The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1916-03-10
FORT SKATER GETS.
FOR ANNUAL
ON RANGE.
Troops of First infantry. Have
Finished Preliminary Work
Incident To Competition
aMMUNlTl0N EXPENDITURE 70
WILL BE IAN IMMENSE ITEM
Battalion Commanders Resort To
Measures TO Hold and In
crease interest Of Men


The two months Of preliminary bat
talon work at Fort shafter have been
completed From now until actually
going on the target range the principal
work Of the companies Of the regiment
yin be in preparation for target Prac-
Use. The schedule arranged calls for
six weeks on the range for each bat
talon. The second battahon, under
the command Of Maj. Michael J. Lehi-
han, Second Infantry, win be on tho.
range from April until the middle
Of, May. The third battalion, under
the command of Maj William Weigel,
Second Infantry, viii follow the sec.
ond battalion and will complete its
firing by the end of June, and the
first battalion, under the command of
Maj. William X. Dasheiil, Second In
fantry, will have July and the first
half of August for target practise.
Liberal Time Allowance -" ID
When il Is recalled that last year
the time allotted for each battalion
on the range was three weeks, it is
seen how liberal the time allowance for
1916 is, and therefore how much great
er opportunity the men are afforded
to qualify rs marksmen, sharpshooters
and expert rihemen. .a. En-, w. ..r.
For the greater part of the past
month the companies of the second
battalion have been deyoting all their
spare time to preliminary drill for
target work and to gallery practise.
These drills are now receiving atten-
tion from all the organizations and in
every company gallery practise tar
gets are being placed in position.
The ordnance officer, Lieut. Adrian
X, Polhemus, Second Infantry has n
detail of men at work on the range
daily. The high grass and weeds will
have TO be cut down, the firing points
repaired, pit and target butts will re-
Quire some labor and the target frames
win have TO be gone over. The Signal
Corps will connect the pit aud range
house by telephone Tth the firing
points. ,""wa> = ~ na,''" >
Large Quantity Of Ammunition
Each company will have q maximum
of 10000 rounds of .22 caliber cart
ridges for, gallery practise. This will
be none too many for the consumption
of this ammunition is very great. Diff
ferent schemes have been used in the
companies to increase and hold the in
terest Of the men, OF course, the gov
eminent makes liberal provision for
excellence in rifle shooting, but the
period preparatory to the qualifcat on
test would become monotonous with
out some other motive present TO keep
the mems interest up. BY keeping
posted OH the bulletin boards the results
Of the gallery practise firing, and later,
of the instruction practise firing on the
range, men have the opportunity to see
what they have done in comparison
with the work of other members Of
the company. Brown made n posi-
bic at two hundred yards" travels
rapidly through the organization.
Major Dasheill plans to hold a bat,
:, talon competition among the cOmpa'
MES of the first battalion in gallery
practise firing in the FIRST week in Nav
i ~" will present the winners with suit
able prizes. ''"
One organization has the followinn
scheme for keeping, the interest of the
men in target work AZ the highest
pitch; Expert rifemen ID not fire and
ar" mt eligible to eonDete in these
individual prizes. A cash prize of ter
dollars to the man making the most lin
rroVemcnt over last year or the last
firing year in record firing or
the ranpe. This is open TO al
mcn Of the company, except expert
rifemen IMPROVEMENT is to be show
in percentage, highest wins. A hneond
prize of FIVE dollars cash TO the ma,
making the highest score in recnr|
range firing; open to all who fir
range record, below the grade of marks
man. A third cash prize OF five dol
lars TO the man in the marksman elas
making the highest score in rccort
range firing. W. go 49,.
When Prizes win Be Pad @ s.
These prizes will be paid at the enc
of record firing on the range as sool
as the results can be verified, All I o.
will be decided as provided for in rule
for competitions. Three prizes will b
given also for the work in preparation
for range firing. the winners to be do
l w ~ ~ bhS'' $500
made in gallery practise.
A cash prize Of five dollars for tn
highest percentage of possible. score
for the entire period of preparation
open to all men below the grade o
marksman A prize of three dOllPr
for the highest percentage Of possible
, scores for the entire period Of prepare
, ton, open to all men except exper
riaemen. A cash prize Of two dollar
, to tho man with the second best scor
II the last mentioned class. r
The problem in all cases is to arous'
: the UNQUALIFIED men TO put forth hi
r best efforts to qualify, and in plan
, for competition 1t issthbreforc desir"'
5 to exclude the, most expert shots. II
some instances competitive frinl
among the tactical squads has pro
! dheed good resrltsj the best shots o
, the SQUAD aid in coaching and train
, ing the poorer shots in order to brinI
up their general average. g..