Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-07-18
OUTSHOOT THE WORLD,
Guns Of the American Navy Smash
All Previous Records.

All previous gunnery scores Of Ii.
American navy. and of any warships
the world, for that matter. have been
smashed, according to the result Of The
computation of target practice record,
which have been made by Lieutenant
Commander Leigh Palmer. inspector Q.
target practice. and made public today
by Secretary Meyer. The battle shi,
Idaho. which was several numbers dow,
the list on record target practice last
year has jumped to the top. and appa..
emily won the record practice tropby
from the Washington, which last year
took it from the armored cruiser Mar.
land The Maryland stood No. 3 last
year, but this year she has been pushed
down to No. s. While the Maryland did
better shooting this year than ever be.
fore, she was eXColled by the Idah,
South Carolina. Wisconsin. Nebraska
Virginia, New Hampshire and Mississippi
in the order named. The other two in hs
10 star" list are the Georgia and Louis
lana
The official standing. as announced. il
as follows:
Idaho ...........46.fN Minnesota .....2M
S'th Carolina PISS New Jersey ....Sri
Wisconsin ......W AIS Michigan .....,&M
Nebraska 800. 80 49, Kansas .........sss
Virginia SO 27 Connecticut ....NT
New H'pshire. .3S 41S Pennsylvania RM
Mississippi SAP West Virginia. lbs
Maryland ...... 951 Vermont .....,.T@i
Georgia ......... 81. So Rhode Island. lies
Louisiana 304 California :, .l645
Missouri ........30 06SC Colorado .......HB
The final merit of those vessels which
have mined are (Suns and mines COM
bine6 Wisconsin. 1924; Maryland $751;
West Virginia. 2226l; California, $3.50
Colorado. Il. 1853. The Montana. North
Carolina and Tennessee will have prac
tice late in July: the Washington, South |
Dakota and New York, as soon as prac
tlcable. The best firing ever done by any
gun i'll either the armies or navies Of the |
world was made by the after twelve-inch
turret on the South Carolina. Ensign
Belllnser in charge This turret mads
loo per cent.--16 hits out of IS shots in | |
minutes and 81 seconds. This was not
sufficiently supported by the other guns
-, " give lllt tSOulH NdiUliHd wv ,
trophy. The best score was made BY the
Idaho. averaging 90 per cent with all her |
tWelve-inch and seventeen guns. This |
Is the highest percentage ever made BY |
an entire ship. In fact, the Idaho and |
South Carolina both stand above all pre- |
Vious worlds records with one turret
Ensign c. c. Gill carried off the honoB
Ior the Idaho. He made three hits out Of |
three shots in IS seconds This gives
MIN the highest individual percentage Of
any officer or man in the navy, this h |
ing 81 hits per gun per minute.
Naval authorities are marveling over
the results of the practice. which vas
zone under battle conditions as exsctI
as the battle practice heretofore has been
conducted. Previous to the last firing The
targets were usually u BY y feet an. !
'hoieu' and fired upon from broadship
distance of approximately LOO yards |
WIN the ship moving at about eish
AiiotS' only three-decree roll Of te
NeSSel was required while firing. Dnrins
''e recent practice the targets were re-
uuced TO Is by II feet at about LOO yards |
with the ship rolling and pitching in The
'oush open sea. The Atlantic fleet frea
o' the Virginia Capes and the armora
~ users OF the Pacific fleet off San Diego |
al In almost every case the ship was
rom 90 to 20 miles off shore while firing
anu the target. instead of being station
d'y. was towed by a seaeoing tug The
'"d' no more smoth-water firing shom
recent ruling of the Navy Department
ne oone and that all firing should be Rh
III the open. has developed a class
suh-polnters who have proved themselves
aoie To meet these difficult conditions
Baltimore Sun.