Trench and camp. [volume] (Augusta, Ga.) 1917-1919, 1918-04-17
NAVY ITEMS

NAVY ITEMS
Strength of the navy today is nearly
$1,000 officers and 100000 enlisted men;
strength year ago was 4,792 officers
and 77,946 enlisted men.
The total number of persons now in
the naval establishment exceeds 425. 900.
Estimated total expenditures of the
navy during first year of war: Disburse-
nents and outstanding obligations, ST.
! $751; 900, OO0
| American destroyers arrived at Brit
ish port to assist in patrolling European
! waters 2S days after tse declaration of
war.
There are now four times as many yes
sells in the naval services as a year ago.
Nearly $4,000 mechanics and other civ
ilian employees are working at. navy yards
and stations
Estimated pay OF officers and men of
| the navy for the first year OF the war,
SIPS, 0000 600.
When war was declared, 1913 naval ves-
sells We're building OF authorized, and
contracts have been placed since that
time for 949 vessels.
More than 700 privately owned vessels
have been purchased or chartered by the
navy
The navy ration in 1917 cost s043S, as
against S0.S7648 in 1915.
During the first three months of 1918
Navy Paymaster cleared $1S5, 000, 900 for
navy supplies and contracts.
Paymaster General of the navy drew
checks for more than 100000 900 in one
day-Fehruary 23-for munitions; total
advertised purchases for the navy for
! 1915 were $40, 900 900,
| Total weight of steel thrown by sin.
/ gle broadsde from the Pennsylvania to-
day is II sos pounds; maximum broad
side of largest ship during Spanish-Amer-
lean War was $3.50 pounds.
More than 1900 manufacturers bid for
navy business.
! Six new authorized battleships are de-
signed to be of Al 500 tons, the largest
battleships in the world.
| Our S5,O0o-ton cruisers. So knots. will be
the fastest ip the world. their speed equal
ling the fastest destroyers.
Prompt repairs of 1Os informed German
ships. partially wrecked by their crews.
added more than zoe, 900 tons to our avail
able naval and merchant tonnage,
! During the year nearly go 900 letters
many including detailed plans were re.
ceived from the inventive genius of the
country by the Naval Consulting Board
concerning methods for combating the
| German U-boatS
The navy has developed an American
mine believed to combine all the good
points of various types of mines. and is
manufacturing them in quantities.
Naval communication service operates
all radio service; 5000 youths are study
ing autobiography at two naval schools.
Medical officers numbering 1875 are
members of the Medical Department of
the navy. Navy maintains $4,000 hospital
beds and 5000 are being added.
During the year the latest type OF ma
val 16-inch gun was completed for our
new battleShips; it throws projectile
weighing 2,1o0 pounds.
Appropriations available for expendi-
year ending June 80, 1918, total $1,741,-
109, 40190.
| Navy has in it's possession now a stock
of supplies sufficient for the average re-
quirements for at least one year.
About 10000 officers and men are en-
gagged in coast patrol work of the navy.
Several hundred submarine chasers.
built since the war. have been delivered
to the navy by 81 private concerns and 6
navy yards many of these boats have
crossed the Atlantic, some in severe
weather.
over 20 large companies are manufac-
turing airplanes. is are producing en-
gineS, and more than 400 are Drodupine