The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1935-05-11
VAST TRIANGLE
LAID OUT FOR
NANEUvERS
Ships, Land Forces, FIiers Set
For "SeCret" Play, Greatest
In the History of U. S.
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and Hermes Reef, and that they,
were scheduled to arrive at Mid
way Island at noon today.
The question of how secure are
the Pacific Coast and the Panama
Canal from naval attacks by a
possible enemy was to be answered
within the next fifteen days when
the fleet, reinforced by airplanes,
will draw itself out in q gigantic
triangle with Midway Island, Sa-
moa, and Dutch Harbor, Alaska, as
its three points.
This was learned from highly
authoritative unofficial sources to-
day, and was bolstered by the fact
that Navy surveys were recently
made Of possible harbors and
emergency airplane landing points
on the myriad tiny atollS that dot
the Pacific from Honolulu to
Samoa.
Twenty Ships Due
An acid test of the impregna-
bility Of Pearl Harbor naval base
will be made next week when a
defense contingent from the fleet,
expected here Sunday, puts to sea
again.
The results of the huge-scale
tests will be kept in utmost secrecy
by the Navy strategists.
Pearl Harbor was a scene OF
intense activity today, with orders
issued, it was learned, that press
and spectators will be rigidly
barred Sunday, and the reServa-
ton policed by armed sentr1es.
It was understood at least 20
ships Of the fleet would slip into
the harbor at dawn Sunday.
The monster Pearl Harbor dry
dock was being made ready yes
terday to make slight repairs to
one of the battleships, it was un-
derstood.
The air armada, arriving at
Midway today, was to assemble
dn battle scouting formation, I'M
der direct command Of Admiral
Joseph M. Reeves, commander-1n-
chief of the fleet, to do its part
in preventing enemy" ships or
planes from breaking through
the battle line in the vicinity OF
the Midway Island spearhead OF
the huge triangle.
The 46 planes which left here
Thursday were but small part
Of the total expected to take part
in the oceanwide manuevers, it
was learned.
Playing an integral part in the
war game, they will be thanked
by more than 800 other aircraft,
the "eyes of the fleet" from
Alaska to the South Seas.
Planes aboard airplane carriers
and scout cruisers, in addition to
the air armada, will make a total
of $50, with 100 additional planes
from the Army bases on Oahu
Island guarding the land from at
tack.
It was not known how many Of
these planes or how many vessels
of the fleet would constitute the
hypothetical enemy, or whether
the enemy" would merely be
plotted on paper.
Army to Defend
Army officials admitted today
that the land forces, defending
the islands, would take part with
the fleet in the huge experiment.
Fifteen thousand soldiers, in ad-
dition to men of the military and
naval reserve and National Guards
men, stood ready to 60 into field
maneuvers.
An unknown number OF four
motored Sikorsky airplanes, only
slightly Smal9er than the Pan
American Anyways huge clipper
plane" arrived secretly, diSman-
tied, and were being assembled
today at Pearl Harbor, 1t was
learned.
The giant warbirds were to be
used within the next ten days for
bombing tests with the fleet.
There was no word as to how
the war games were progressing
to whether or not the en-
envy had broken through any line
the fleet may have established.
The large scale Of the maneu-
Vers, observers said, would settle
many disputed problems, among
them how weather conditions and
possible mechanical defects might
affect Americas battle forces
should they be called to fight on