Evening star., 1932-03-06

With the sudden orders received
early in the week for the departure OF
the U. S. destroyer Hamilton to the
West Coast with the remainder of the
Atlantic Training Squadron, officers
and men of the 1st Battalion, United
States Naval Reserves Of the District
of Columbia, are wondering at the
status of their annual cruises which are
scheduled to begin in July.
The Hamilton is the vessel of the
training feet which is assigned to the
Reserve organizations in the 5th
Naval District, which generally includes
those based at ports on the Chesa-
peake Bay and its tributaries. 1t was
designated earlier in the year to- take
the citizen sailors on their annual
cruises and has been here for three
months in connection with the weekly
drills of the Reserve.
It was held here until the annual
inspection last Monday night at the
armory in the navy yard and aboard
the vessel, which was berthed in the
Anacostia navy yard docks. 1t had
been scheduled to leave here Wednes-
day to proceed to the Hampton Roards
area for the training of the Reserve
units at Newport News. Norfolk and
Richmond, which duty it was to per-
form until the annual cruising sea-
son started.
However, sudden orders were re-
ceived early in the week for the YES
sci to proceed to the West Coast, re-
ceiving instructions to stop en- route
at Yorktown to load depth bombs and
torpedoes. OF course, it was explained,
the vessel could be back here by July
/, but at the same time some Of the
ReserviSts are doubtful as to whether
the cruise schedule will be carried out
as planned.
The Hamilton was scheduled to make
three cruises. with the Reservists Of
this city aboard, taking one division
of the local battalion on each cruise.
Other destroyers of the Atlantic Train
ing Squadron are involved in the move
ment Some of them were scheduled
to take Reservists of other jurisd1c-
tions out, while some of them were to
take the college units of the Reserve
Training Corps. Several OF the ships
were scheduled to bring Reservlsts Of
other Jurisdictions here on their liber-
ty periods in the middle of each cruise.
However, no instructions have been
received here from the Navy Depart
ment for the Naval Reservists to make
any other plans for their annual cruis-
ing, but If the ships remain on the
West Coast it is likely some other pro-
vision might be made, as the law re-
quires officers and men of the active
Fleet Reserve to take at least Is days
of training each year
Many Of the members of the local
battalion have made arrangements with
their civilian employers to take the
necessary two weeks off for training
and they are quite anxious to know
what changes, if any, will have to be
made in these plans.
Lieut. Comdr Clarence Gulbranson,
commanding officer of the Hamilton.
is not expected to make the voyage to
the West Coast with his ship, as he al
ready had received orders to report
to the commandant of the navy yard
at Philadelphia, for duty as outside
superintendent.
Comdr Gulbranson, during the three
months he was here, gave unstintingly
OF his time TO the local ReservistS in
aiding in the training of the local
.Reservists and put to their use every
facility Of the Hamilton.
High praise for the local Reserve
battalion for its appearance in the
recent parade in Alexandria in con-
nection with the opening of the BIZ
centennial celebration was contained in
a letter received during the week by
Lieut.. Harold E. Richardson, COM
mander of the Reserves, from Capt
H w. Osterhaus, in charge of the
Naval Reserve Division Of the Navy
Department.
Il desire to take this opportunity, -
wrote Capt OsterhauS, ito congratu-
late you, and through you the officers
and men of the First Battalion, for
their fine appearance at the parade in