Evening star., 1939-06-25
Naval Reseryists
Leave Saturday
On Annual Cruise
Three Destroyers
To Take Divisions
Aboard Here

To Take Divisions
Aboard Here
Three destroyers of Division No.
u OF the Atlantic Fleet will be 1t
the Washington Navy Yard next
Friday and on Saturday each Of the
three divisions forming the 1st Bat
talon, District Naval Reserves. will
leave shortly before noon for their
annual two weeks of training ut
sea.
The local Reserve headquarters
last week sent to the division com
mander, Comdr. s. N. Moore, aboard
his flagship, the destroyer Hopkins,
full list Of men who will take the
cruise. As each man goes aboard
he will be given ticket showing ali
ms stations for the cruise and afso
his sleeping quarters.
In addition to the Hopkins. the
other destroyers which will come
mere are the Reuben James and the
Con. The fourth destroyer of the
division, the Barry, will 20 to Phila-
delphia to pick UP a division of
naval Reservists from Pittsburgh,
Pa, and will later join the division
on the southern drill grounds.
The local Reservists will have to
Jump right into their gun training
with the batteries aboard their ships
as soon as they get under way as the
usual summer cruising detail for
Reserve target practice has been
changed. Heretofore they have had
~ days OF drilling aboard the yes-
sels before going on the range for
thelr target practice. Under the
plans this year the division will 40
Immediately to the southern drill
grounds OIL the virginia Capes for
tnelr target practice. After thia
the ships will head for the North
hlver' new York. where they plan to
arrive on Friday of the first week.
1here the men will be given liberty
over the week end to permit them
10 Vlslt the New York Worlds Fair.
!ney Will leave the following Mon.
oay Tor the second week of the cruise
when the ships will operate off the
Nortn Atlantic coast. The second
week Will be an innovation as the
oestroyers will participate in war
games, giving the reseryists an In.
sight into the problems they will
lace should they be called to active
auty In the event Of an emergency.
II also Will give them an opportunity
10 put into practical use some of ths
armory instruction they have been
IeceiVlng during the past year in
tne oattie problems. The local Re.
serve divisions are so organized aa
10 form the nucleus of a DESTROYER
crew IN the event of troubles wh;c,,
necessltate calling them into active
service. 0'ire
Although the three cruising diyis-
Ions are expected to be back an
Friday Of their second week. it in
now planned that number of them
Will Immediately start another
cruise, for week end on their new
training ship. 1t was explained
mat as most Of the men will be Oh
on leave from their civilian employ.
ment for that period, that it is de.
sired to take the new vessel out on
her maiden training cruise.
The Navy Yard force has begun
work on the vessel. Additional
funds were obtained from the NAVY
Department to complete her over.
maui, but that the work will not be
completed in time for the Naval
communications Reserve Division to
take her out on the week end of
July 4, as had been planned.
Although the July entrance date
Tor the United States Naval Acad-
emy is close at hand, it was said at
the local battalion headquarters
no information had been received as
to the successful candidates in the
recent examinations for these posts.
1t was indicated that the reservists
will have about 80 appointments.
Under the new law the Reserve is
allowed so appointments to the
Naval Academy, and in addition all
of those which are not filled from
the enlisted ranks of the Regular
Navy, which is granted 100 ap-
pointments.
1t is expected the names of the
successful candidates will be re-
ceived this week, so that they can
be discharged from the local bat
talon and detached before the an
nual cruise.
The Navy Department has called
to the attention of the Reserve the
| requirement of the Merchant Ma
rine Act that all deck and engineer.
ing officers employed on vessels on
which an operating differential SUBJ
sidy Is paid or on vessels operated
by the United States Maritime Com
mission, shall, If eligible, be menu
bers of the United States Naval
Reserve. This provision, 1t was said,
has resulted in increased numbers
OF applications for appointment in
the Reserve. Many merchant ma.
rine officers, due to their employ.
ment, have been unable to report
for interview and physical exam-
ination at Naval District Headquar.
tiers. In order to facilitate the
handling of applications for ap-
pointment as officers, where ap-
plicants do not normally visit ports
at which there are district head.
quarters, the facilities of various
naval activities in other places have
been made available for the purpose
Of conducting interviews and phys
ical examinations.