The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-03-31
|SOLOMONS, MD. | VAST TRAINING
 SITE FOR 'PHIBS
By RUSSELL TURNER

Solomons, Md, Mar. 31-CUP)-A few short years ago this part of Chesapeake bay was a favorite rem dezvouS for Maryland fishermen and yachtsmen. Today 1t is a vast train | ing ground for the Navy's two-year- old Atlantic fleet amphibiouS train ing command.
 The training area extends nearly 100 miles up the bay from Norfolk, Va, to this southern Maryland com munity-which before the war was a sleepy little village on 8 deep water harbor used only as a grave yard where a group of former Ger man steamships, interned during World War l, were laid up.
 Navy personnel are trained here to man the thousands of landing craft with which the Navy is putting fully-armed troops ashore on en- emy-held beaches throunghout the world. Here, at SolomonS, is a giant training school for LCI Handing craft, infantry and LCT Handing craft, tanks) operations. At Camp Bradford, just outside Norfolk, is school which specializes ill LISTS Cland ship, tanks). Next to Brad ford is the Little Creek amphibious training base, where ben are trained for smaller invasion barges and other craft.
 1 Practice Beach Landings Officers and men alike undergo the intensive training. Because of their specialized usages, landing craft require specially-trained oper- ating personnel who know their business from the theoretical A to z. They must work together as har- monious team, and the men must be able to step into a shipmate's shoes to carry out his duties in case of emergency.
 The courses run about 21z months. This includes long hours in class rooms studying technical points of operating the vessels, as well as practice cruises-two for officers, one for enlisted personnel. Beach landings are practiced under simu- lated battle conditions on sandy shores which before the war were devoted exclusively to bathing.
 The two largest types of landing craft are the LISTS and LCIs, 320 feet and 156 feet in length respec- lively. Both are taken across the ocean under their own power, whereas the other types of landing craft are carried across aboard reg ular cargo vessels. (The LIST is the noW-familiar vessel whose prov can be let down to form a ramp over which vehicles run directly onto the beach. The LCI is the ungainly- looking craft with ramps which let down from both sides to permit troops to run onto the beachO Invite Industry Labor
 So proud is the Navy of its Ana- phibious Training Command opera tions that the Industrial Incentive division is bringing groups Of rep resentatives of labor and manage ment here to show them just what is being done with the landing craft, in the belief that such inspections will result in increased productive effort.
 On one such recent trip, 8 score of labor and management represent atives were brought in in connec- tion with the second anniversary of establishment of the training conn- mand. Included in the party were w. P. Witherow, president of the BlaW-Knox Co.,, Pittsburgh. and for mer president of the National As sociation of Manufacturers; Col. John H. Jouette, former president of the Aeronautical Chamber Of Commerce and now an executive Of Higgins Industries, Inc; John Green, president of the Industrial Union of Marine and Shipbuilding Workers of America (CIO), and Frank Fenton, director of organi- zation for the American Federation of Labor.
 The guests spent a night aboard an LCI, sailing from Solomons to Norfolk. Then they were taken through Camp Bradford and the Little Creek base. Euroute back to COlOIIlO1lS, lIlCy WcAC o4 OWSA " UAy their hands at the deadly anti-air- craft guns carried on the LCI-wea- pons made more deadly by the Sperry marine gunsight, seagoing counterpart of the famed Sperry bombsight. Then, joined by f1attlla of seven LCIs, their ship partici- pated in a landing demonstration under simulated war conditions. with planes diving at the ship and land-bombs exploding on the beach.
 Theme of the Navy's plea, as voiced by many officers during the inspection tour, was "give us the ships and we'll give 'em the crews"
 Theme of the reply of both labor and management, as voiced indi- vidually by all who made the trip, was well give 'em to you"