Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-09-30
NAVAL GUNNERY.
Foreign GOvernmen It's Burning Powder
in Target Practice.

Foreign Governme n is Burning Powder
in Target Practice.
From the Army and Navy Journal.
According to the Information received
abroad from the various intelligence Off
GERS, foreign naval authorities are devot-
ing an unusual amount Of attention to the
subject Of target practice with big guns,
and many ingenious schemes have been
proposed for the increased usefulness Of
this form Of drill. The idea in view is, of
course, to simulate as nearly as possible
the actual conditions existing in action,
enabling the gunners to thus drill under
service conditions, but Of course without
the incentive of inflicting injury upon the
enemy as the end in view. The United
States navy has never been behind In this
matter of great gun practice; in fact, 1t
has been the boast of naval officers since
we possessed a navy that our systems have
been copied by the rest Of the world with
advantage to themselves. As soon as the
North Atlantic fleet arrives at Hampton
the flagship, for distribution to the vessels
of his squadron, instructions for a new
system of gunnery practice prescribed by
recent orders from the Navy Department.
This new system will replace the pres
ent sea practice, and when a ship shall
have gone through with the new gun drill,
and has had the required practice her
work in this line will hereafter be
considered as complete. The entire
drill will occupy the greater part Of
month"; and will include small arms target
practice for all hands, sub-caliber practice
with great guns, in which, at five hundred
yards, with the ship under way, ten shots
will be fired at the target from each class
of guns and preliminary practice at one
thousand yards by guns of caliber .45 and
one-pounders The most important trial Of
great gun craftsmanship and the one which
hereafter will determine the fighting value
Of ship will be- known as fighting eff
n drill fQr
fashioned of spars and laid parallel with
the water and in all some sixty feet in
length. will be employed. From this raft
or target base will be erected miniature
vas. The vessel will steam past this target
at a range Of about two thousand yards,
and, going at no less speed than eight
knots an hour, will fire each gun of her
them all to bear during the run Of about
a mile past the target Actual hits will
alone bs marked. and the ships lighting
efficiency will be rated by the percentage
Of hits out Of the total shots fred.
To the older officers Of our navy this
method will at once remind them of the
system SO long IN vogue before and during
the civil war With the ship in motion and
sailing past the target at a moderate speed
the gunners of the ship took turns in fir
Ing service charges ct the target, and the
actual hits marked the Workmanship of
the gunner. In other words. the so-called
new system Is but q return to the old-fasll-
toned and sensible method of testing the
actual Workmanship Of the guuners under
.condataons as closely Stimulating actual
warfare as is practicable In times OF peace.
All Of which calls to mind the theory that
men's minds. given proposition to solve
and surrounded by q given Set Of circun-
stances. will evolve an answer similar to
ilarly situated. There Is nothing new un-
der the SUM-" and '.All is vanity and vexa-
ton OF spirit, says the preacher.