Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1910-08-23
| NAVY EXPECTS TO WIN
But Army Has Hopes OF Team
In Camp Perry Match
SMALL ARMS CONTEST
Preparations For The Annual Battle
Target Practice OF Atlantic Fleet To
Begin Soon

Lieut.. Commander c. Palmer, target
Inspector of the Navy, accompanied
/ by his assistants, Lieuts. III. A. Bald
ridge and A. G. Howe left Washing
ton Sunday for Camp Perry, o.. to
observe the shooting in the National
Small Arms Match which will be-
| gin there today.
The Navy appears to be confident
of winning this match again this
year, although the Army authorities
on the ground have reported in let.
ters to the War Department, that
they are confident one of the two
Army teams will come off victor
ious In the meantime, the Navy
has hopes for the Naval Academy
team, which would have had sixth
place last year, had it not been
ruled out on a misunderstanding of
regulations.
The Marine Corps team is not be-
ing overlooked, however, since the
excellent training given his men by
Captain Harlee, at Camp Winthrop,
Nd, for several months past has been
taken into consideration. Sergeant
Froguers, of that team, won the Pres
ident's match over large number of
competitors, including several off.
GERS. The Marine Corps has two or
three other men who have been near
the top in the various individual
matches.
The naval target practice inspectors
will return to Washington the latter
part of the week, and at once prepare
for the annual battle target practice
of the Atlantic battleship fleet, which
is to be held on the Southern Drill
Grounds, off the Virginia Capes.
This practice originally was scheduled
for September II, but will be delay
ed as result of the visit of the fleet
to Newport, Bar Harbor and other
fashionable shore resorts. Admiral
Schroeder, the commander, has been
anxious to carry his seasons work
through without interference, but the
time spent in frolic at the resorts has
been entirely lost.
Officers and men have been working
hard for several weeks. completing
the mine planting and torpedo target
practice in Cape Cod Bay, and train
ing on their guns in preparation for
the heavy firing off the Virginia
Capes. According to the latest ad-
vices to the Navy Department, Ad-
miral Schroeder will arrive at Hamp-
ton Roads with his fleet about Sep
temher S, where a week will be
spent coaling and otherwise prepar-
ing for the practice. The fleet will
sail for the drill grounds on Septem-
ber IL, and take positions on the
ranges. SO as to begin firing early the
following Monday morning.
BY the program of firing prepared
by Lieutenant Commander Palmer, it
is expected that this practice will
establish new records.
Each year the 12-inch guns. and all
main batteries have broken the
previous records, until now the per-
centage of hits per gun per minute is
ahead of those ever made by any
other navy. Heretofore, two to three
weeks have been required to com
plete the firing of the entire fleet.
Greater speed is desired this time,
and the entire work is to be finished
within one week.
The requirements each year have
been more exacting and this year the
degree of roll and pitch required of
each ship has been increased, as also
has the speed of the firing ships and
also of the tugs towing the targets.
Four targets will be towed by cruis
ing ship, instead of one target being
towed by a tug, as previously. Each
division will make its series of tar
gets, sailing past in an opposite and
diagonal direction, the gunners to be
without knowledge of the speed of
either ship or targets. Each ship is
to take a separate target. The night
practice, for all guns. is also to be
made more difficult, which insures
even more spectacular effects than
last year.