Evening star., 1947-08-17
ForresfaI 10 Watch
Cadets and Middies
In Beach Assault
By W. ]. WheotIey
Sfnr Sfnff c Torsasnnndanf

ABOARD THE AMPHIBIOUS
FLAGSHIP TACONIC, LYNN
HAVEN ROADS, Va, Aug. 16.-
Secretary of the Navy Forrestal will
witness practical demonstration
Of how the armed services can work
together next Saturday morning
when West Point cadets and Annap-
oils midshipmen climax their two
weeks of training together with a
beach assault.
Mr. Forrestal has been selected as
Secretary Of Defense.
After two weeks of intensive
training, working and living to-
gether, the "camids," as students
of the two schools participating in
the training program are known,
are to participate in a simulated
assault on an Atlantic Coast beach.
Elaborate plans have been made
for the reception of Secretary For
restal and other officials of the
Nation and State, as well as high
ranking officers of the services.
Rear Admiral Ralph o. Davis,
commanding the force, plans to be
with the official party ashore to
explain the details of such land
ing.
The general public also has been
invited to witness this display of
the three services working together.
Although there will not be any
heavy cannonading and air bomb
ing with live ammunition which
featured the Chesapeake Bay opera
ton last week, this phase will be
taken care of with token charges
that create more smoke than noise.
The public also will be able to wit
ness the fiipper-euipped under
water demolition unit personnel at
work, as well as the unloading OF
the transports, including personnel
and cargo, and their delivery to the
selected beaches.
Plans for this event call for 1t to
be held miles south of Virginia
Beach. If there is heavy weather,
however, the exercise will be shifted
to the sheltered waters OF Little
Greek, near Norfolk.
To prepare for the assault the fleet
will leave Lynnhaven late Thursday.
All day Friday, gunnery and tacti-
cal exercises will be conducted and
the feet will be placed under a
simulated air attack to show the
camids what planes might be able
to do to such a force if the situa-
ton were real.
Early Saturday the fleet will move
nearer the coast, and shortly before
dawn start the preparations for the
assault. The first wave of troops is
scheduled to reach the beachhead
at $3.50 am.
In carrying out this phase, the
camids will participate instead of
merely being observers. The cadets
will form the troop-landing force.
The midshipmen will fill the posi-
tions of the naval officers, with COM
missioned officers standing by. The
camids' jobs will include positions
from the force commander to the
beachmaster.
The camids will get two more op-
portunities to observe landing and
assault operations at Little Creek
during the week, including dress
rehearsal on Thursday.
They will be given liberty over the
week end. x.4
On August Is, the officers of the
amphibious fleet and the camids
will attend a critique of the exer-
cises at the Norfolk Naval Station.
Shortly after noon the cadets will
be assembled on the attack trans
port Noble, which will leave for
West Point, where they are sched-
uled to debark on Tuesday to return
to classes. They have had their
summer vacations.
The midshipmen will proceed on
the New Kent to Annapolis, where
they will debark on Tuesday and
prepare to depart on 80 days' leave.