Evening star., 1936-04-19
.OR more than three hours last
- Monday night the officers and
men of the 1st Battalion,

'OR more tnan tnree n0urS last
- Monday night the officers and
men of the 1st Battalion,
4 United States Naval Reserves
in the District Of Columbia, went
through continuous drills and exer-
cises to demonstrate 10 the board Of
officers from the Navy Department
the results of their training during the
year. 1t was their annual inspection
before the official naval board.
In addition to the inspecting OFF,
GERS there were many friends of the
officers and men present to witness
the ceremonies, which were carried
out with dispatch under the direction
of Lieut. James E. Sullivan, COM
mander of the battalion. Capt. w. o.
Spears, in charge of Naval Reserve
affairs at the Navy Department, and
Capt. James A. Schof1eld, also of that
division in the department, also at
tended the exercises.
The organization turned out in large
numbers and those who have observed
the outfit over a period of years say that
they never looked finer as they we're
lined up and presented for the in
spection. All evening the three divi-
sions were kept constantly at the va
rious drills. including Infantry, battle
quarters, abandon ship, deck seaman
ship collision drill They performed
their duties with the utmost dispatch,
and the officers are hoping that they
will finish high in the list of organi-
cations of the country, even though
they might not win one of the two
trophies awarded each year, one for
the battalion with the highest figure
of merit as determined by the in
spection boards report, and the other
for the division with the highest figure
of merit.
The U. S. Destroyer Leary Of the
Atlantic Training Squadron arrived
at the Washington Navy Yard last
Friday, and tomorrow night the lst
Fleet Division will begin a series of
drills aboard the vessel. On Tuesday
night the I'd Fleet Division will
drill, and the Sd Division will take
its turn on Wednesday night. This
rotation will be followed each week
during the six weeks that the fighting
vessel will remain at the Washington
Navy Yard. The Leary came here
from Norfolk, where she has been on
similar training duty with the Re-
serve unit of that Virginia city.
The first night that each division
goes aboard the vessel, according to
Lieut.. Sullivan, will be given over to
taking the officers and men around to
the various stations to familiarize
them with the duties they will be eX-
pected to perform during the drill
periods. Also it will familiarize them
with the work that is ahead of them
on the coming annual cruises which
will be taken aboard vessels of a SIM
liar type
Later in the month the various
divisions will begin their emergency
drill work including the working out
of battle problems. and this is ex-
pected TO put them in a high state of
efficiency by the time the annual
cruise period rolls around. The deck
force will be assigned to their various
duties at the guns, and during the
battle problem the siglalmen and
quartermasters Will take their respec-
tive stations on the bridge as they
would in time of battle. and the
engine room and fire room forces
will be expected to man their sta
tionS.
The large recruit class now being
trained for enlistment in the Reserve
also will be given their first lookin on
the intricacies of a naval vessel. for
they will be taken on a tour of the
ship and each detail of the operation
will be explained to them.
The local organization. according
to the officers, is seriously handi-
capped in its training work because of
the lack of a vessel permanently as
signed here for training purposes.
Most of their work has to be confined
to make shift gear in an armory which
is wholly unsuited for the purposes for
which it is used, and only on occasions
such as these. when a ship Is sent
here, do they have an opportunity to
get real practical training. The re-
suit is that when they take their an
nual cruises they are not as well
equipped for duty as they would be
if they were able to drill each night
on ship. Furthermore, it was point
ed out that if ship were to be
permanently assigned here the officers
and men could make full use of her
on week end trips down the Potomac
A destroyer is speedy enough for the
vessel to make Chesapeake Bay each
week end and give the officers and
men constant saltwater training.
They have a small launch now as
signed here for drill purposes, but its
capacity is so limited that officers ano
men have to be turned away each
week. 1t is too small even to give
any real training such as emergency
drills and battle training work. Train
ing aboard it is limited almost wholly
to learning deck seamanshlp and
operating of small boats, and little
signalling.
For a number of years the local Re
servists had vessels assigned here, but
with the beginning of the depression
these vessels we're withdrawn as an
economy move and they have never
been replaced, although some OF the
organizations in various parts OF the
country have vessels assigned them.
It was pointed out by those familiar
with the problem that the money
spent on sending out the vessel each
week end would more than repay the
Government for the training which
the officers and men OF the battalion
would receive and which would fit
them to more promptly fit into their
stations in the event of sudden
call to the colors upon the occurrence
of a national emergency.
There are number OF destroyers