.
BY RALPH JORDAN
ABOARD U. S. S. PENNSYL
WANNA, WITH UNITED STATES
FLEET, June IA GN.S0.-Phase
three of this years fleet war game
known as Problem 16, found Ad
miral Harris Laning with the
white" lleet at Pearl Harbor
Hawaii, and Vice Admiral A. j
Hepburn with the "black" fleet in
the Alaska-Aleutian area, bott
starting for Midway Island, 1,2Ot
miles west of Hawaii, at a sigma.
from Admiral Joseph M. Reeves
commander in chief.
The BLACK" forces held Midway
Laning had to take it back ane
destroy Hepburn'S fleet if posi-
BILE. Hepburn, with lighter, but
faster force, had the problem Of
whiting down Laning's force tc
his size and then engaging him OIL
Midway to save the island.
All Was Silence
This was most warlike phase
Nothing had been heard from
Hepburn, being beaten by bliz
yards in northern waters. Laning
did not know where he was nor in
any way what he intended to do
All was silence, radios in both
fleets still; two powerful fleets
were setting out to do battle. The
commanders were given their OBJ
jectives, but how they were tt
obtain them was not indicated.
Laning ran into the "black'
submarines off Pearl Harbor and
suffered some damage. But as
soon as darkness fell, he turned
around and sped south losing the
undersea craft. For the next six
days the two fleets jockeyed like
two giant fighters feeling in the
dark toward mortal combat. All
the subterfuges and strategieS OF
war were brought into play.
Gets False Reports
Days went by with Laning stead
lily approaching Midway from the
south and Hepburn franticallS
trying to intercept him. False re
ports reached Hepburn-Laning'
battleshipS had been seen. Hep
burn quickly deployed for a gen
eral engagement only to find the
ships were not battleshipS but
white" heavy cruisers. These
cruisers were part Of a force Ian
ing had detached under Rear Ad
miral T. o. Hart and sent to come
down on Hepburn from the north
Hart experienced an unusal for
tune of war. Going north hi
missed Hepburn and turned back
south to rejoin Laning. AS he wa:
steaming along his mind no doubt
occupied with Hepburn's cruisers
and battleships, he ran smack
into the "black" submarines which
had lost Laning at Pearl Harbor
Both Hart and the submarines
were startled, coming across each
other so unexpectedly. And Harris
ships, before they could get away
receipted for a hot torpedo attack
However, when Laning was
about $50 miles off Midway, {
"black" scouting plane from Mid
way, part of the 43 which flew
over from Pearl Harbor, found hi
battleships at dusk, the first time
he had been seen. Hepburn
quickly gathered the scattered
"black" forces which had beer
seeking Laning in all directions
for he knew he had to do battle
on the morrow to defend thu
islands. However. during the night
he did all he could to cut Laning''
fleet up.
Takes Severe Beating
Dawn broke upon a white
fleet which had taken a beating
during the night so severe tina
several battlships and cruisers
were either out of action
"sunk"-or so badly damaged
they couldn't steer or go very fast
And on the horigon was Hep
burns "black" fleet. He had an
ticipated Laning correctly and
Opened fire" at long range as the
sun lighted the hot ocean. Ian
ing quickly swung his battle line
into position to bring full force
of his big guns on the enemy
and phase three had been played
to a dramatic conclusion.
Reeves at this point hoisted the
signal that ended the battle" and
formed the "black" and white
fleets once more under his com
mand for the trip back to Pear
Harbor and phase four, the diff
cult feat Of getting more than 165
ships into that naval base. Pear
Harbor never before had seen such
a concentration.