The Elbert County tribune., 1912-06-14
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shining black muzz.es OF the turrets of the
dreadnoughts, will stand the pressure 10 which
they subject when fired. but 1t is believed that
their life is somewhere between 100 and 200 shots
No one wishes to find out by experience what
their longevity is Therefore. no practice except
at the prescribed times may be done with the
big guns. Even at target practice they may be
fired only eighteen times through the entire prac-
ice period At the end of a couple of years they
are refined and in this way get lease of
life.
.Ping-pong' practice it is called and sub
caliber practice have solved this difficulty Very
small guns shooting tiny bullets are attached to
the big guns In front of these small guns swing
targets whose distance and motion can be regu-
lated to correspond to the conditions nder which
the turret's guns fired. The aiming is done
by the movement of the large guns but the firing
is done with the tiny, pistol-like firearms In this
way the manipulation of the guns in every respect
is like that in target practice except the actual
discharge of heavy shells
1t may be supposed that the time for spring battle
practice has arrived. II is early April and the bat
teshps. with their attending craft the ranges
The Atlantic has long easy roll that does not
seriously disturb the equilibrium of the ponderous
fighting machines forcing their masterful way
across the waves. Rainbows form in the spray
thrown up sparkling from the bows into the sun
light and lacy foam blue ground flows back
ward into a spreading wake
Individual battle practice is to be the order of
the day. In the offng the targets thousands of
yards away are being towed along--whte dots
on the horizon. The ships which are to engage
in the practice clear for action and the gunners
are at their stations. Clouds of black smoke pour
from the tunnels, indicating that the fremen
at their posts and performing their duty we'll Up
in the rectangular baskets the tops OF the lat
tice masts. the spoilers and their assistants each
connected with the plotting room far below them
and with the gun by telephone, are scan
ming the horizon with their glasses. They have
their eyes the targets. and instinctivey es-
timating the distance On the forward turret is a
tube supported horizontally on a heavily built tri-
pod The lenses In either end directed upon
the target which is the ships particular mark, and
seaman is focusing the two images reflected to
him at the center of the tube. The two coincide.
and he reads off the figures shownTon the scales.
The range of the distant object. thus obtained is
telephoned down to the plotting room. This opera
ton the range finder performs from time to time.
noting the changes in the distances thus recorded
Below. In the plotting room. the brain-case OF
the vessel in battle. the center men are
busy recording the messages that come to them
the electric nerves of the great organism and
coordinating the information. Protected by armor
plate and of sight of friend or foe this bureau
Of information, this multiple motor center directs
the fighting forces of the great machine undis-
turbed by accidental sights and sounds Messages
are received regular intervals from the range
finders. The rate of change in range is noted and
going 1t win plot and indicate the changes of
the distance OF the target at regular intervals of
time. Everything Is in readiness to begin firing
In the turrets the trainers and pointers
edge. awaiting the word to fire In each is the
trainer with his hands severs guiding its move
ment and the guns within, his eye glued to the
eyepiece of the sighting telescope He constantly
strives to keep his guns upon the target horzont-
ally AT the side of the breeches of the guns are