REPORT OF THE CHIEF OF THE BUREAU OF ORDNANCE.

DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY,

BUREAU OF ORDNANCE, Washington, D. C., October 1, 1910.

SIR: In compliance with the department's circular letter of July 28, 1910, to the chiefs of bureaus and offices, I have the honor to submit the following report of the operations of this bureau for the fiscal rear ending June 30, 1910:

These operations have covered a wide range. The demands of the fleet, which it is the aim of the bureau not only to meet but as far as possible to anticipate, have included, besides the routine supplies of ammunition and other stores, new and improved designs for mounts, sights, rammers, ammunition hoists, fire-control instruments, and similar material; while the plans for the battle ships decided upon under the new building programme have called for larger guns and heavier turrets, with their complicated fittings, requiring in many cases new designs to meet the necessity for securing the maximum of efficiency with a minimum of weight and space. Coincidently with the above has been carried forward the experimental development of new material for armor, projectiles, powders, high explosives, and fuses, the investigation of ballistics, erosion, and a great variety of other subjects the importance of which increases with every increase in the power of ordnance such as results inevitably from the steady progress in the size and power of ships.

The 12-inch 45-caliber gun, with which the ships of the Connecticut class are armed, and which was at least as powerful as any gun afloat in the world when it was installed on those ships, has been succeeded by the 12-inch 50-caliber for the Arkansas and Wyoming, the first tests of which were mentioned in the bureau's report of last year.

Believing that still further advances might be called for in the near future, the bureau, as noted also in last year's report, prepared designs for a 14-inch gun and proceeded with the construction of a type gun. This gun has been completed and tested with gratifying success, the velocity and energy which were contemplated in the design having been obtained with very moderate powder pressures. The tests of this caliber had but just been completed when the question arose of adopting it for the armament of the new battle ships to be laid down this year. The bureau thus found itself in the very gratifying position of having completed the design, manufacture, and test of this weapon, the most powerful yet proposed for use afloat, in advance of the authorization of the ships which will be the first to carry it.

In the matter of powders there have been no changes of importance during the year. The efforts of the powder factory and of the powder board are constantly directed toward the improvement of the quality of the present output, chiefly by narrowing the tolerances at all stages of manufacture where irregularities still exist; the points aimed at being, first, to insure the chemical stability of the powder for as long a period as possible, and second, to secure a degree of uniformity which will insure what may be called the "ballistic stability " of the powder that is to say, the permanence of velocities and pressures throughout prolonged periods and under varying conditions of temperature, moisture, etc.

www.m

The new "stabilizer," which was mentioned last year as having been introduced to guarantee chemical stability, continues to give satisfactory results, and must doubtless be regarded as a permanent factor in our formula.

The reworking plant at the powder factory, by which old powders are broken down and reworked, the stabilizer being added in the process, has been considerably enlarged and is giving very satisfactory results, enabling the bureau to restore powders which have been withdrawn from service to a condition of stability equal to that of new powders, and this at a cost which is less than 35 per cent of that of new powders.

The conditions and outlook with regard to armor-piercing projectiles have materially improved during the year, and there is reason to believe that this matter, which has been mentioned in several previous reports of the bureau as in a very unsatisfactory condition, will reach a solution within the near future, and this without any recession on the part of the bureau from its insistence upon the highest standard of which we have any knowledge.

The advance in armor has not been entirely satisfactory so far as thick plates are concerned. New methods which have been introduced by some of the manufacturers, while giving promise of ultimate improvement, have failed to lend themselves to certain of the processes necessary for the installation of the armor on shipboard. In the meantime the older processes are to some extent being left behind by the improvements in projectiles. It is not entirely clear at present in what direction the next step will lead, but the bureau has no thought of making any concession which will result in lowering its standard.

So far as thin plates are concerned, there has been very marked improvement, and as this improvement, which seemed at one time likely to stop at plates about 2 inches thick, has gradually been extended to 4 inches and in some experimental plates even higher than this, it is possible that the problems which have been referred to as existing with thick plates will find their solution in the further extension of the alloys and the treatment which have given such satisfactory results with thin plates.

The most important improvement in connection with fire control is the development of a new range finder having many points of marked superiority to any other instrument of the kind with which the bureau is familiar. It seems evident that a perfectly satisfactory solution of the problems of fire control must depend initially upon the development of a range finder approaching as closely as possible to the ideal, the determination of range by such an instrument to be associated with similar ideal conditions of uniformity in the performance of powder; and while these ideal conditions are doubtless still far from attainment, it is believed that the past year has seen a marked advance toward them along both of the lines here referred to.

In connection with the plans for the most recent battle ships, including those to be laid down this year, new designs have been called for in the case of ammunition hoists, rammers, and other loading and handling materials, necessitating at some points radical departures from old designs. These have, in the main, originated in

the drafting room of the gun factory and have been, or will be, tried out in the shops to test the perfection of details, before being installed in the ships.

In smaller but hardly less important points, such as sights, breech and firing mechanisms, fuses, primers, etc., a large amount of work has been accomplished by the officers of the bureau and the gun factory which, while not of a character to attract attention, makes quite as great a demand upon the time and the inventive skill of the officers concerned, as do the larger matters which have been referred to above. The improvement in sights has been especially notable in connection with both turret and broadside guns.

A large amount of work has been done in overhauling and modernizing the ordnance of the older ships, beginning with the Indiana class and coming down to and including the Missouri class. This work is still in progress and will be continued as rapidly as appropriations permit.

New mounts have been designed for guns of the intermediate and torpedo-defense batteries, the changes from earlier designs looking largely to ease and smoothness of elevating and training as contributing to rapidity and accuracy of fire.

As regards torpedoes, the situation has continued to improve throughout the year. The factory at Newport is being gradually enlarged, and with the other sources of supply which are available will soon be in condition to meet all demands. Improvements are being attempted in several important directions with gratifying prospects of success.

A programme of experimental work under the item of $100,000 included in the appropriation bill for 1910 was prepared by the special board on naval ordnance, but its execution was delayed by difficulties incident to the limitations connected with the situation and surroundings of the proving ground. This station, while very conveniently situated for the work of a proving ground in the most restricted sense of the term-the actual proving of guns, powders, armor plates, projectiles, etc.-is altogether unfit for an "experimental station." The range which it commands down the Potomac River runs for a number of miles close to the Maryland shore and cuts the Virginia shore at a distance which would be within the danger zone for much of the firing which is needed in the experimental work connected with the high-powered guns of the present day. The conditions are especially dangerous where long-range firing is called for with high-explosive projectiles. The result of these conditions has been to tie the hands of the bureau in the matter of nearly all experimental work, except that which can be done within the narrow confines of the proving ground itself or by such firings down the range as can be kept within the narrow limits allowed by the conditions above described.

In planning the experimental programme permitted by the sum allotted to such work in the appropriation bill of 1910 a departure was made, which, if it can be extended in the direction desired by the bureau, will open up a wide and very important field of experimental activity, in addition to relieving the proving ground of a mass of work which has been heretofore carried out there in spite of great difficulty and not a little danger. This departure consists in

the employment of the monitor Tallahassee as an experimental ship, in association with the condemned ram Katahdin as a floating platform for the erection of such targets, armored or not, as may be needed for the tests to be made.

The combination of these two vessels will give great flexibility, permitting a wide range in the choice of the location to be selected for any individual test, and will in many ways be superior to the plan at one time proposed, of establishing an experimental station on shore.

The following is a more detailed statement of the work accomplished, arranged under appropriate headings:

GUNS.

The batteries for the Florida and Utah are completed and partly installed. The 12-inch guns are of 45 calibers and have been assigned a muzzle velocity of 2,850 foot-seconds. The 5-inch guns will have a muzzle velocity of 3,150 foot-seconds, with a 50-pound projectile. The batteries for the Arkansas and Wyoming are under construction. The 12-inch guns are of 50 caliber and have been assigned a muzzle velocity of 2,900 foot-seconds. The 5-inch guns will have the same velocity as those of the Florida and Utah.

The batteries for the new battle ships, Nos. 34 and 35, recently authorized, will consist of ten 14-inch 45-caliber guns and twenty-one 5-inch guns. Comparative firings between the 14-inch 45-caliber and the 12-inch 50-caliber at Indian Head, indicate that the accuracy of the 14-inch is somewhat greater than that of the 12-inch. The 5-inch guns to be installed on these ships will be similar to those in the Arkansas and Wyoming, but with more efficient breech mechanism. The work of lining and modifying 12-inch Mark III guns is progressing. Two of these modified guns have been installed in the Tallahassee. Others are ready and will be installed in ships of the Missouri and Virginia classes as soon as the ships are available for a sufficient length of time. The guns returned from these ships will be hooped to the muzzle and retained as spare guns.

New Mark VI 8-inch guns have been installed in the armored cruisers of the Maryland class with the exception of the South Dakota, the guns for which vessel are ready and will be installed at the first opportunity. The Mark V guns returned from vessels of this class will be hooped to the muzzle and lined. These guns will then be kept as a reserve for the 8-inch Mark VI guns.

Batteries for destroyers 22 to 31 have been completed, and those for destroyers 32 to 36 are under construction. All of these guns have a longer recoil than the preceding types and have the vertical sliding wedge semiautomatic breech mechanism.

Three-pounder and 6-pounder guns are being gradually removed from the larger ships and replaced where possible with 3-inch.

A number of vessels of the Naval Reserve have been fitted with 3-pounder semiautomatic guns and mounts, and also with 4-inch 40-caliber guns with modern mounts and sights. It is the intention to hold competitive target practice between these ships.

The 3-inch Mark III, model 3, guns of the Connecticut, Louisiana, Kansas, and Minnesota have been removed and replaced with Mark V and Mark VI semiautomatic guns. The guns removed are to be

fitted with new breech mechanisms of the eccentric plug type, giving greater safety from accidental discharge.

Breech mechanisms.-New types of breech mechanism are being developed for the 14-inch gun and the 5-inch cartridge-case gun. A carrier type of breech mechanism has been developed for the 8-inch guns and is soon to be tested. The eccentric plug type of breech mechanism will probably be installed in cartridge-case guns to be built in the future.

The subject of erosion is being investigated, and considerable additional data has been secured during the year.

The subject of heat cracks is receiving attention, and to limit the possibly injurious effects of these, a liner has been adopted for the 12-inch 50-caliber guns, as a feature of the original construction of the guns.

TURRET MOUNTS.

The preliminary design of a turret mount for guns of larger caliber than those being supplied the vessels then under construction was completed by the bureau in November, 1908. This design was considerably modified after it was finally decided to furnish the battle ships whose construction was recommended in the building programme for the year with larger caliber turret guns than heretofore. The original design was not essentially different from the actual mounts of the period, the principal modifications being in the deck lugs and pointer's sights. Formerly the deck lugs were single castings; the new type deck lugs will be divided. This arrangement permits the employment of a type pointer's sight without hoods. The new sight will, it is believed, be greatly more efficient than any hitherto furnished.

The ammunition handling arrangements for the turrets of the battle ships authorized during the year, as originally laid down, are similar in type to those of the Wyoming and Arkansas. Consideration is now being given to special type shell hoists for the new vessels.

The turret ordnance for the Wyoming and Arkansas is being delivered in season to meet the shipbuilders' requirements.

It was originally intended to fit the Wyoming and Arkansas turrets with two-stage ammunition hoists, adapted to a variable loading position at the guns, of the same type as those fitted to the turrets of the Florida and Utah. Later, in view of the very great success with manual ammunition handling and loading arrangements of the 12inch turrets of the Louisiana and Vermont, it was decided to adopt somewhat similar ammunition handling and loading arrangements for the turrets of the Wyoming and Arkansas. Accordingly, these turrets will have a hand powder supply all the way from the magazines to the guns. A considerable number of shells will be stowed in the gun chambers and immediately underneath them in the upper handling room, and the remainder of the allowance in the regular shell rooms. The supply of shells in the gun chambers may be replenished by either hand or power appliances, or by both. The gun chambers will be effectually sealed from the handling rooms at all times. It is contemplated that shells will ordinarily be seated in the guns by hand rammers, but power rammers will be provided. The above briefly described ammunition handling arrangements greatly