MAGNIFICENT SHOOTING

Otautau Standard and Wallace County Chronicle, Volume II, Issue 102, 16 April 1907, Page 3

MAGNIFICENT SHOOTING

The remarkable success achieved m gunnery practice by H.M.S. Powerful m NorfolkBay, Tasmania, a few days ago (says the Sydney ' Morning Herald '), when all the records of the world's navies were beaten, has created intense interest m naval and other circles, not alone m Australasia, but also at Home, and probably on the Continent. The result of the heavy gun firing competitions is conclusive evidence of the efficiency of our navy, and should at once dispel the fears of those who were inclined to believe that owing to the progress made by foreign Powers Great Britain's supremacy of the 6eas was threatened. Naval experts are not given to boasting; indeed, it is at all times difficult to get them to talk of their successes. The record established' by the Powerful, however, is oi s-uch a sensational character that Vice- Admiral Fawkes was induced to refer with pardonable pride to the achievements of his flagship. Speaking on the subject of the gunnery competitions the other day, His Excellency said : " Several of the ships have done very well, and I will say that while iv Tasmanian waters the Powerful has made a record which will be very hard to beat m accuracy. Four years ago my late flagship held the record with 40 per cent, of hits; last year the first ship m the fleet had! 87 per cent, of hits ; but lam glad to say that the Powerful thi9 year has 96.5 per cent., which leaves very little margin for defeat." The Powerful, it will be remembered, while steaming a zigzag course at a speed of 12 knots, scored 113 hits out of 117 shots fired from her 6in guns. The range was ever varying, but the mean distance was 1,650 yards — nearly a mile. The target measured but 21_fi> by 14ft, the size of the bull's-eye being 10ft by Bft. Not only was the percentage of hits (96.5) unprecedented, but upwards of 60 per- cent, of the hits were actual bull's-eyes.