Evening star., 1933-06-09
NAVY ADOPTS NEW
OPERATING PLAN TO
INCREASE SAVINGS
All Ships to Spend at Least
Three Months Per Year
in Yards.
CREWS TO BE EMPLOYED
IN 0VERHAULING VESSELS
Enlisted Personnel to Be Reduced
From 79,7O0 to 1900.
Trips Cut Down.

A new operating schedule for the
feet, superseding the rotating reserve
program, was announced today by the
Navy Department, under which:
All ships will spend at least three
months in Navy Yards, but each vessel
is to retain its own ships company.
Crews of ships must aid in overhaul,
by doing Is to 20 per cent of the work,
because of reduced appropriations for
overhaul and repairs at Navy yards.
Compliments of ships would be re-
duced to rs per cent
Navy enlisted personnel reduced from
79,7oo to 77,ooO.
Gunnery and engineering exercises to
be reduced.
Trips cut down and steaming limited.
No fleet problem but Summer exercises
to be held in Puget Sound, Wash, area.
Plat Plan Dropped.
Under the rotating reserve plan, ad-
vanced by Admiral William " Pratt,
chief of naval operations. which was
later junked when it was estimated
that only about $5,5OO,O00 would be
saved and the fighting efficiency of the
feet impaired, all ships would have
been laid up six months in Navy Yards
and their crew taken off and distrib-
uted to other vessels in active full
commission. Navy Yard workmen would
have done most of the overhauiing.
Navy Department officials explained
today that money for the navy yard
has been reduced for the coming fiscal
year some 25 per cent, but about 10
per cent of this has been secured
through the plan of putting civilian
workers back on five-day week and
other economies. The five-day-week
program becomes effective in the
Washington Navy Yard and elsewhere
on June 25.
Under today's order, enlisted men on
the ships are to be reduced from the
present 62.5 per cent, as the normal
complement, to rs per cent
The authorities pointed out that the
new economies are imperative because
of funds for repairs being cut and those
= Tor enlisted personnel being sliced.
Text of New Order.
Today's order follows:
AZ ulScb imposed DIV
drastic economies in all Federal appro-
priations and due to other compelling
reasons, department considers during
fiscal year 1884 material readiness i'm
provement of feet is paramount and
accordingly operations must be sub
ordinated. Anticipated increase in funds
has not yet been made available and
may not be forthcoming. Making due
allowance for financial benefits from
nve-day week basis, present reduction
in pay and reduced leave of yard force,
bureaus allotments to force COM
manders will provide only 80 to IS per
cent OF normal overhaul. Departments
study Of arrival, conference reports and
costs OF yard overhauls, indicate many
costly items of work actually done by
yard as being well within capabilities
OF ships forces, if sufficient time is
allotted and security of mooring at
docks, with contributory service facilities
are made available
In order to enable the fleet to for
mulate plans for first and second quar-
tiers, 1884, general provisions of Oper-
atlng Force plan, 1884, dated May II ,
1888, and assignment of vessels. dated
May l6, hereby made effective with
following notifications: (a) Battle
SHIPS, carriers, heavy and light cruiS-
ers assigned in plans to rotating re-
serve status will be retained in full
commission. Battleships assigned as
follows: Texas. New York, Arkansas.
Oklahoma to Battleship Division l;
Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico. Missis-
sippl, Idaho to BattleShip Division 3;
West Virginia, Maryland, Colorado,
Tennessee to Battleship Division 4.
Heavy cruisers as shown Light cruis-
ers Trenton, Memphis, Marblehead to
Cruiser Division 2: Concord, Omaha,
Cincinnati, Milwaukee to Cruiser Di-
vision 8. AS total enlisted personnel
Is gradually decreased to 1900 by
stoppage of new enlistments, COM
mander in chief United States Fleet is
authorized to decrease personnel allow
ance of ships undergoing overhaul Pu-
get Sound at his discretion. New per-
sonnel allowance lists are being pre-
pared by Bureau of Navigation. The
overhaul and maintenance period at
the yard will be three months, plus
such additional time as may be neces-
Sary for ships forces TO accomplish all
work within their capabilities This
provision is mandatory
Savings Not Estimated.
"b) Destroyers will be assigned a:
shown in letter mailed the commander
in-chief, U. S. Fleet, on June 3. The
cycle will be IL months in full COM
mission and four months in rotating
reserve.
"(c) Submarines for the present a;
shown in plan.
Id Light mine layers, four in full
commission.
"(e) Aircraft will be retained in full
commission status and operated in ac-
cordance foregoing policy.
Fleet employment plan as submitted
commander-in-chief U. S. Fleet, lettel
1913, dated May 10, hereby approved
Prescribed gunnery and engineering ex-
erciSes will be reduced by the depart.
Inent to conform TO reduced operating
conditions. arterly employment
schedules may be promulgated at dis
cretion of commander-in-chief, U. S
Fleet. in advance receipt revisions o
operating force plan and assignment o
vessels now being made by depart
ment.
If additional funds are provided
they will permit at the most for onl.
79,700 men and certain restricted opera
tions not originally provided for vessel
listed in rotating reserve status"
No estimate was available today a
the Navy Department of the savings Il
be effected by the new operating
schedule