Better Gunnery In British Navy

Manawatu Times, Volume 64, Issue 85, 12 April 1939, Page 7

Better Gunnery In British Navy

SPECIALISED TRAINING A big reorganisation of the Navy’s gunnery ratings came into effect on February 5. According to an Admiralty statement, “the steady increase in complex mechanism and the rapid developments in anti-aircraft gum nery” have made it nec«ssary to train lower-deck gunnery ratings, no less than officers, as specialists in various branches of naval artillery, writes the naval correspondent of tho Daily Telegraph. This means that from now on such ratings, other than gunners’ mates and marine instructors, will “be required to know rather less about gunnery as a whole but more about a particular section of gunnery.” Ratings of tho G branch are to bo reorganised into four sections, which will specialise as follows: Quarters section: Loading and working all hand-worked guns, except shortrange A.A., handling ammunition for power-worked guns. Layer section: Tho “marksmen of the fleet.” They will specialise in laying and training guns and in working tho director sights.Control section: EaDge-linding and control of lire, including duty at the ingenious calculating machines now used in firing at sea.

Anti-aircraft section: A.A. look-out, loading, laying, and training of closerange A.A. guns, and control of higliangle lire. One effect of the reorganisation will be to place G ratings of the first class on more important positions. In action they will have new and responsible duties hitherto performed by officers. Commensurate rates of pay have been approved. Better Marksmanship

Owing to the impenaing completion of many new ships about 500 extra director layers will be needed in the near future.

These changes have been necessitated by the almost revolutionary advance in British naval gunnery in recent years. Up to 1936 training in this branch was made very difficult by the national policy of economy, under which practice ammunition and ordnance gear of every type were stinted to an almost incredible degree. Conditions are very different to-day. It is now recognised that the first duty of a fighting ship is to shoot straight. Thanks to the more generous provision of all necessary equipment and personnel, the Fleet’s standard of marksmanship has greatly improved. Details cannot, of course, bo given, but it is probably not an exaggeration to say that, apart from tho greater number of ships, the Navy’s fire power has been increased in three years by at least 33 per cent, in accuracy, rapidity, and the destructive effect of shell hits. New Gim Types Several entirely new gun types have been introduced, including the 14in. for the King George V class of battleships, the 5.2in. for the new light cruisers, and the 4.5in. for aircraft-carriers,

escort ships and auxiliaries. The lastnamed is a dual-purpose gun which can be trained with equal facility on sea or air targets.

There has been a phenomenal increase in the number of short-range A.A. guns, of which tho famous multiple pompom is an example. Three years ago this gun, which is deadly against low-flying aircraft, was being produced in very limited numbers, but to-day all capital ships and modern cruisers mount several of them.

Aircraft “spotting” is regularly employed in long-rango firings by the heavy guns of the Fleet. In the sphere of anti-aircraft gunnery the new predictors and height-finders have made the Navy’s high-angle guns dangerous at heights exceeding 25,000 ft.