The Washington times., 1924-02-11
Superdreadnaught Washing.
ton Will Aid in Training
NaVy's Gun Pointers.
By w. r. FULLAM.
Rear Admiral u. q. N. Retired).
16H....I.AA anaI -. 6n...-..-.-anA..-

eII0cL OF pursuing 6ueAb upon Lu0
hull of a modern up-to-date ship.
The ships to be scrapped could
be disposed of in no other way
that would yield such a good re-
turn in fleet efficiency. The lay.
man little realizes the paramount
importance of constant and stren-
uous tareet practice and gunnery
training in the navy. Our en-
listed men are coming and going
every day of the year. Their
average term Of service is very
short. No sooner are they trained
as expert gun pointers, than many
Of them leave the service for one
reason or another, to be replaced
by raw recruits.
There are few continuous service
men--"old timers"-in the battle
fleet. Though highly intelligent.
the mass of our bluejacketS are
young men of little naval expert
ence. For this reason there can be
no let-up in the battle training OF
our personnel.
Previous to the war with Spain
gunnery training in all navtes had
proceeded along unscientific lines.
The percentage of hits at target
practice and in battle was small.
At the battle of Santiago, for in
stance, although we quickly de-
stroyed the Spanish fleet. the per-
centage of hits was very low
only per cent.
Captain Sir Percy Scott, now ad-
miraI, retired, in the Royal Navy,
while commanding a ship in Chi
nese waters, invented an entirely
new system Of training gun point
ers, which vastly increased the
number and rapidity Of hits; and
with improved telescope sights and
gun fittings, the effective range Of
all guns was correspondingly aug
mented. Admiral Sims Of our navy,
then a lieutenant, made a deter.
mined attempt to introduce the
same system in our fleet.
Interiors Sometimes Win.
Captain Scott, most generously ex-
planned his new scheme to Sims. But
conservative officers and bureau
influences, in Washington, strongly.
opposed SiInms and owing to his
insistence, and his fearless criticism
of the Navy Department. he was
threatened with courtmartial. For
tunately, for the navy and the
country. the late President RoOse-
welt sent for Sims, examined his
plans, approved them, and forced
the Navy to adopt them. The
slogan of President Roosevelt and
Sims at that time was "the only
shots that count are the shots that
hit" These two men worked siren.
uously along this line. It Is not
too much to say that they in
creased the battle efficiency Of the
navy at least 500 per cent, yes,
more than that.
1t is interesting to note, however,
briefly, three great naval battles of
modern time, in which gunnery on
superior judgment in fleet maneu.
vering, or on both, enabled the fleet
with smaller guns to win in the
artillery duel.
At the battle Of the Yalu, between
the Chinese and Japanese fleets, the
Chinese admiral had a great pre-
ponderance OF heavy guns and more
heavily armOred ships as well. But
he was crushingly defeated by his
enemy, whose men were better
trained. The Japanese admiral added
greatly to the victory of his fleet
by 30 maneuveving It so as to gain
the maximum effect Of the fire from
his smaller guns.
The same conditions brought
humiliating defeat to Rodjestones-
ky's fleet at Tu Shima. Admiral
Togo had fewer heavily armed
ships, and a greatly inferior broad.
side of big guns. But he maneu-
vered faultlessly, taking full ad-
vantage of superior speed, and
bringing all his small guns into
effective play. His personnel was
very highly trained. Officers and
men had worked together for many
previous to Tou Shima,
His was a splendid fighting
Concentrating on the
head of the Russian column, he
ship after ship and threw
the Russian fleet into confusion
by this means, and by the wither-
ing and accurate fire Of his bat
teries.
1t may be claimed that the jap
anese, with their superior training,
could have changed ships with the
at the Yalu, and with the
Russians at Teu Shima, and won
both battles. Or they would have
at least avoided the disaster that
overwhelmed their badly trained
opponents. They would have proven
the soundness of Mahan's maxim,
GOOD men with poor ships are
better than poor men with good
ships"
In the cases cited It is open to
question whether or not the losing
fleets were really inferior in fight
Ing strength as regards material.
Skill and training won, despite ma
terial conditions. We should never
forget this.
The JutlaIld Case.
An incident of the Jutland battle
deserves mention. Won Hipper had
only five battle cruisers armed with
L1-inch and 12.inch guns. With this
force he engaged six battle cruisers,
under Admiral Beatty, armed with
l3 V inch guns, three smaller battle
ships under Admiral Hood, and in
four heavy battleships
armed with 1S-inch guns, 1t is true
hat this overwhelming English
'leet was not always concentrated
against Won Hipper, but the English
'oree engaged was always greatly
superior to the German. And yet
Von Hipper, with his smaller guns,
sunk two OF Beatty's heavy ships