Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1938-08-07
NAVAL BATTALION
TO GET new BOAT
75-Foot Vessel Being Fitted
Out for Reserve
Here.

here this fall for the use of the
LIST Battalion, District Naval Reserve,
1t was learned at the Navy Depart.
ment last week. This will be vel.
come news to the local citizen sailors,
who have for several years been try
ing to get their weekend training
cruises on a small, converted launch.
1t was said at the Navy Departments
that there are now being overhauled
at the Charleston Is. c. Navy Yard
several 75-foot patrol boats which
were used by the Coast Guard during
the days of prohibition enforcement.
These boats have been transferred to
the Navy, and are considered good
training boats, in the absence Of any
better ships which can be found
for the use Of the Naval Reserve
units.
The vessels are gasoline motor
driven; have wood hull. They
can sleep in permanent accommodate
tons officers and 10 enlisted men,
but 1t was indicated that more can
be carried by providing hammocks.
All Of the quarters, including mess
ing facilities, are below the main
deck, the only superstructure being
the pilot house. They draw from
4 to 6 feet Of water, and can make
| II knots, although their economical
cruising speed is said to be about
| 10 knots. This Is much better than
can be done by the present training
launch here.
Demans for more cruise-training
facilities on the week ends by the
enlisted personnel has taxed the Of
ficers, who have been striving to
show the Navy Department there is
a real need for q better type Of YES
sci here. Every week end during the
spring, summer and fall months
many enlisted men have to be re-
fused training because there are not
accommodations on the present boat.
This, it was pointed out by the Of
ficers, has not helped the morale.
Failure to assign a boat here large
enough to fulfill the demands for
training, it was asserted, prevents the
Navy from getting the most out OF
the men, who are willing to give up
their week ends in order to get it.
and without pay. They have to
furnish their own subsistence while
out on these training voyages.
Although the speed Of the present
boat prevents the men from getting
very far down the river, it was in
dicated that the new vessel will make
1t possible to get almost to the mouth
of the river on each weekend voy-
age. Furthermore, it was said, there
will be better facilities for the in
struction Of the seamen and petty
officers in their routine duties. The
size and construction of the present
vessel does not make this possible.
1t is the hope Of the officers that
the work on the vessel will be COM
pleted In time enough to get In some
valuable training before the cold
months arrive. However, 1t Is probable
that with the new vessel and heating
facilities that Reservists may ind 1t
possible to even get in few crossings
during the winter months, as 1t Is not
likely that she will be taken out Of
the water during the winter. as Is done
with the present training launch.
Whether the launch will remain here
also has not been determined. With
such demands being made on the OH
GERS for the week end trips, 1t is said
that the local Reservists could use
both.
1t will only be a comparatively short
time now, as drill nights 60, before the
Reservists will be leaving here to board
the battleship Texas. which this year
is to take them on their annual train
ing cruise. There is much to be done,
such as the marking of clothes, issu-
ance of uniforms and the numbering
and making up Of hammocks. It has
been many years since the old timers
have used hammocks during their
cruises, and for many Of the enlisted
men it will be their first experience.
Special instruction will be given
the enlisted personnel on life and
routine aboard a battleShip. Most OF
them are used to the routine Of de-
stroyers, but, it was pointed out. they
will find that the service is quite differ
ent aboard a larger ship, where there
are hundreds of men instead Of scores,
as on the smaller boat to which they
have been used. Although the local
divisions are formed as nucleus of
destroyer crew, and their primary
training has been for duty aboard this
type of ship, to which they are ex-
pected to be called in time Of war. it
is believed they are sufficiently familiar
with this work to be able to handle
it without difficulty and are ready for
training aboard battleship.
So far the local men have not re-
ceived any word as to where they will
board the big ship. There are three
possible ports of embarkation, Balti-
more, Annapolis and Hampton Roads.
In any event, the Reservists face
trip overland, probably by train, but
II the ship Is at Hampton Roads,
there is q likelihood that they might
be sent there by boat from Washing
ton. While they are not choicy as to
the port of embarkation, they are hop
ing that the department will flnd 1t
possible to make the liberty port for
them at Havana. It is known that
they are going to Cuban waters, but
the liberty port, which is the port
where the vessel anchors IN the week
end in the middle of the cruise, is not
known. When 1t was announced that
they are going on q battleship cruise
this year, 1t was indicated that the
liberty port might be Guantanamo,
Cuba, where there Is q United States
naval base However, with the fleet on
the West Coast, there Is not much
activity there. and neither the officers
nor men relish liberty there. They
want to 60 to some big seaport where
the men will have an opportunity to do
some real sightseeing, and It was
probability their wishes might b
realized.
The Navy Department has provided
q special information pamphlet for
the instruction OF newly appointed ON.
GERS They have been distributed to
the commandants Of the various naval