Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1910-10-26
EXPERT MARkSMEN
Uncle Sam Breaks All World
Records For Gunnery
BIG GUN TARGET SHOOTING
Tn, United States Laws Great Emphasis
On Workmanship Results

>
been broke by the crew of the bat
tleship Idaho in the recent big gun
target shooting held off Cape Henry.
This announcement has still further
strengthened the position long held
by American sailors among the navies
of the world as the finest marksmen
in existence.
The new marks set by the II and
finch guns of the 10.000-ton sea
fighter, which by the side of some
of the recently built dreadnaughts of
Germany and England is a mere
pygmy, are just now the talk of naval
circles everywhere. In England
and Germany, in Russia and Japan
the same question is being asked ::
"Why is it that the Yankees are
able to shoot straighter than we
camp
The answer to the question may
be given in "a very few words. The
American gunner has made these
records possible. The American
sailors infinite patience and stick
to.itiveness have made MIN cham
pion. The American sailor prac-
tees until he cannot miss. The
European sailor practices until he
is tired and then quits.
The United States does not spend
so much for new battleships as other
countries, but it lays more emphasis
on craftsmanship than does any
other nation in the world. More
time and ammunition are exhausted
in the American navy in target prac-
tice than is realized generally. Ten
times the sum spent for this purpose
in England is spent by America.
During the practice in which she
won her championship the sailors of
the Idaho shattered targets at 10000
yards distance.
Had the little vessel been in battle
she would have shattered in FIVE min
utes battleship at distance of five
miles, had she shot with the same
accuracy. The gunner on the modern
warship must be a man of educa-
tion. For this reason, able instruc-
tors are paid by the United States to
teach members of the crew, who
wish to learn lessons in engineering,
mechanics and mathematics. The
gunner must be advanced in these
branches as well as in craftsmanship.
Disasters to the Russian feet dur
ing their war with Japan might be
used as examples to show how neces-
sary it is for the marine gunner to
serve a long apprenticeship. He
must not only be able to shoot, but
must be able to prevent himself be.
ing sunk The student begins in the
ordnance shops at Washington, where
he is instructed IN the rudiments of
the art. He is shown the difference
between certain sizes of guns, etc.,
and kept at his studies six days a
week from o'clock in the morning
until 4 o'clock in the afternoon.
The student il even taught to
make a miniature gun that he may
be absolutely familiar with the con-
struction of the big fellows.
Before he is detailed to a ship
the apprentice is given three
months instruction in the handling
of high explosives. He is taught
the workings of the submarine mine,
and by the time he has graduated
from the school he can do about
everything except shoot Then he is
turned over to battleship, where he
is given the position of gun pointer
in charge of an instructor who knows
the business from top to bottom, and
at this gun he sticks until his super
iors think him eminently trustworthy,
when he is allowed to participate in
maneuvers. Finally he handles gun
in real war.
There is probably not happier
man in the navy today than Lieut..
John Timmons, son-in-law of former
Vice-President Fairbanks and chief
ordnance officer on the Idaho. He is
supremely satisfied with the wonder
ful work accomplished by his crew,
which already holds the record for
mine planting, made at Province
town last summer. To tie Idaho has
been given the red pennant which
marks her as carrying the best gun
ners. This is by no means refiec-
tion on the crews of the other ships
that took part in the Workmanship
trials. Every battleship, it is re-
portd at Washington, distinguished
itself.
The Mississippi, Vermont and
Minnesota were so close in results to
the Idaho that it was several days be-
fore decision was announced favor
ing the latter vessel. A year or two
ago the record made by the Idaho
would have been an impossibility.
For example, when the crew of the
Indiana hit mark four feet square
four times consecutively at a dis
tance of 1000 yards, the ravies of
the world were astounded. Yet the
Idaho has hit mark nearly te1 times
as far away.
In 1904 the Wisconsin made a
worlds record that was thought
equally astonishing when at $1,000
yards she hit mark nine times out
of ten efforts. During the same
year Yankee sailors, gunners on the
Kearsarge, hit bull's-eye 1000
feet distant, ten times in FIVE minutes
with an S-inch gun while moving at
the rate of ten miles an hour, and a
few months after a crew on the
Texas made new worlds record by
scoring eleven hits in ten minutes
with i2-ineh guns.