Evening star., 1934-08-12
RESERVES STOGH
TESTS|N GUNNERY
Naval Units Here Make
Preparations for Annual
Cruises.

A<sAAaA3ttA Va keAE ~ e<%NNNAA~~si =
United States Naval Reserves Of the
District Of Columbia. tomorrow night
will begin the tests to Determine their
readiness and ability to participate in
modified short range battle practice
during the annual cruises this year,
These tests win be conducted by
Lieut. Comdr. r. W. Benson. y. 8. N
the officer in charge Of Naval Reserve
afTaits here.
Each Of the divisions Is expected 10
have a weIl-trained gun crew before
they are embarked on the two de-
strovera which are coming here TO
take the citizen sailors on their an
nuaI cruise Although the reseryist
officers have for long time urged q
change in the target practice methods
for them, 80 far no change has been
made. The reserve officers have been
urging that the reserve gun crews be
allowed TO take the full range prac-
tice which Is allowed the regular
Navy. pointing out that the real test
OF their ability could be determined
by comparison with the regular service
activities. It has also been pointed
regular service target methods would
improve the morale Of the reserve,
because they then could see the tar
gets after they had been fred upon.
Practically all OF the drill period
on Monday, Tuesday and "Wednesday
nights viii be given over to this quail
flcation and 10 other preparations for
the annual cruises. The following
week the drill periods win be given
over TO physical examinations and to
inspection of the sea bags Of the men
TO ascertain that they have sufficient
clothing for the two weeks cruise.
Lieut.. j. z. Sullivan, commander OF
the local battalion. has issued orders
that there will be no drills. not even
for the Medical Corps and the recruit
class, during the time that the divi-
sions are away on the destroyers.
The vN-eR squadron, the local
aviation reserve division, topped the
list among the reserve air squadrons
OF the country In general efficiency
during the past year as determined
by the annual inspections by a board
OF regular Navy officers, and has been
awarded the Noel Davis Trophy. The
officers and men Of the local division
had cause for much elation following
the announcement that they were the
winners Of the cup for the last in
spection year.
The cup now is in Minneapolis,
MINI, the division In that jurisdic-
tion having captured It during the
previous year. As soon as the trophy
arrives here and 1t Is appropriately
engraved with the name Of the new
winner. II will be presented by Rear
Admiral J. r. Defrees, commandant
OF the Washington Navy Yard, at
formal ceremonies TO be held at the
Naval Air Station at Anacostia, d. G.
During the period covered by the
inspection for which the trophy was
awarded the division was In command
OF Lieut. M. M. cloukey. Lieut..
Cloukey has been detached as aid to
the commander OF the local afr sta
tion and has been ordered TO the
Pensacola, Fla, Naval Air Station,
where he viii take charge of the
training OF the new class OF cadets
there for promotion to officers IN the
Reserve Flying Corps. His place at
the Naval Air Station here has been
taken by Lieut.. fjinior grade) Mar
cellus B. johnson. who has been
placed on indefinite active duty. and
the latter has in turn been replaced
as commander OF the local aviation
division by Lieut.. Uunior grade) Lloyd
q. Berkner.
Five officers Of the local Naval Re-
serve have been ordered to report
aboard the new Airplane Carrier
Ranger at Hampton Roads on August
Is for duty aboard that vessel during
her shakedown cruise 10 Buenos Aires.
The vessel is expected to be away
from the United States until Septem-
Der 10. Upon her return the Naval
Reservists win be detached and
ordered to their homes.
The officers selected for this cruise
are: Lieut.. (iunior grade) H. p.
Wright, jr.: Lieut. (junior grade)
Charles X. Ludwig, Ensign Earle M.
Elrick, Lieut.. Walter B. Armstrong
and Lieut.. Charles p. Baldwin.
George e. sedgwick has enlisted as
on apprentice seaman and has been
assigned to the I'd Fleet Division for
duty.
Milton B. Weary. formerly attached
to the I'd Fleet Division here, hav-
ing returned to his home at San
Diego, Calf, his records have been
transferred to the commandant of the
llth Naval District, with headquar-
ters at San Francisco.
AS practically all Of the officers of
the battalion will be away on the
annual cruises, it is probable that the
weekend cruises aboard the training
launch viii be suspended for two
weeks.
The Bureau Of Navigation of the
Navy Department has called atten-
tion TO the fact that Naval Reserve
ofhcerS who have been visiting the
Navy Department have signed their
names to the register book in the
front corridor of the NAVY Building.
1t points out that this book should
not be signed by Reserve officers.
These officers should sign in the book
EAONA0SO 1oE tnsAI purpose IN the Naval
Reserve section Of the Bureau of
Navigation.
Naval Reserve organizations now
may obtain parts of destroyers for
use in the training work in their
armorieS. according to information
fun ntshed by the Navy Department.
1t was announced that under the
terms of the London agreement on
naval limitations an additional num-
her OF obsolete destroyers are being
scrapped at the Philadelphia Navy
Yard. This work viii be going for
ward for several months at the Phil
adelphia station and at other EaSi
Coast yards. Requests win be re-
ceived from Naval Reserve units fol-
any such material as can be proft-
ably Salvaged.
The Bureau of Navigation has an.
nounced that during the past year 4
has found 1t necessary to discharg,