Show The Navys Navy's Problem 19 By Former Lieutenant Murney U. U S. S N. N WASHINGTON Preliminary press releases on Problem 19 the navys navy's next war game touch a detail of geography which promises promises promises prom prom- to figure more and more prominently in the news A ship in a hurry traveling be between between between be- be tween Japan and our west coast ports passes much closer to the Aleutian than to the Hawaiian islands This doesn't appear on the conventional mercator projection projection projection pro pro- the one to which were drawn all the maps maps' in the dog dog- eared grade school geographies which gave most of us our first ideas on geography There Honolulu Honolulu Honolulu Hono Hono- lulu seems to lie fairly close to the line connecting California with Japan Great Circle Course Actually ships take what sailors call the great circle course which passes within two or three hundred miles of the Aleutians Because they do a revision is taking taking taking tak tak- ing place in what seemed until a afew afew afew few years ago to be a settled national strategy in the Pacific Problem 10 according to the news rel releases ases will extend from the latitude of Kingman Reef to the Aleutians The maneuvers will undertake to demonstrate the increasing strategic importance importance importance tance of the Hawaiian Aleutian-Hawaiian- Pacific coast triangle An Englishman's View This is not entirely new The Pacific triangle has figured be before before before be- be fore in discussions of naval power in the Pacific Ten or twelve years ago Hector Bywater the foremost British writer on naval subjects in his The Great Pacific Pacific Pacific Pa Pa- War Var stressed the importance importance importance tance of Alaskan waters in defending defending defending de de- de- de fending North America The Aleutians have figured increasingly increasingly increasingly in war games in recent years But the present development development develop develop- ment is part of a gradual change now taking place in both Service and civilian thought on the national national national na na- na- na defense in the Pacific Whatever the explanation may maybe be and be-and and a psychologist or an outspoken outspoken outspoken out out- spoken naval officer might trace the habit of looking upon Pearl Harbor as the sole k key ky y to the Pacific back to the old grade school geographies recent geographies recent altera- altera t i ion o 0 n fl s in the service attitude strongly suggest that America has at last discovered the Aleutian islands Treaty Forbade Fortifications It is true true of that the Washington treaty forbade fortification fortification fortification forti forti- of the Aleutians But also it is quite possible that if we had been more keenly aware of Pacific geography we never would have accepted such a restriction We went ahead an and l fortified Hawaii which does coVer cover the direct approach approach approach ap ap- ap- ap to the Panama canal and therefore must be protected And until quite recently all naval plans in so far as they were revealed by the annual war games were devoted to developing the defense of Panama Yet for two very definite reasons reasons reasons rea rea- sons the north Pacific is the more likely area of action in a possible Pacific war First it is in direct line of approach to our west coast Moreover north Pacific weather is notoriously bad Weather cather Is Important Navies habitually rehearse war warin warin warin in good weather areas the areas the latitude latitude latitude lati lati- tude of the Hawaiian islands or of southern California Perhaps that is sensible Certainly it imposes imposes imposes im im- im- im poses little strain upon men and ships But navies very consistently consistent consistent- ly fight wars in bad weather weather weather-or or have at least since the steam engine enormously increased the average ships ship's r radius dius of action More or less obscure causes may be behind this For example ships and fleets can dodge one another in fair weather In storm or fog they stumble upon one another On the other hand a raiding fleet often deliberately chooses bad weather to cover its approach Alaskan waters have it all over the North Sea when it comes to bad weather Persistent fogs provide provide provide pro pro- vide the cover a raiding fleet would need to drive home an at attack attack at- at tack tacIt upon our coast line And mile 90 gales called further complicate the situation from the seamans seaman's point of view It would be relatively easy to spot a fleet approaching via the fair fairweather fairweather fairweather weather Hawaiian latitudes It would be a far larger order to patrol patrol patrol pa pa- effectively the stormy waters bordering the Aleutian chain The navy began to display a sharpened interest in the area some time ago Air expeditions have already spent several summers summers summers sum sum- mers mapping the coast line of Alaska and out along the penin penin- sula A base for patrol planes is isnow isnow isnow now being established at Sitka And next March it is reported the navy will stage a more strenuous ous ord ordeal al by cold in Alaskan waters than it ever has endured The service is not given to talking of such innovations per innovations per perhaps haps because it hopes that the theother theother theother other navies arent aren't looking What seems more probable however is that this silence is part of the new policy of keeping the public in ig ignorance ignorance ignorance ig- ig norance of even those naval projects projects projects which can be clearly read by any foreign naval expert who takes the trouble to note on a chart where naval war games are being held Appropriations Asked For Nevertheless unless all present signs fail the navy will be asking for funds to develop essential facilities facilities facilities fa fa- fa- fa in the Alaskan area before many moons pass These will in include include in- in clude dude possibly a major base and several perhaps a dozen or more minor bases with stores of fuel and ammunition and spare parts for the squadrons of heavy duty planes which eventually must be maintained to patrol the region Naval officers who have visited the area are convinced that seaplanes seaplanes seaplanes sea sea- planes are the only type of craft which could adequately scout the immense sea stretches involved For obvious reasons too early early- or too much public much public discussion of this subject might be unwise But if the navy is going to get the necessary funds the taxpayer er who will have to provide them soon must begin to think about the elementary lesson in geography which the navy apparently plans to stage next summer Alaska's one delegate to congress congress congress con con- gress is going to need plenty of support to convince congress that money Ploney should be spent liberally in ina ina ina a region as unimportant politically political political- ly as his territory Copyright 1938 for The Telegram |