Honolulu star-bulletin., 1916-12-27
BY c. S. ALBERT
'esi.l star, Bulletin oOrrespOndeneel

1
.ance for gunnery and engineering ex,
ercises among the sailor lads boosted
from s135.000 to S205. 900. He went
before the house naval affairs commit.
tee and strongly urged that the higher
| figure be appropriated for the next
fiscal year. In making his request he
reported steady improvement In the
battle practise OF the fleet during the
last year From all quarters. he stat.
ed, come reports of enthusiastic and
| increased interest. which means bet
ter scores and better records.
AT no time In the history OF the
navy. said Secretary Daniels, has
the entire personnel been so keen
and alert to break former records, and
the achievements OF the year give
promise that each succeeding per-
formance of the fleet will equal and
probably surpass the unprecedented
accomplishments of the last IL
months The following statement.
prepared by the director of gunnery
exercises and engineering perform
anees. shows how really wonderful
the progress of this period has been:
of battle practises with guns and tor
pedoes, as reported herein, show a
creditable Improvement over those of
a similar character conducted last
year.
During the gunnery year 1915, IL
vessels of the battleship class. 81 yes
sells Of the destroyer class, "a vessel
of the submarine class. and 81 vessels
of the cruiser and gunboat classes
completed all forms of g,ln and torpe-
do practise prescribed for the year.
All forms of gun practise wure COM
pleted by IA vessels of The battleshiO
class and 81 vessels OF the cruiser
and gunboat classes. Twenty eight de-
stroyers and 25 submarines complet-
ed all forms of torpedo prsctlse. Thir.
ty-four destroyers fired day battle
practise with torpedoes and IS subma.
rines. In all cases where vessels IN
commission failed to complete all
forms of practise. satisfactory reasons
we're giver. and involved repairs or
material changes compelling the yes
sci 10 go to a navy yard, and thus
lose the opportunity to fire. or their
by newer vessels. placed on tue re-
duced complement basis.
Results Show Improvement
The general results are fully up
to the expectations Of the department
and again show that steady imo:ove.
ment is the natural consequence OF a
more concentrated effort on the part
Of those responsible for personnel ana
material.
The gun practise of the battle
ships was carried out at ranges far
in excess of any heretofore presCrib-
ed. The closest comparison being
that of the year 1914, when full charg-
es were used as was done this year.
The day individual Practise was con-
Quoted at mean range of over 1900
yards, with the main battery guns in
1916, as compared with mean range
of 10000 yards with the same guns
in 1914. The percentage Of hits was
not only maintained out showed a
slight increase in spite Of over 20 per.
cent increase in range. Practically
the same number CT ships we're fired
In both years. The department does
not consider that the rate of fire with
the large caliber gun5 to be entirely
satisfactory, the tendency being to
wait the fall OF all the shots from
each salvo. The orders for gunlery
exercises this year intend that when
a straddle or bracket has been estab-
lished, that the rate of fire should be
the maximum possible, and that the
volume of fire should include at least
half the guns engaged and actually
firing: A comparison with 1915 is not
made as reduced charges were used
and consequently materially shorter
actual ranges prescribed.
A comparison of the results of the
torpedo defense practises of one year
with that of another is difficult, ow-
ing to the continual change necessary
in the orders for conducting the prac-
tise, in the desire to try out all pos
sible methods OF solving this difficult
problem. The five-inch gun Is grad
ually displacing all other calibers for
torpedo defense purposes, as the
dreadnought type displaces the pre-
dreadnought in the active fleet.
Greater efforts than ever must be
made to render this form of firing
more effective, and with the adop-
tion of standard methods of control
and its proper supervision, the depart
ment expects material Improvement.
The introduction of day firing with
the torpedo defense battery should de-
velop many weaknesses heretofore
shrouded in the cover of darkness.
and with improved searchlights, and
greater efforts on the part of per.
sonnel. considerable Improvement
should be had.
Torpedo Practise Effective
A marked Improvement is noted
in the battle torpedo practise OF the
battleships for the last year over that
of previous years, This most import
ant element of offensive strength is
receiving the attention II deserves as
indicated by the remarkable increase
in the percentage Of hits at increased
ranges. With increased accuracy and
reliability, due to greater experience
and higher intelligence of the person
mel, results which have been consider
ed more or less problematical, are
now. the department is pleased to
note, matters Of common accomplish