NAVAL GUNNERY.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1082, 22 March 1911, Page 5

NAVAL GUNNERY.

. 1 POWERFUL PUTS UP A WORLD'S RECORD. By Telegraph—Press Association—Oopyrieht Sydney, March 21. At the annual naval gun-layers' test, Petty-Officer Moody, of the flagship Powerful, placed six shots on an eight-foot target, at a range of 2000 yards, in 36 seconds—a world's record. Naval gunnery in 1910 comes out finely in the official returns. In the heavy gun-layers' test 117 ships took part. The percentage of hits to rounds fired was 51.85 by the new reckoning, which allows half a point for ricochet hits. By the old reckoning, which allowed a full point, this comparison results:—l9o7, 42.7; 1908, 53.5; 1909, 5i.12; 1910, 54.86. The reckoning employed until ISO 7 would hayo given nearly 100 in 1910, as against 36 in 1901. Among fleets, the China squadron comes first, with the lost cruiser Bedford as best ship; homo fleet, second division, second; Cape squadron, third. The best three ships at Natal, 56 rounds, 50 hits; Temeraire, 37 rounds, 32 hits; Hermes, G5 rounds, 47 hits. Acting-Bombardier H. Oliver, of the Temernire, scored 3.3 hits per minute (12in. gun, weighing GO tons, and firing 8501b. projectile). In the light q.f. gun test the China squadron came first, with 46.95. Tho destroyers' percentage (altogether) of hits to rounds was 42.38.