Bridgeton pioneer., 1917-06-07
KEEN FOR A FIGHT
WITH GERMAN FOE
Veterans and Recruits With
Atlantic Fleet Working Hard.
LIKE A WORKSHOP OF WAR

Under the flag Is on Edge For Bat
tle-Waitins Period Spent In Turning
Out Gun Crews and Breaking In New
Men.
The big ships of the most powerful
fleet ever under the American flag
when visited by correspondent were
working day and night to bring about
the defeat of Germany on the sea.
Ready for battle, they are spending the
waiting period turning out sailormen.
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.
the great merchant fleet the United
States will use to feed the allies-will
be ready as soon as the ships.
Five inch guns, the kind mostly used
against submarines, are there by
the hundreds. On the decks great tur-
rets house fourteen inch and twelve
inch rifles-three or two to turret.
On high platforms guns used for de-
fense against aeroplanes point to the
sky. Brass always is shining, steel al
ways is polished, paint always is new,
and decks always are white with scrub
bing.
Crews Anxious For Avenge.
The men behind the guns have lost
shipmates in the war-they were gun
crews on merchantmen sunk by Ger
man submarines. And other shipmates
now are on duty aboard the destroy
ers operating with the British and
French fleets. The men with the At
lantic feet 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 seventeen
he still had down on his chin-was
pointing. He grasped handles on
broad brass wheel; his eye was steady
at a rubber cup at the end Of a long
sight, through which he saw the tar
get His duty was to keep the gun Oh
the target so it might be fired any
time. Around this beardless youth
were grouped other gun crews ready
to fire when his crew had completed
its period. 4t-
The breech snapped open, the load
was thrown home, the breech was
hurled back in place and then buzz
ger, operated from the fire control sta
ton, sounded; there was a flash, a
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. .
Boy Does Wonderful Shooting. ii
"Guess that's bad" said an old man.
of-war's man, looking on admiringly at
the third shot as the guns crew got
the range and the pillar Of white wa
ter leaped into the air. o.
"How would that do for Fritzy I
Suppose that had been a submarine
and"-
The buzzer, the roar Of the gun and
the hiss Of air interrupted him.
Another hit! Gee, that's shooting"
Recruits Taught to Handle Guns.
On the afterdeck latest arrivals
aboard the ship were set to work that
day and every other day, in fact, upon
the loading machines. They consist
principally of breech and block and
a slide that carries away dummy pro
jectiles and powder bags.
Officers with stop watches in their
hands set one crew after another at
work, the idea being to develop ex.
treme loading speed by competition.
The newest members of the ships com.
panies work for days at these loading
machines. The next step in their train.
ing carries them to the guns. But
they are not yet ready to fire the regu.
lar charges. One Founders that go Oh
with a sharp crack are lashed on tor
Of the big guns, and the crews &c
through all the motions Of firing, but
instead Of big shell little one weigh
ing pound speeds for the target when
the buzzer sounds or when the turret
captains in charge Of the bigger rifles
yell "Fire!"
After period Of firing with the sub.
caliber arrangement the crews gel
down to real battle practice. There
are few buster places than a turret
in action. Concave steel walls are al
around, and steel roof is just above
the heads Of the gunners.
The powder bags are driven home, 9
man at the breeeh swings a lever, 6
ton Of steel swings up with hiss OF
compressed air, the breech block turnl
and locks. buzzer sounds, the charge
is ignited, and with a rush of air thu
guns recoil about a yard and the1
jump back into position. There is
loud "swish-swash' as the guns com,
back and then go forward.
Outside it Is much different. Their,
Is a, flash, a roar, ring Of smoke ant
the loud whistle of the projectile rush