Evening star., 1938-09-02
Temporary Squadron to Be
Organized Sept. 6 for
Regular Service.
MOST IMPORTANT STEP
SINCE DIVISION IN 1881
H. New Ships to Compose Unit,
Including 5 Not Yet Back
From Shakedown Trips.
BY JOSEPH S. EDGERTON

AtlAnClc squadron 1OF regular service
in the Atlantic.
Creation of the new squadron Is
regarded as the most important and
significant change In organization Of
the United States Navy since the re-
organization of the United States
Fleet April !. 1881, at which time the
Fleet was divided into the existing
four forces"
The squadron. unit which, 80
far as naval officers here could recall
never has been exactly duplicated be-
fore in Navy history, will be COM
posed Of IA new ships. five of which
have not yet completed their shake
down cruises. Seven cruisers and an
equal number Of destroyers will COM
pose the squadron.
Command Of the new squadron has
been given to Rear Admiral Forde
A. Todd, commander Of Cruiser Di-
vision 8 Of the United States Fleet,
an officer who is regarded as un-
usually familiar with naval and dip
lomatic affairs in the Atlantic area
Admiral Todd served in 1922 as as
sistant to the naval adviser to the
American delegate to the International
Commission on Rules of Warfare at
the Hague, Holland. He served from
1925 to 1928 as Naval Attache at the
American Embassy in Rome.
Native of South Carolina.
The commander of the new Allan
tic Squadron is a native of Anderson,
S. c.. where he was born February
20. 1881, and began his naval career
with his appointment to the United
States Naval Academy September
I, 1900.
He first came to Washington in
1913 as senior engineer officer of the
presidential yacht U. S. S. Mayflower.
The following year he became execu-
tive officer and navigator of the May
War he was ordered to the U. S. S.
Idaho as gunnery officer. He trans
ferred to the U. S. S. Utah in July,
1917. and served during the remainder
OF the war, first AS gunnery officer
and later as executive officer of that
battleship, which operated with the
British Grand Fleet.
Admiral Todd went to the Naval
War College for instruction in June,
1890. and then served for two years
on the staff of the college. He COM
manded the battleship Idaho from
June. 1888. until April. 1885, when
he became commandant of midshipmen
at the Naval Academy. going from
that post to his present sea duty.
Fellow officers at the Navy Depart
ment regard the Atlantic Squadron
commander as unusually well-equipped
by training and experience to fill what,
because Of the delicate situation
abroad and the world attention which
is expected to be focused at once
upon the new Navy squadron, is re-
garded as "hot spot" rivalled only
by command of the Asiatic Fleet.
Officials Decline Comment.
The Navy Department declined any
official comment on the purposes OF
the new squadron. Informally, it
was reported by officers close to the
Chief Of Naval Operations, that the
squadron is being formed in prepara-
ton for Fleet Problem 20, which will
bring the entire United States Fleet
into the Atlantic early next year, and
ito visit such ports as directed"
Ships which will join the squad
ron on September 6, all of them now
in Atlantic waters, are the new
10,000-ton light cruisers Philadelphia,
Capt. ]. James; the Brooklyn, Capt
w. D. Brereton, ir., and the Savannah,
Capt. R. c. Gif1in; the 1,85O-ton de-
stroyers Somers, Comdr j. E. Mafer,
and the Warrington, Comdr. L. Wood,
and the 1,500-ton destroyers Mugford,
1t. Comdr. M. M. Dupre; Ralph Tai
bot, 1t. Comdr. H. r. Thurber; Helm.
1t. Comdr P. H. Talbot, and the
Shaw. 1t. Comdr T. B. Britain.
Ships scheduled to join the squad
ron on completion of their shake
down cruises are the 10,000-ton
cruisers Nashville, Capt. w. w. Will
son; Boise. Capt. B. " McCandlish:
Honolulu, Capt. o. Smith, and Phoe-
nix, Capt. j. w. Rankin, and the
1,85o-ton destroyer Sampson, Comdr.
w. Granat.
Nashville in European Waters.
The Nashville, now on her shake
down cruise, is in European waters
and last was reported at Cherbourg
France. The Honolulu is scheduled
to leave about September IL on a
shakedown cruise also into European
waters.
There has been no combat force
comparable to the new squadron in
Atlantic waters since February, 1892,
when the Scouting Force left for
the West Coast, except during brief
visits Of the Fleet in connection with
maneuvers.
There are on the Atlantic Coast,
however, four battleships and Is de-
stroyers of the United States Train
ing Squadron, all demilitarized, over
aged or about to become averaged
under definitions of the Naval Treaty.
The battleships are the Texas, New
York, Wyoming and Arkansas. The
Wyoming has been demilitarized and
is regarded as of no further combat
value. The Arkansas is classified as
averaged and the Texas and New
York, by treaty agreement, will reach
the over-age classification in 1910.
The destroyers, all averaged, COM
pose Destroyer Squadron 10, Divisions
1892 inclusive. They are the Badger,
Herbert. Tillman, Tattnall, Jacob
Jones. Roper, j. Fred Talbot, Fair
fax, Lea5y, schenck, Dickerson, Ham.
ilton, Babbitt, Manley, Claxton and
Taylor.
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