NAVAL TRAINING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23884, 11 August 1939, Page 4

NAVAL TRAINING

FACILITIES FOR VOLUNTEERS COMPLETE MODERN EQUIPMENT PLANS FOR DIVISIONAL HEADQUARTERS : ; ; A work of laying the concrete foundations for the new divisional -headquarters of the Royal 'Naval Volunteer Reserve< fronting on' St. Andrew street is how almost completed, and when the building itself is finished and equipped the .local ratings will have something of which they may well be proud. In fact, it should not be too* much to expect that the provision of such modern instructional facilities ifi all branches of the work should be a, big stlpiulus to the interest taken by. young men in this branch of the! service. The building, which has a 66-fpdt frontage on ■ St. Andrew street, on the western side of the Public Works Department stores, will run right through to vßow lane, a length of 165 feet, and will be in two main sections, ■ Offices, lecture rooms, ahd storerooms will occupy the front half of the building, which will ! be constructed in brick, and, the rear portion, built in reinforced concrete with a roller steel truss roof, will be a drill hall. Along the outside of the hall, on the eastern wall, there will be a rifle range, and on the same side there will be a signalling bridge or spotting tower. ■ ' On the right-hand side of the,main entrance the. plans provide for the ship’s office, with the .commander’* cabin adjoining it. Behind these are a visional signalling ’ahd Wireless training,lecture room and a.wireless office. A light area, bos’n’s store, clothing store, and leading hands and petty officers’ mess occupy the remaining portion of the right-hand side of the office quarters. On the left-hand side of the entrance is the ward room, complete''with pantry, and the main lecture room approximately 16ft 6iri by 34ft; This roOm can be subdivided by a’folding partition. Alongside this are the lavatories?, equipped with showers, gas chamber and battery, galley and canteen, ‘ Lighting areas are also provided here. ;-/.V// * / : ‘ Training Facilities . The drill hall is approximately 114 feet by-63 feet. At the head of the, hall there will be a section marked off by a brass strip for the quarter-deck, and, at the. far .end, are three gun emplacements.-; on which naval guns will be mounted j 9 r gunnery training. - Rifle and bayonet racks line one wall- and along the other side are platforms for wire splicing and gun stripping. Another platform Will be laid out for mine sweeping equipment and demonstrations, •j; The rifle range is 12ft Bin by 91ft <nn, and one section is roofed over ‘.at ; -ea<ffi- ; ehdi/ThecM- - at<-the* ; %get end of the range is .lined with Jin steel plate. The signalling .bridge or spotting tower is a partiimlarly interesting feature. Dn it is mounted a tall flagpole for flag Hoisting and signals frpm-it Tyill be visible to- any warships, at tho wharves •or • by, observers on the F£hinspla.‘ The signalling bridge Is built, after the style ;of the.signallmgi^ anu,. pemg. untfgr ( the open ■ sky; it will give, ratings practiceunder service conditions.- It is' equipped with a 9-foot range finder With a 360 deg. sweep, binnacle,' searchlight < and Morse signalling lamp. /Below this platform is' an enclosed .chart room where instruction in plotting courses will be given. Outside. and on the same deck, is a landing for The : flag hoisting crews, two of which' can ■be accommodated. Flag lockers ape laid out within arm’s reach of the crews.