Evening star., 1940-10-08
By WILL p. KENNEDY,


portant in Caribbean Sea and Pana-
ma Canal defense is the craving
dock under construction less than a
mile from the naval air base at Isla
Grande. Military experts estimate
that this deep-draft drydock will in
crease by nearly Is per cent the
efficiency of any fleet operating IN
the Caribbean. This drydock. in the
Miraflores section of San Juan. will
be finished about the same time as
the air base. and will accommodate
ships drawing up to 20 feet.
= The new Army air base is at Punta
Borinquen, once deserted point on
the northwestern tip of Puerto Rico.
This 3,2O0-acre field is being rapidly
made ready for large additional
force scheduled to arrive in Novem-
ber. Some of the oath Air Base
Group are already at Punta Borin-
ouen, and the remainder are to be
sent from their present base AT
Kelly Field. Tex, and the 25th
Bombardment Group will be trans
ferred to Puerto Rico from its pres
ent station at Langley Field, Va.
Additional planes are due to arrive
just before the increased personnel.
About IS single-motored pursuit
planes will be divided into three
patrols and a command patrol. A
new bombing squadron will consist
of flying fortreSses. At present
there are but nine reconnaissance
bombers at Borinquen.
The Army acquired 5000 acres of
cane field at Punta Borinquen on
July Is, 1889. and the next day had
an infantry company on the ground.
The first plane landed there Septem-
Der 3. Approximately 5000 laborers
have been busy and now hangers
and shops have been completed to
care for 40 planes. This great air
drome has a 4,000-f foot runway. The
camp is ready for $500 men and
more housing is being built. At the
same time the construction quarter
master has been building a perma-
nent post at Borinquen Field to &C
commodate a complete self-con-
tained community of 5000 persons.
Three runWays of 1000 feet each are
being built crisscrossing the original
runway. The commanding officer is
1t. Col. Carl W. Connell. The pres
ent Army complement is As officers
and 45l men. all continental troops.
Nine flying fortresses," the first of
an unestimated number of ships.
arrived in Puerto Rico from the
mainland December 5. 1899. They
are engaged in neutrality patrol.
looking for submarines that have not
been sighted in these waters since
war began. The Borinquen Field
'fortresses' work with the Navys big
ply planes based at Isla Grande
in this neutrality patrol. Early ap-
preparations for Borinquen Field
total $8,10O,OOO.
National Guard Has Reservation.
There is an Army post at historic
FL MORO fortress, San Juan. built
by Juan Bautista Antonelli in 1888.
Gen. Daleys garrison consists of in
fantry, coast artillery. field artillery
and air corps. A new S3,OOOOOO
cantonment is for Regular Army
troops. The Puerto Rican National
Guard has its own reservation 80
miles out at Lake Tortuguera.
Military authorities reveal that
the Army's plans for arming Puerto
Rico include the construction of an
other air base at Juana Dias, a small
town a few miles outside of Ponce,
on the southern coast of the island.
Also announced are auxiliary fields
at Mayaguez and Arecibo, in the
west and on the north coast, re-
spectively. In all. Col. Charles S.
Ferrin, assistant chief of staff and
intelligence officer, admits
there will be five or six auxiliary air
fields in addition to Borinquen Field.
These auxiliary fields are to take.
care of the heavy increase in air
forces to be sent to the island.
The Puerto Rican department will
eventually have a composite wing
which will consist of bomber groups,
pursuit groups and a reconnaissance
squadron.
At Ell Moro fortress is stationed
the End Battalion of the 65th In
fantry, a native regiment under
continental officers. The COM
manding officer is Col. Russell P.
Hartle The complement is now
400 men and 30 officers. The 65th
has been stationed at Ell Moro
since the United States took over
Puerto Rico from Spain, and now
becomes an active unit in the de-
tense program.
Across the bay from San Juan is
Fort Buchanan, one-time National
Guard camp, now headquarters of
the Regular United States Army
69th Coast Guard Artillery and the
25th Field Artillery, with compile
ment of 1850 men and so officers.
rounded by high hills near Baya-
mon. Originally it was planned as a
defense post for San Juan -Harbor,
with the 75s of the field artillery and
1855 of the Coast Guard artillery
snuggled down out of sight to pound
away at any foe attempting to enter
the harbor Now however, these
highly mobile units daily scout
through the islands, moving their
artillery over old Spanish roads so
rapidly that they can reach almost
any part of the island within a few
hours.
The Regular Army moved into
Fort Buchanan shortly after war
broke out. Oddly enough, the Off
GERS find that the most strategic
points of defense are the ones set
up by the Spaniards. Nearly every
day some part of these units may
be seen and heard firing from posi-
tions where Spanish troops once
beat back invaders. The command
ing officer is stern, popular, straight
backed Col. John A. Hoag, who
as a graduate of Columbia Univer-
sity gave up civil engineering ca
reer because he liked Army life.
Soldiers Work Night and Day.