Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1920-12-22
BattIeship Massachusetts
Waits Bath of Shot and Shell

Pensacola, Fla. Dec. 22.-L1zi.
~ tugging at her anchors thon
sand yards oft-shore in the Gulf 0
Mexico the obsolete battleship Mas
sachusetts awaits her bath of sho
and shell. and t!..s win be pourct
into the stripp huh of the once
'anious .Amer ~ navy battler t!iii
month. The army alone will play
the last card respecting the exist
ence Of the old battleship. and the
War departments newest method
OF coast defense will be employed
in the operation. Aside from the
guns on the ranlparts of Forts
Pickens and McRae, the old ship
will receive the heavy and destruc-
tive shells from Uncle Sans rail-
way batteries, known as the mobile
battery of the army. These guns
are cn the way mere now from Fort
Eustis, and upon their arrival they
spot they will occupy while open
ing up on the old battleship can be
made stable by the construction Of
heavy concrete bases. The guns
are mounted on railway carriages,
and it is claimed this kind of arm
ament is one of the most dependa-
BILE ever devised by the War de-
partment's chiefs. Guns are fired
accurately ut 5000 .;ards.
Had Stormy Voyage.
The Massachusetts arrived from
her last voyage at sea in tow OF
the mineswceper ".reio and the
naval tug AIglorma. 1t required .
days to make the trip from Phila-
delphia TO Pensacola. Comparative
~ good weather for this season Of
the ye2. vas encountered until Il,
few da. > from her destination, and
then it seemed as if the elements
were fighting to keep the old bat
Lleship from the fate which await
ed her at Pensacola.
The Massachusetts will be sunk,
i is understood. at her present an
,horage. This is at point in the
iulf of Mexico approximately 5000
iards from the point where the de- |
ltructive coast defense fortifica- |
ions are located. That means that |
he ship will be fired on at a dis |
ance of 5000 yards. The old huh, |
upon arrival, was fill
d with water and allowed to set |
lie on the bottom in water about
welve feet in depth. Once the
'ig gun target practising is ready I
o begin, the old ship will be rails
ID, naval tugs going to her side
nd pumping out the water from
Ter holds. This will permit the
,uns to be trained on a real bat
leship model for a target
Planes to Spot Shots.
There will be planes from the
'ensacola Naval Air Station and
rmy planes from Camp Sheridan
ield employed to do their bit in
he work of destruction. At the
'esiGning of the maneuvers the
lanes will he employed to spot the
hots and record the hits or misses
S the cases may be. 1t is not be-
Ieved the old ship will be sunk for
everal days, but that is not meant
s reflection on the gunnery of
he army. On the contrary, it is
tated a salvo of shells will be hurl-
d at the great mass of steel ar
lor sthen a cease firing order will
e set, and the board of ordnance
xperts will go on board to make
lrveys on the effects of the shots
oured from the land batteries.
hese will be carefully marked
nd recorded and made into a part
+ the record Of the maneuver. Al
er the guns are through with
leIf prusi,tlt s,4 planes W4I Iiu-
lily end the existence of the obso- |
'te ship by bombing from 1000 {
Dot attitudes.