Evening star., 1938-05-15
DESTROYER BACK
.W|THD. c. SAILORS
US. S. Leary Returns From
Training Voyage
to Miami.

Sun-tanned and hardened through a
seven-day cruise over the Atlantic
from the Chesapeake capes to Miami
Fla, 4 officers and 81 enlisted men
OF the 1st Battalion, District of Co.
lumbla Naval Reserves returned to
the Navy Yard last week. They went
aboard the United States DESTROYER
Leary. She is expected to remain
here for week or so more in order
to give the Reservists who were unable
to make trip an opportunity to get
In some drills. She will have to leave
shortly to prepare for busy season
taking midshipmen from the Naval
Academy on practice cruises. during
each of which she will visit Washing
ton with the midshipmen.
During the voyage the men went
through the regular routine of the
ships crew and participated in the
drills and exercises, including the
training at the guns The duty was
purely voluntary, the officers and men
taking it for the purpose of improving
their naval knowledge.
The officers who made the VOYAGE
We're: 1t. Walter B. Armstrong. 1t.
u. g. William H. Fifer, 1t. q. g) H.
G. Wallace and Ensign Charles r.
Cundiff.
Except for the week end cruises
taken by few officers and men on
the small launch assigned here for
training purposes, this is probably the
only real training cruise which the
local citizen sailors will receive this
year up until the time they leave to
board the battleship Texas. on which
all three divisions will take their train
ing this year to and from the United
States Naval Station at Guantanamo,
Cuba.
The launch cruises have been IN
augurated The first one was made
down the Potomac last week, with En-
sign Lamar, commander of the recruit
class, in charge. The officers will con-
tinue their efforts to have the Navv
Department assign here a craft which
can be used for training purposes and
which will accommodate more men for
the week end work They are irving
TO obtain one of the vessels OF the
Coast Guard patrol type.
The type of vessel sought is about
the same as that of the Potomac, now
used as the Presidents ship. It is
understood that while some Of these
were turned over to the Navy by the
Coast Guard. they have all been dis
frthllfnH tn Navo1
that further efforts are being made
to obtain more. If this is possible.
there is a possibility that the local
Reservists will be able to obtain one.
For more than five years now the
local ReservistS have been without a
suitable training vessel. OF course.
during the period of governmental
economy at the beginning of the de-
preston most of the training vessels
were withdrawn from Naval Reserve
units, but replacement program has
since been inaugurated, although the
unit at the National Capital has been
left consistently out of it. It was
pointed out that. being at the Federal
city, the local Reservists should have
something which would be put on dis
play, particularly for visitors to the
Navy Yard.
Irlm and smart looking to the last.
detail, the Communications Division
OF the local Naval Reserve went
through its annual inspection last
week. The organization had a large
turnout which is very creditable in
view of the fact that this duty is
purely voluntary. as the officers and
men in this group do not receive the
weekly drill pay allowed those in the
fleet branch.
While the showing made in the for.
nations and at the apparatus which is
installed in the armory at the WASH
lngton Navy Yard brought forth much
favorable comment. the organization
Will not know how the regulars who
make the inspection feel about it un-
til the formal report is received in a
few weeks. And even this will not
show to them how they stack up with
the other communication units
throughout the country, but il their
standing in the national drills over the
air is to be taken as criterion, thev
Will be close to- if not on top, when
the final report is made.
The men are awaiting the notice
OF the assignment of new instruc-
tor here to take the place of 1t.
Comdr. Charles B. McVey. Sd, who has
been ordered to duty with the Asiatic
Fleet. Comdr. McVey does not leave
his present assignment until June I.
and is due to report at his new sta
tion on July 8.
In its efforts to provide some train
ing for volunteer aviation officers, the
local Reserve headquarters has found
1t possible to get assignments for some
OF them at the Naval Reserve Air
Station at Anacostia, d.
So far assignments have been OH
tanned for the following, covering two
weeks OF training duty for each: 1t.
Comdr. Thomas H. Chapman, 1t. E.
w. Lovejoy, 1t. E. N. Dingley, jr.:
Ensign j. w. Chamberlain. Ensign
Il. A. Gallery, 1t. Comdr. S. A. Green
leaf, 1t. Morris Weinstock, 1t. H. w.
Lucas, 1t. v. H. Grant. 1t. Comdr,
w. H. Montgomery, It. q. g. J. H.
Raisner. Ensign T. w. Schwarzmann.
1t. q. g. A. H. Hobelmann will 90
to the Naval Air Station at Norfolk,
1t. w. G. Brombagher, the Naval Air
Station at San Diego, and 1t. F. G,
Kear will report to the commander
of the Air Detachment of the Battle~
Force at San Diego.
While these officers are on the VOL
untary list. where ordinarily training
duty is not provided with pay, it is
understood the department has found
some funds out of which it can pay
them during the period that they are
on duty, exclusive. of course, of trans
portation expenses. In those assign.
ments involving travel, it was indi-
Gated, the officers will have to provide
their own transportation.