Evening star., 1934-01-21
NAVAL RESERV|STS
DRILL LONG HOURS
Local Sailors Take Intensive
Training for Coming
Tests.

biic NAVY 0cpdI tIueIlC COIlle I6Tc W put
the organization through its annual
tests, the officers and men of the first
battalion, United States Naval Reserves
Of the District Of Columbia, are putting
In many additional hours on drill nights
IN order to reach q high mark before
the board this year.
The actual drill time remaining be-
fore the board appears amounts to
about one day, and the men are using
every minute possible in order to per-
feet their work, and particularly is this
being done in the classes It is the pur-
pose to have each man so well informed
on the subjects Of his particular branch
Of the service that he will be able to
represent his shipmates If he is called
upon to take the written examination.
The battalion will rise or fall on the
men selected to take the examinations
Since it is impracticable for the In
spection Board to give a written test
to each man present on drill night, it
has been determined to select certain
men at random from each branch and
have him take the tests for all 1t will
give a cross section of the results of
the intensive instruction which has
been given by the Reserve officers in
the classes during the year.
On February 7, the drill night prior
to the inspection, Lieut.. Sullivan, COM
mander of the local battalion, has
ordered rehearsal, during which the
entire organization will assemble and
will be put through all of the tests which
1t is expected that the Inspection Board
will give. This, of course, will include
written examinations To get a line
on the way the board is conducting its
inspections this year. Lieut. Sullivan
and other officers of the battalion went
to Baltimore. Md, to witness the in
spection of the Naval Reserve unit in
that town. The rehearsal to some ex-
tent, will be based on what was OBJ
served there
In addition to the written examina-
tionS, there will be inspection of per-
sonnel and equipment, and the crew
will be put through all kinds of drills,
including infantry, first aid, battle
problem, abandon ship and collision
drill. AS there will not be any ship
here on which the inspection can be
held, the men will have to use the
facilities at the armory. Besides the
drills, the members of the engineer S
force will be required to show their
knowledge Of machine shop work, in
the shop which has been installed in
the armory for instruction purposes.
As much importance is placed on
visual signalling, the signal gang Of the
local outfit is being kept strenuously at
its work, particular attention being paid
to instruction in the emergency signals
with flags, and with the blinker and
semaphore.
Every man in the organization is be-
ing urged to be present for this in
spection as the organization as a whole
will be severely penalized for absentees,
1t was said.
1t was explained that while the
manual Of arms and infantry drills are
being held. certain Reserve officers, to
be selected by the board, will be re-
quired to answer some practical ques-
tions on ship handling and plotting. At
the end Of the infantry drill, necessary
gear will be rigged for general quarters
and the battle problem. The battle
problem will be held in manner SINH
lar to that of last year. it was an
nounced. 1t was pointed out in the
instructions that the Inspection Board
will require greater accuracy than was
generally shown last year. The plotting
sheet, the fire control ranges and de-
f1ections. the gun ranges and defec-
tions, and the commanding officers
to be taken by the Inspection Board.
The general drills will follow the battle
problem.
Upon completion of all drills, the
written tests will be conducted and only
80 minutes will be allowed for these
They will be based on the Navy training
courses and communication Instructions
Ensign II. w. Salisbury, aviation di-
vision, has been transferred to the
Third Naval District at New York.
Although recruiting has not been ac-
tive for the feet battalion, some enlist
ments are being made in the aviation
and communication Reserve divisions
Under the new plan at the battalion,
candidates for enlistment in the Re-
serve are not taken Immediately upon
application. They are required to serve
several months in recruit school, dur
ing which their work is followed closely
to determine whether it is desirable to