Evening star., 1935-07-21

TN ADDITION to the preparations
incident to being prepared at their
best for the annual cruise aboard
Il the battleship Wyoming, the per-
sonnel, individually, and the divisions
are engaged in extensive preparations
for the annual battalion competitions
which will be held this year on August
5 and prior to the annual training
voyage.
In addition to the division trophy to
be awarded, a new competition will
be arranged this year, and 1t will give
the individuals an opportunity to show
how they have profited by their bat
talon training during the armory
drill year. The award will be made
to the recruit who is declared to be
the most efficient, in the opinion of
the judges of the competition. 1t was
said that with recruits competing
from various stages of the training
course, this part of the competition
should prove very interesting.
Under the present arrangements the
divisions will be judged first on their
general appearance and manner of
presentation of drills. A gun drill will
be staged by each division, also In
fantry and the manual Of arms. Sub
sequently the men will be examined
in knotting and splicing, semaphore
and blinker communications, Knowl-
edge of engineering casualties and the
method of handling them and the
operation of the lathe. The coinpeti-
ton will close with examinations for
those men who, having completed
progress courses, are eligible for ad-
vancement in specialist ratings.
Since the competitions were an
nounced there has been keen rivalry
not only shown among the divisions as
such, but between the members Of the
divisions who are anxious to excel in
the individual competitions.
1t is believed that the holding of
this competition just prior to the time
the annual cruise is scheduled to start
will do much to put the personnel in
the very best of condition when they
get aboard the battleship Wyoming at
Annapolis. 1t is expected that they
will require the minimum Of time to
shake down In their new assignments
aboard the ship, as along with the
preparations for the competitions the
men are being given thorough instruc-
ton not only in their prospective du-
ties aboard the big vessel, but are be-
ing given instruction in her construc-
tion, including the various compart-
ments to which they will be assigned
for various duties.
Since the recent installation Of
5-inch loading machine In the ar
mory. gunnery officers of the various
divisions have been holding weekly
drills with this apparatus. With such
machine, it was pointed out, the gun
crews are given ample opportunity dur
ing the year to gain proficiency in the
actual handling of the real guns dur
ing the target practice. During this
practice this year the local Reservists
not only will have an opportunity of
seeing the firing Of the battalion divi-
sions, but will be able to observe the
firing of divisions from other points,
including the Norfolk, Richmond and
Baltimore battalions. Heretofore, each
of the local divisions has gone out
separately on a destroyer or other
small boat.
Destroyer Columns, the monthly
newspaper of the local battalion, came
of the press this week. Lieut.. (Junior
Grade Raymond Zanzot is editor. The
paper is for battalion distribution and
carries short articles on naval subjects
and also personal items Of interest
to the battalion. Lieut.. ZanZot, it
was announced, now is planning the
publication of souvenir pamphlet
for distribution to members of the
battalion and friends of the naval
service on Navy day.
The paper, this issue, announced
that Lieut.. J. E. Sullivan, battalion
commander, has completed 10 years
of service in the Reserve. He gradu-
ated from the Naval Academy in 1924
and served aboard the battleship Ne
vada for one year Upon leaving the
Navy he affiliated with the Naval Re-
serve and was attached to the 1St Fleet
Division as junior deck and engineer
officer. where he served until appoint
ed as commanding officer of the Sd
Fleet Division.
A reorganization in November, 1898,
resulted in the promotion of Lieut..
Sullivan to the pest of battalion COM
mander. This year will mark the first
time that battalion commander has
cruised with the unit under his COM
mand. Lieut.. Sullivan will be aboard
the Wyoming with the Washington
Battalion. However, he has made a
cruise every year since he entered
the Reserve.
He is employed in the Bureau of
Aeronautics of the Navy Department
in civilian capacity He Is the
author of several technical papers on
aeronautical subjects and is a member
of the Materials and Accessories Sub
committee of the National Advisory
Committee on AeronauticS. Lieut..
Sullivan is serving his second term as
president of the District of Columbia
Chapter of the Naval Reserve officers
Association.
The 1st Battalion" says the article
in the paper, announcing the service
record, "owes its present commander
a tribute for all he has done toward
improving the local outfit"
Lieut. (Junior Grade) w. C. Jen-
nings now is drilling with the Sd
Fleet Division as acting executive Off
Ger in the place of Lieut.. Carusi, who
was recently ordered to duty as bat
talon adjutant. Lieut.. Jennings, a
graduate of the Naval Academy. has
recently come to Washington with
the Department of Justice, where he
is junior attorney.
The recruit class of the local bat
talon now is looking forward to an
all-recruit cruise, scheduled for the
week end of July 20. The battalion
commander and the recruiting officer
will pick 10 outstanding members OF
the class to make this trip. The men
will be chosen on the basis of at
tendance at drills and general progress