Evening star., 1940-10-05
Five Rear Admira|s
Get New Assignments
As Fleet Is Shifted
125 Ship PotroI Force
Provided in Atlantic;
Ellis in Command
By FRED H. MORHART, JR.


Five rear admiralS today have new
assignments as the result OF fleet
reorganization to provide 125-Ship
patrol force in the Atlantic. The
Navy Department also revealed the
tflree-veSsel squadron maintained IN
neutral European waters and the
special service squadron based In
the Caribbean at the Panama Canal
have been abolished.
All vessels in the Atlantic will be
under the command of Rear Ad-
miral Hayne Ellis, who previously
commanded the Atlantic Squadron.
Rear Admiral David Med. LIE
Breton, who headed the squadron
assigned to Europe, is recalled to
command Battleship Division 5.
This division includes the old bat
tleships New York, Texas and Ar
kansas, as well as the demilitarlzed
Wyoming. These ships in recent
years have been used for midship-
men summer cruises.
Because of the vessels similarity
TO over-age destroyers sent the Brit
ish. 1t is believed the European
squadron is under order to return
home. Two recent developments
give strength to this belief.
Profile Like DestrOyers.
Reports from New York yesterday
said at least one Coast Guard cut
ter had been assigned to European
patrol and that probably two more
would join her. According to the
New York report the cutter Camp
bell was scheduled to sail today.
The other point mentioned by
naval observers was the fact that
the first destroyers delivered in Ca
madam waters have arrived in Eng
land for service These ships are OF
the same class as the deStroyerS
Barry and Golf of the American
unit abroad. In addition, 1t was
pointed out the cruiser Omaha,
squadron leader, would be in a dan
gerous position because at dis
tance she is similar in profile ap-
pearance to the destroyerS.
Rear Admiral Henry K. Hewitt,
commander of the abolished Carib-
bean squadron, will take over
Cruiser Division g.. Although ma
val officials maintain silence on ship
movements, units of the division,
now based with the fleet in Hawaii,
have been reported en- route to the
Atlantic coast.
The division includes the Phila-
delphia, Savannah, Nashville and
Brooklyn. Whether all OF these
cruisers would be assigned to the
Atlantic Patrol Force was not dis
closed. Some officials pointed out
that under the fleet reorganization
there was a possibility that the
cruiser divisions could be shaken up.
Newton in Command.
Rear Admiral John H. Newton
takes command of Cruiser Division
S, which also is believed scheduled
for station with the patrol force.
Its ships include the Chicago, Ches-
ter. Louisville and Portland. In re-
cent days the Louisville was used by
the Joint board inspecting proSpec-
bases on British islands in the
Caribbean.
Rear Admiral Gilbert j. Rowclif
succeeds Admiral Newton in COM
mand of Cruiser Division 4. He
takes this duty in addition to his
command of cruisers, scouting force.
The service squadron, consisting
of two destroyers and two gunboats,
is expected to be split. The gun
boats are to remain assigned to the
Canal defenses. Disposition of the
destroyers was not announced,
though it was believed by some
observers they would join Atlantic
units.
When the fleet reorganization
was announced three days ago, it
was stated "the patrol force will
include all types of vessels and air.
craft" The department said "the
new force will consist of ships now
in the Atlantic, some new ships as
they are completed, recently re-
commissioned vessels and vessels
purchased and converted for naval
use"
Greater Efficiency Claimed.
Having all the vessels in the At
lantic under one command, 1t was
declared, will result in increased