Evening star., 1938-03-06
ID. C.. Naual Reseruists Appear
At Best in annual Inspection
What the Naval Board Thinks of Then,
VIII Not Be known for
Several Months.

the 1st Battalion, United States
Naval Reserves In the District Of Co.
lumbia, brought praise upon them
selves, at least from the spectators,
as they went through continuous
movements and evolu.ions last week
before the Board of Regular Navy
Ofdcers at its annual inspection. The
board will report to the Secretary OF
the Navy later in the year after 1t
has toured the country and gone
through the same routine with SINH
lar units. The local Reservists are
confident they will get q higher place
than they had last year, when they
made remarkable Jump toward the
top Of the list, they are also hopeful
that the battalion, or at least one OF
the three divisions, will make the top
Of the list.
The battalion was formally pre-
sented by 1t. James E. Sullivan, bat
talon commander.
After the more formal proceedings
of checking the names of each man
there followed the infantry drills and
manual Of arms. Then came the
periodic ringing Of great gongs and
the sounding OF whistles taking the
men to their emergency stations,
which gave the real seagoing touch
to the ceremony.
Perhaps the most realistic Of all
the drills, included among which were
fire. collision, abandon ship, was the
call to general quarters or battle
stations, when the ship" is prepared
for action with the enemy. To the
makeshift bridge dashed officers and
men, while others went to the guns
and communication system, and soon,
without even shout from officer and
men, orders were being carried out
and the simulated destroyer was pour
ing shells at assumed ranges and
making hits with the intricate appa-
ratus installed to tell just as accu-
rately how they are doing with their
gunnery as though they were pouring
out real shells at sea. At the brain
center on the bridge, officers moved
swiftly over charts with intricate in
struments figuring the courses and
ranges which would mean success or
failure in battle, but. in this instance
good or Indifferent mark from the
sharp and keen-eyed veterans of the
Regular Establishment who were
closely by their sides watching them
in their every move. Each of these
three divisions is organized to form
the nucleus of a destroyer crew in the
event it ever becomes necessary to call
them into active service for an emer-
gency. 1t was a real test to ascer-
tain whether they could be expected
to meet the rigid requirements of
this form of naval service in time of
war.
While in former years such a test
has been given to only one division
the board this year required two Of the
three divisions to 60 through this
training. All three had to be trained
as there could be no opportunity OF
having one division or two divisions
concentrate on this particular phase
to attain perfection. The selections
of the divisions to make the display
was not by the battalion commander,
but by the inspectors. On the per-
formance of the two the battalion gets
its mark for all.
After the important group and emer-
gency drills were completed, the Off
GERS selected petty officers from each
group to take written tests in the
knowledge Of their specialties, and
made a thorough inspection of the
classroom instruction which has beer
lnaugurated in the battalion for giving
the personnel complete naval training
The inspection was conducted by