Omaha daily bee., 1917-05-28
Big U. s. FLEET Is
READY FOR BATTLE
Great Warships Are in Finest
Condition, With Crews
Trained Down to the
Minute.

With the United States Atlantic
Fleet, May 27.-The big ships OF the
most powerful fleet ever under the
American flag, when visited by cor
respondent of the Associated Press,
through arrangement with the COM
mittee ON public information, 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 sailor
men.
The fleet, temporarily. is great
workshop of war. Already it is turn
ing out one OF its finished products
men who can fight. They are serving
the guns on American armed mer-
chant ships. Its other product-men
who can run the great merchant fleet
the United States will use to feed the
alles-will be ready as soon as the
ships.
All Guns Are Ready.
Five-inch guns, the kind principal
" used against submarines. are there
by the hundreds, On the decks great
turrets house long fourteen and
twelve-inch rines-three or two to a
turret. On high platforms guns used
for defense against airplanes point to
the sky. Brass is always shining, steeI
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 Ger
man submarines. And other shipmate:
now are on duty aboard the destroy
ers operating with the British anc
French fleets. The men with the At
lantic feet are working to prepare
themselves to avenge the killing o
their mates.
Here's what happened the Other
day. A crew was practicing with {
five inch gun. A bluejacket about !;
he still had down on his chin-wa.
pointing. He grasped handles on {
broad brass wheel; his eye wa:
steady at a rubber cup at the enc
of long sight, through which ht
saw the target. His duty was to keet
the gun on the target so it might be
fred any time.
Four Hits in Succession.
Around this beardless youth were
grouped other guns crews ready tc
fire when his crew had completed it:
period.
The breach snapped-apen, the loac
was thrown home, the breach wa,
hurled back in place and then a buz
ger, operated from the fire contro
station, sounded; there was flash, ;
roar, the hiss of a projectile speeding
through the air and the louder his.
of compressed air blowing smoke ou
OF the gun. Miles away the projectil,
struck the target.
Guess that's bad" said an ole
man-o'- war 's-man looking on admir-
ingly at the third shot, as the guns
crew got the range and the pillar o
white water leaped into the air.
How would that do for Fritzy
Suppose that had been a submarin,
and"
The buzzer, the roar OF the gun anc
the hiss of the air interrupted him.
Another hit! Gee whiskers, that.
shooting"
First Drill with Leaders.
On the after deck latest arrival,
aboard the ship were set at work tia
day. and every other day, in fact
upon the loading machines. The,
consist principally of breach anc
block and slide that carries ava,
dummy projectiles and powder bags
Officers with stop watches in theii
hands set one crew after another tc
work, the idea being to develop ex
treme loading speed by competition
The newest members of the shiDs
companies work for days at these load
ing machines. The next step in thei
training carries them to the ms.
But they are not yet ready to FIRE the
regular charges. One-pounders, that
go off with sharp crack, are lashed
on top Of the big guns and the crews
go through all the motions of firing
but, instead Of a big shell. little one
weighing pound, speeds for the tar.
get when the buzzer sounds or wher
the turret captains in charge Ct the
bigger rifles yell Fire"
Real Ba' Practice.
After a period of firing with the
sub-caliber arrangement, the ere,
get down to real battle practice. Their,
are few buster places than a turret il
action. Concave steel walls are ii
around. and steel roof is just abov,
the heads of the gunners. Th point
ers sit far forward, underneath the
barrels of the guns. Little seats lik,
those on motorcycle are there foi
them and on every side .e instru
ments. As the turret begins to fire. Z
lift, bearing the huge projectile, bangs
up from below, great bags of powder
slide from the magazines into Ions
brass trough. Husky bluejackets tos:
the powder into another brass trough
that is slipped into position at the
gigantic breach The projectile, al
most as large as man, meanwhile
has been rolled into the trough. a
long automatic rammer has jumped
from the rear and showed it into the
| barrel. The powder bags are driver
home, a man at the breach swings Z