Evening star., 1925-01-04
Army and Navy News
By NJ. H. Mcintyre.

ment of this ESQ officers will be neces-
sary in order to make room for the
newly graduated ensigns on board
battleships. This will provide for
about 20 new ensigns for each battle
ship, giving a total on board OF
about 80.
AS force practice will oe held the
last week in March, IL may be neces-
sary to detach some officers prior to
sailing for Honolulu. about April Is.
A tentative schedule for firing long
range battle practice has been issued
which provides for the U. s. S. Ten
nessee firing on January 8 before she
leaves for her annual overhauling at
the Puget Sound Navy Yard. The L.
S. S. West Virginia, Colorado. Cali
fornia and Maryland will FIRE January
IS, the New Mexico and Idaho on
January 19, and the Pennsylvania,
Arizona and Oklahoma on January 90
The Mississippi will fire long-range
battle practice during the early part
OF February, while the Nevada will
fire about the same time upon her re-
turn from the navy yard.
ARMY.
Capt. John =. Ferriter, Signal Corps,
in charge of telegraph practice at the
Army Signal School. Camp Alfred
Vail. New Jersey, is putting into ef-
feet the using of phonograph records
for teaching both Continental and
Morse codes for radio and wire-1ine
telegraphy to the soldier students at
the institution. This method, how
ever, has been in use for a consider
able length of time for teaching Ian
suages and also to some extent for
teaching telegraph codes. Capt. Fer
ritter, however, has improved the
method with excellent results.
At Camp Vail the new system is for
a frst-class operator to send letters
and numerals, which are recorded di-
rectly upon wax phonograph record.
These records are then used in a
photograph so that the student hears
the sounds representing letters al
ways correctly sent and at such a
speed and for such a length of time
as may be required. The student SOL
diers at the Vail institution are al
ways taught to receive first, and
after once learning to receive cor
rectly by the sound of the letters 1t
is a very simple matter for him to
send. and sreed is only a matter OF
practice.
During the past year development I
of the four new types of anti aircraft
guns and carriages has been con-
tinued. Due to the very serious short
age of modern anti-aircraft arma-
ment now existing, extensive efforts
are being made by the War Depart
ment to expedite this work.
The .50-callber anti-alrcraft ma
chine gun has passed the preliminary
tests. and Is of these guns, with tri-
pod mounts, have been completed.
During this year these guns will be
given service test, and II Is ex-
pected that 25 additional guns and
tripods Will be manufactured. This
weapon is to be substituted for the
.3o-caliber ti-aircraft machine gun
now in service. The new .50-caliber
gun has a horizontal range of about
$4,000 feet, a vertical range of from
5000 to 10000 feet, and a rate of fire
of approximately $50 shots per min
ute. 1t is pointed out by Army off,
GERS that these characteristics make
It very effective weapon. especially
as II is contemplated to provide II
with tracer ammunition, visible by
night up to $500 feet and by day UP
to 5000 feet.
Announcement will shortly be made
by the War Department in bulletin
form of the approaching examination
for the appointment of master, tech
nical and staff sergeants, Ordnance
Department, which will be held at
che various posts and stations May 5.
The examination will consist of GER
tain general subjects to be taken by
all the applicants and four special
elective subjects, only one Of which
is to be taken by any applicant The
nine general subjects are as follows;