Los Angeles herald., 1908-03-25
FLEET MAKES
FINE RECORD
AT TARGETS
BIG GUNS ARE BOOMING AT
MAGDALENA
WIRELESS REPORTS TELL OF
RAPID PROGRESS
Admiral Evans Armada to Finish
Work and Sail for San
Diego on April

fASSpNlottd
SAN DIEGO, March 24.-Wireless
reports from Magadalena bay tell of
rapid progress being made by the six
teen battleships of Admiral Evans
command toward the completion of
their record target practice.
All of the firing so far has been at
a range of 1900 yards, or just short of
one mile. The firing also has been
confined to stationary targets and it
is not now believed that there will / j,
change either of range or character
of targets during the remainder of
the pr lice.
AT first it was thought that the
Magdalena bay work of the fleet
would include variety of ranges, ex-
tending even up to 5000 yards. the
maximum for battle practice with the
primary twelve and thirteen inch
turret guns, and moving targets at
tached to the end of long tow line,
but late advices say the gunnery prac-
tice will be strictly limited to record
work at 1900 yards and at anchored
targets, 12x21 feet in size
The practice has been under way
for more than ten days and the fir
ing has been constant, Sundays not be-
| ing excepted in the rush to finish as
early as possible.
Soon to Be Completed
Another ten days, it is believed, will
| see the conclusion of the range work
and then will follow a period of coal
! ing and cleaning up for the fetes that
await the ships along the hospitable
| shores of California.
According to present plans, as an
lounced by Admiral Evans, the fleet
will leave Magdalena bay at daylight
on the morning of April 12-just one
month to a day from the time of ar
rival within this most favored OF Pa
cific naval bases. The Steaming speed
will be raised to eleven knots on the
run to San Diego to bring the fleet to
anchor off Coronado beach at 230 p.
m., April a.
The run from Magdalena bay to San
Diego is about 620 miles and has been
made in forty-seven hours by many of
the cruisers. Admiral Evans will allow
a fraction over fifty-six hours for the
trip, however, as he does not desire to
tire out the engineers force.
No official announcement of the rec
ords made by the different ships will
come from Magdalena bay, Admiral
Evans having decided to send all of this
class of information in confidential mail
communications to the navy depart
ment at Washington. 1t will take some
time for the fleet ordnance officer, Lieu
tenant Commander Ridley Mclean of
Admiral Evans personal staff. to pre-
pare the individual and average rec
ords, and it may be that the reports
will not go east until after the arrival
of the fleet off this port. Splendid rec
ords are looked for, however, as the
| - Avo tarn Afa nn1
for high percentage of hits under the
efficiency attained in recent years by
the gun crews of the navy.
Training for Speed
Record practice. which is always car
ried on at the 1600-yard range, is really
a training in speed and facility of fir
ing rather than a true test of accuracy.
which principally comes in the battle
practice over ranges which vary from
1000 to 5000 yards. 1t is the naval the
ory that men who can fire straight and
rapid at 1900 yards can be depended
upon to fire just as rapidly and with
almost the same precision at the great
er ranges where familiarity with the
guns means everything. The officer in
charge of the range finders announces
the long distance in battle, and it is the
gunner who first gets his weapon
trained for the range and sighted upon
work.
Some idea of the amount of work be-
ing done at Magdalena bay can be
CLEANED from the official statement OF
ammunition expended by the cruiser
| Tennessee. recently returned from the
practice grounds. At preliminary prac
tice the Tennessee used 1913 pounds
l of powder and 36,242 pounds of shell.
the cost being $1S,90920. At record
practice the Tennessee used 1897
pounds of powder and 51,956 pounds of
shells, at a cost of $25,742.99.
The Tennessee's largest guns are of
10-inch caliber as against the IL and
12-inch guns Of other ships. The guns
of the Connecticut type, of which there
are five in the fleet, will use up at least
one-half more ammunition than the
Tennessee, and the older ships, of the
kentucky and Illinois types, win use
n third more.
Older Ships Effective
The fact that the latter ships are ten
years old does not detract from the eff
fectiveness of their fire. No better IL
lustration OF this can be had than the
fact that the Illinois carries the record
trophy for battleships, having won IT.
last year from the Wisconsin. The old
ships are constantly being fitted with
modern guns and can hit just as hard
and as often as the new ones. They
have not as many guns. however, nor
the speed nor the strength OF arnor or
the latter-day ships, and either the
Kentucky and Kearsarge or the Ala
bama and Illinois must give way to
the Wisconsin and the Nebraska when
the fleet leaves on July for its tour of
the world.
The standard of accuracy at record
target practice has been set this year
by the cruiser Albany, which made a
total score of 12S hits out of 1870 shots