Evening star., 1937-01-31
GUNNERY DRILLS
START ON LEARY

S|AKI UN lRkI
Local Naval Reservists to
Try to Better Scores Of
Last Year.
Members Of the three feet divisions
composing the 1st Battalion, United
States Naval Reserves in the District
Of Columbia are planning to use the
gunnery facilities available aboard
the U. 8. Destroyer Leary, now here
for Institutional purposes. In perfect
ing their technique and speed Tor the
target practice which viii take place
on the annual cruises this Summer.
Fair weather will aid them materially
In getting the most out Of this train
ing feature, As the Reservists hope to
better the positions which they OBJ
tanned Is q result Of the firing last
year, the figures on which have Just
been made public by the Navy De-
partment.
First place In the years Reserve
eunnery competition was won by the
End Fleet Division Of San Diego,
Calf.
In the Washington contingent, the
I'd Fleet Division finished highest Of
the three, having attained twenty
eighth place In . total Of 81 divisions.
The I'd Fleet Division finished in
forty-third place and the lst Division
IN eighty-third place.
All Of the groups fired the modified
short-range battle practice. . system
which . certain group Of Reserve ON
GERS have been trying to have elimi-
mated for years on the ground that 1t
does not show the skill Of the Reserve
gunners. It has been pointed out the
Reservtsts should be permitted to IRE
the same short range system as Is used
by the Regular establishment. II the
Navy wants to compare them with the
&egulAr establishment.
As explained by Reserve officers,
when the regulars IRE the short range
battle practice q large naval target raft
Is towed to the target grounds by q
tug, and the ships pass along the
range, each gun firing in turn. Only
hits in the target count, and after
the runs Of the ship. the target u
brought aboard and marked, 30 that
the gunners can see Just what they
did. The plan Is, Of course, more ex-
pensive than the system provided for
the Reserves, It was explained, but
the money Is expended in ammunition,
and surely some close check, at least
closer than that now provided, should
be made to ascertain Just how skillful
the Reserve gunners are.
Under the so-called modified short
range battle practice. the ship carrying
the Reservists. and which is to take It's
annual target practice, puts out .
small target. Then the gun crew of
Reserves IS carried past the range.
firing as the ship steams Any shell
dropping within . certain area. Is
observed from . distance, Of course,
counts as hit. All others are misses.
The Reservists contend that many
times An error In Judgment - to where
Q shell dropped cuts them out Of
scoring.
The only explanation 80 far heard,
according to the Reservists, Is the
expense Of sending . tug out from
the nearest navy yard with the targets,
and keeping them out during the
period the Reservists are to fire. At
any rate the Reservists have never
had an opportunity to have their gun
merry skill In short range practice. com.
pared with that Of the regular es-
tablishment.
The following aviation cadets from
The Reserve have been designated
naval avtators, been given their COM
missions and order to duty with the
sircrsft squadrons of the feet: Selden
A. Converse and Everett r. Peabody,
ordered to the Lexington; Edmund o.
Osrmody, Ranger; Ralph L. Copeland,
Saratoga; Emerson D. Gerhardt. Ran.
ger: James H. Eoff, Saratoga: Robert
l.. Erickson. lexington; Robert 3.
Ewers, Lexington; James r. Gilmore,
Ranger; Roland @. Nygren, Saratoga:
Frank H. Holt. Saratoga: William
r. Eadie, Northampton; Harold D.
Num-. Wright: Calvin Y. Dyer, Owl:
Lauren w. Hawes. Coco Solo, Canal
Zone; Pliny @. Holt, Coco Solo; John
p. Sager, Coco Solo.
Richard G. Coar, Ranger; Alfred L.
Quincy, Ranger; William M. Hawkes.,
Saratoga; Albert F. Kersting, jr., Lex
lngton: Vivien w. WEIGH, Saratoga;
William w. Moss, jr, Lexington: An
drew c. McDonough, Lexington: Clyde
Auirheid, jr., Wright; William L.
Noftsinger, Wright: Bruce L. Harwood,
Arizona; John A. McFAdden, Nevada;
Samuel I. Ogden, Tennessee; Harold
n. Hirschy, California.
The Naval Communication Reserve
Division here. under command Of
Lieut.. J. H. Nicholson, u making full
use Of the facilities provided by the
destroyer Leary for getting instruction
IN the radio work aboard that ship.
A. . matter Of fact. the ships equip
ment was put to work for the Reserv-
lists last week In . problem OF locating
An enemy" radio station operating on
low power somewhere in the United
States. The second division working
aboard the Leary was assigned the
duty of using the powerful radio COM
pass direction finder during the
problem.
Lieut.. Nicholson pointed out to the
members Of his command that II any
OF them are expecting to obtain active
duty this Summer during the training
cruise period, their work aboard the
Leary while here will 90 long way
in making his decision Is to who is
to 20. The number Of Communica-
ton Reservists who make annual
cruises are very limited, it was pointed
out. they not being required by law
20 make such cruises, although per-
mitted to do 20 when funds permit