Evening star., 1939-08-27
Navy Has Only ; Ships
In Europe; Plans
No Fleet Changes
Situation in Atlantic
Is Entirely Normal;
All ; at ViIIefronche

There are only three United
States naval vessels in European
waters, and two of them are old de-
stroyers, one of which has been a
Washington visitor during the past
year as training vessel.
Navy Department officials said
yesterday the European crisis has
had no effect on either the strength
or disposition of our naval forces in
the Atlantic, and that none is con-
templated under present orders. In
sofar as the Navy is concerned, the
situation in the Atlantic is entirely
normal" it was explained.
The three naval vessels now fly
Ing the United States flag in Eu-
ropean waters are the light cruiser
Trenton, flagship, and the destroyers
Badger and Jacob Jones, composing
Squadron 4O-T, better known as the
Mediterranean Squadron. The
three vessels now are at Vile
franche, having completed recent
cruise northward along the French
coast.
Scattered Along U. S. Coast.
On this side of the Atlantic are
the ships of the Atlantic Squadron,
now scattered along the coast from
Maine to Panama, with the bulk of
them at Norfolk, Va, their normal
base. The Squadron includes four
old battleships, none of them of
fighting caliber for major war, an
aircraft carrier, four cruisers and 10
destroyers
The battleships, used normally for
training cruises of the midshipmen,
are the Arkansas, New York flag
ship, Texas and Wyoming
The aircraft carrier Ranger, one
of the latest types, now is based at
Norfolk with her brood of sea wasps.
The cruisers of the Atlantic
Squadron are all new 10000 -tonners,
three of which recently completed
q spectacular goodwill cruise
around South America. They are
the Quincy, San Francisco, Tusca-
loosa and VincenneS.
Destroyers of the Atlantic Squad
ron. bulk of them of the latest
types, are the Babbitt. Barry, Borie,
Broome, Claxton. Decatur Flagship
of the destroyer force, Dickerson,
Fairfax, Golf. Hamilton, Herbert,
Hopkins, Reuben James, Leary,
Manley. Roper, Schenck, Simpson
and TruXton.
Two Submarine Squadrons.
There are two submarine squad
rons. numbers and 8, in Atlantic
waters, based normally at the Sub
marine Base. Newport. R. l., which
have between them total of 20
submarines, with the rescue ships
Falcon and Semmes attached.
In Panama waters, based on the
Canal Zone, are four vessels of the
Special Service Squadron, composed
of cruiser. gunboat and two de-
stroyers The cruiser Charleston
carries the flag and other vessels of
the squadron are the gunboat Erie
and the destroyers j. F. Talbot and
Tattnall.
There are three new ships in the
Atlantic undergoing shakedown
cruises but not yet permanently
assigned. They are the cruiser st.
Louis, last reported at Trinidad;
the destroyer Anderson, at St.
Johns, Newfoundland. and the sub
marine Spearfish, en- route from
New York to Bahia, Brazil.
Other Construction.
Other new construction under
way on the Atlantic oCast, now
completed or nearing completion
includes the cruiser Wichita. oil
tanker Neosho, destroyers Benham,
Davis, Ellet, Hammann, Jouett,
Lang, Sims and Sterett. and sub
marines Sarge, Saury, Sculpin and
Swordfish.
Naval officers said the presence of
United States naval vessels in
European waters at present is not
regarded as necessary, and for this
reason there has been no DISPOSE
ton to increase the normal strength
of Squadron 4O-T, which was in
strumental in the evacuation of
many refugees from Spain during
the revolution there.
The use of naval vessels for trans
porting civilians was described as
impracticable except for short dis
tances in cases of extreme emer-
gency, since there are no facilities
aboard for handling more than
crew members. They could not be
used to carry American war refu-
gees from Europe to the United
States, but might be employed in