The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-05-26
A GLIMPSE AT
DOINGS OF THE
AMERICAN FLEET
Men Are Being Trained to the Work
Ahead--Hundreds of Five-Inch
Guns Are Ready for Ger
man Submarines.

With the United States Atlantic fleet
May 26.--The big ships of the most pow
erful fleet ever under the American flag
when visited by correspondent of tn,
Associated Press, through arrangement
with the committee on public informa
ton, were working day and night Il
bring about the defeat of Germany OF
the sea. Ready for battle, they are
spending the waiting period turning out
sailor men.
The fleet, temporarily, is a great work
shop of war. Already it is turning out
one of its finished products men who
can fight. They are serving the guns on
American armed merchant ships. Its
other product--men who can run the
great merchant feet the United States
will use to feed the allies-will be ready
as soon as the ships.
! Five-inch guns, the kind principally
used against submarines, are there by
the hundreds. On the decks great tur-
rets house long IA and l2-inch rifles
| three or two to turret. On high plat
forms guns used for defense against air
planes point to the sky. Brass is always
shining, steel is always polished paint
is always new, decks are always white
with scrubbing.
The men behind the guns have lost
shipmates in the war-they were guns
crews on merchantmen sunk by German
submarines. And other shipmates now
are on duty aboard the destroyers oper-
ating with the British and French fleets.
The men with the Atlantic fleet are
working to prepare themselves to avenge
the killing of their mates.
Here's what happened the other day
A crew was practicing with five-inch
gun. A bluejacket about l7--he still had
down on his chin--was pointing. He
grasped handles on a broad brass wheel;
his eye was steady at rubber cup at
the end of long sight, through which
he saw the target, His duty was TO keep
the gun on the target so it might be fired
any time.
Around this beardless youth were
grouped other guns crews ready to fire
when his crew had completed its period.
The breach snapped open, the load was
thrown home, the breach was hurled back
in place and then a buzzer operated
from the fire control station, sounded;
there was fash, roar, the hiss OF
projectile speeding through the air and
the louder hiss OF compressed air blowing
smoke out of the gun. Miles away the
projectile struck the target.
Guess that's bad" said an old rhan-o'
wars man looking on admiringly at the
third shot, as the gums crew got the
range and the pillar of white water
leaped into the air.
How would that do for Fritzyl Sup
pose that had been a submarine and"
The buzzer, the roar of the gun and the
hiss of air interrupted him.
Another hit! Gee whiskers that's
shooting"
On the after deck latest arrivals aboard
the ship were set to work that day, and
every other day, in fact, upon the load
ing machines. They consist principally |
Of breach and block and a slide that |
carries away dummy projectiles and
powder bags.
officers with stop watches in their
hands set one crew after another to
work; the idea being to develop extreme
loading speed by competition. The new
est members OF the ships companies
work for days at these loading ma
chimes. The next step in their training |
carries them to the guns. But they are |
not yet ready to fire the regular charges.
One Founders, that go off with sharp |
rack, are dashed on top of the big guns
and the crews go through all the motions
If firing, but instead of big shell, lit
lie one weighing pound speeds for the
target when the buzzer sounds or when
he turret captains in charge Of the big
yer rifles yell "Fire!"
After a period of firing with the sub
,aliber arrangement the crews get down
o real battle practice. There are few
,usier places than turret in action.
Joncave steel walls are all around, and
steel roof is just above the heads of
he gunners. The pointers sit far for
ward, underneath the barrels of the guns.
little seats like those on motorcycle
re there for them and on every side are
Instruments. As the turret begins to
Ire, lift, bearing the huge projectile,
,angs up from below, great bags of pow
er slide from the magazines into a long
,rass trough. Husky bluejackets toss
he powder into another brass trough
hat is slipped into position at the gi-
antic breach. The proiectile, almost as
arge as man, meanwhile has been
oiled into the trough, a long automatic
ammer has jumped from the rear and
hoved it into the barrel. The powder
ags are driven home, a man at the
reach swings a lever, . ton of steel :
wings up with hiss of compressed air.
he breach block turns and locks, a buzz
er sounds, the charge is ignited and with
rush of air the guns recoil about a !
ard and then Jump back into position.
here is a loud "swish-swish" as the
uns come back and then go forward. a
inside the turret not much more than
nat is heard
Outside il is much different. There is
fash. roar, ring of smoke and the =
,ud whistle of the projectile rushing
trough the air. So great is the concus-
on that every man outside has cotton
r some other substance in his ears to a
i've his ear drums from being broken.
Fifteen seconds from Commence fir
Igo to Fire" is considered pretty good
me for the big guns in the navy. They :
ave new guns crews in training now
no never saw salt water until three o
eeks ago who are doing the thing easily ',
Is seconds.
Some nights the ships of the feet Il
uise in waters nearby for night battle ?
-actice. Other nights they are anchored a