Evening star., 1938-02-13
RESERVES TO GET
NEW SCHOOL PLAN
Standardized Drill lnstruc.
ton to Be Provided by
Navy.

While members Of the 1st Battalion,
District Naval Reserves, have worked
their organization up to q high state
Of efficiency, 1t has been under q
training plan worked out by the ofii-
GERS, under the direction Of 1t. James
e. Sullivan. They soon will be ready
to give their own system a real test,
when the Navy Department Board Of
Inspection conducts its annual review
and tests.
However effective the program Of
the local Reservists may be, the Navy
Department let 1t be known it has
worked out standard course for
training reserves which will be put
into effect on July /, plan that has
been thoroughly studied by the officers
in the department having to do with
the training of the citizen sailors. At
the same time the new program Is
inaugurated standard training year
will be inaugurated, which will begin
at the end of one annual cruise Of
the sailors and end upon the compile
ton of the cruise the following year.
1t was asserted the new program
Is the first step in Standardization, and
| was designed with view to better
fitting the Reservists to fill their mo-
biliZation assignments. The proposed
schedule has been sent out In dia-
grammatic form, showing the plan for
armory drills When the comments
and suggestions are received from the
Reserve units throughout the country.
final draft of the syllabus will be
prepared and sent to the units.
The training syllabus prepared for
fleet divisions is intended to act as
guide for district commandants in
the conduct of that part Of the train
ing year devoted to armory drills. for
the annual training cruise. and to in
clude preliminary instruction.
Training Cruise Rules.
The bureau is also preparing q set
Of reserve training cruise instructions
for the guidance of commanding Off
| GERS of ships assigned the task of
training Reserves. A series Of lectures
| has been distributed to Reserves in the
various naval districts. They are de-
signed to cover general subjects of
| which all classes of Reserves should
have knowledge.
The Bureau Of Navigation also an
nounced it intends to prepare, in con-
| junction with other bureaus Of the
| department, instructions for the guild
| ance Of district commandants to cover
the training of Volunteer Reserves
| in order to standardize such training
with a view to preparing them for
the particular duties to which they are
assigned on mobilization. Instruc-
| tions also are being prepared for
guidance -of commanding officers Of
ships assigned the task Of training
of Merchant Marine Reserves on an
nual cruises. The training Of this
class will differ considerably from
that given Fleet Reserves in view of
the absence Of armory training and
other equivalent naval instruction
throughout the year.
For some months some instructions
have been provided here by the officer
in charge of Naval Reserve activities,
looking toward indoctrination Of the
| volunteer Naval Reservists. This
group is not required to attend drills
and is composed largely Of specialists,
that is, men whose civilian occupations
provide them with a knowledge that
would be valuable to the Navy in
time Of conflict. These include SCI
entists, technicians. lawyers, news
paper men, etc. However, even with
this special knowledge. it Is realized
that these men must know some
thing about naval procedure and
practice if they are called into the
service, and efforts are to be made
to have them voluntarily attend the
training courses. which would be evi-
dence to the department that they
are sufficiently interested in retain
ing their commissions to attend the
instruction classes offered. Since the
course of lectures were established IN
the local Reserves, it was said. the
| volunteer group has responded in
large numbers.
Gunnery Practice.
After years of efforts it appears that
the Reservists are about to be ad-
vanced in their gunnery practice by
having them fire at moving targets
instead of the present method OF
local practice, where they fire at all
object, and hit counts within .
certain distance Of the target.
The new order for gunnery exer-
cises. it was said. is being prepared by
the Navy Department, and 1t will be
in lieu of short-range battle practice.
1t is to become effective on the cruises
this year. 1t is contemplated that Re-
serves cruising in battleships and
cruisers will fire broadSide day di-
rector practice at range OF about
1000 yards. The practice probably
will consist of two phases. the first
being conducted on the approach and
the second phase after turn away
by the firing ship. 1t also is contem-
plated that Reserves cruising in de-
stroyers will fire a day local control
practice at range Of about 5000
yards. This practice also probably
will consist of two phases, the first
to be conducted on the approach
course opposite to that of the target
and the second phase after q turn
away by the firing ship on new ap-
proach course similar to that Of the
target.
For this year, 1t was said, East Coast
training ships will probably conduct
their firings theft Virginia capes.
with consequent curtailment of ex-
tended cruising, in order to operate
for training and firing of gunnery ex-
ercises in areas where targets and
towing facilities will be readily avail
able.
The Reservists for many years have
contended that change in the firing
would considerably boost the morale.
as it would be possible to bring the
targets aboard ship where the men
could see the results Of their efforts.
1t will give them more practical ex-