New-York tribune., 1908-03-16
FLEET AT THE TARGETS
PRACTICE BEGINS TO-DAY.
Hard Task Set for Gunnrrs of i'd
mirGI ETans's Ships.

san Diego. cat March 15-The American
battleship fleet now ar anchor in Magdalena
Bay will begin the serious work oS record target
practice Tomorrow morning. according to off,
cial wireless dispatches received here. and for
the next two or three weeks the usually quiet
waters of this harbOr will splash and dance
under the rain of shot and shell, and the real
work of the cruise 10 all outside the engine
holds and chart rooms will be under way
The fleet is anchored in the north end OF the
bay, which Is the most sheltered part of this
natural haven of the sea. Looking to the
southi there IS a broad expanse Of water nearly
twenty miles long while the width OF the bay
at the entrance is nearly twelve miles The
targets will be set and ranges established at
the lower end of the bay. where IL narrows to
an island-parted channel leading 70 Almeias
Bay. another Iand-Iocked harbor whose natural
advantages would stand strikingIy in the
search for a naval base in any other part OF ths
world than in close proximity 70 Magdalens
The ranges. which are TO be set first at f.0eD
yards will be next extended 70 2.ooo yards. and
then TO a maximum of 5000 yards for the
smaller target which Is T. by 21 feet in size
For the great turret guns-the T. and IL inch
rifies-the ranges are Enlightened from 5000 to
9OO0 yards. and the targets are increased 70
- by 60 feet As one ordnance officer on ths
battIeships expressed IL. 1T is absolutely essen
tiaI that the gunners should be able 70 see ths
target before they can train the sights upon u.
At 1900 yards the white canvas OBJECT to Ia
shot at appears only a tiny speck upon tho
water
HARD RECORDS To BEAT.
The gunners of the Atlantic fleet are
scious of the fact that they have a hard task
before them-to equal sUrpass the records
recently made MagdaIena Bay by the ar
rnored cruisers OF the Pacific feet under COM
mand of Rear Admirals Dayton and SebTes-
These ships alternately have been at the practices
grounds in the Mexican bay for the last two
months and six of them have completed their
work. The Maryland outdistanced all Of her
competitors among the afmored cruisers of the
station with a percentages Of 1850 hits out cf
d possible 100 with all classes of guns The
/ Tennessee came next, with percentage of 6S -
hits the Colorado being third with 6-}6s. the
| Pennsylvania fourth with $50. the West Vir-
/ ginia fifth with $40 and the Washington last
with 90 80 The seemingly low score OF the
Washington was expected. as she is a brand new
ship. with guns and new crew, but it serves
10 make all the more important the splendid
record of the Tennessee, Admiral Sebree's flag
ship. which is just as as the Washington.
and which to the targets under the same
conditions to green pieces and gunners.
| The Tennessee and the Washington also for
/ the first time used 10-inch turret rifles.
/ weapon for American cruisers, which put
! on board the vessels in response to the demand
/ of ordnance officers for heavier guns than The
4 S-inch rifles OF the West Virginia class. The
/ heavier guEs and turrets added nearly thou
| sand to the weight Of the Tennessee and
/ the Washington over the West Virginia, and
/ caused q thinning OF the main aTmor belt from
/ 6 to , inches The tUrTet protection
/ increased. however. from 6Iz to inches All II
/ the big arnored cruisers are ranked with the
battIeships in summing up their target records.
/ and for this reason their scores are of unusual
I interest at this time. when the world girdlins
+ fleet is about to being its target work
SYSTEM OF SCORING
/ There is system of scoring. however. even
among the battIeshtps. when it comes 20 cassi
+ flying the work OF the gunners for promotion AMI
prize money distribution Some OF the ships. for
instance, have 12-inch guns Of 10 caiibre, whiIs
others have the same diameter OF rifle. but OF
10 caIibre- In naval pieces the calibre means
the length Of the rifle. which. as it increases.
permits of heavier shells and powder charges
and calls for more accurate shooting For this
reason hits with a ~ Caibre rifle do call
for as high an allowance OF points hits with
the lower powered guns Of the same class
The 13-inch rifles. which still retained
( the Kentucky, the kearsarge, the Alabama and
the Illinois. the oldest vessels OF Admiral
. Evans's feet are expected to do even more ac-
curate work than Pinch rifles at the same
range and target. and the points allowed for
their hits even lower There Is strong
feeling among the ordnance officers. of which
there is one assigned to each OF the armored
vessels OF the navy. that the l3-inch guns Will
be universally favored again and they viii wei
come the return To the heavier rifle. with its
I13O-pound projectiIe. as against the S10-pOund
weight of the 12-inch shell
won at the spring practice last year. but in the
fall work the gUHners of the Maine and the
Louisiana accomplished wonderful results. the
latter ship which is in the same class the
Connecticut and is armed with the most modern
Of the 12-inch rifles. more than 5000 N
prize money last fall, and practically all OF her
gun pointers promotions. carrying from -
To 50 increase of pay a month
fTCTR 1IIf DETTGTTT'ED