The Gunner's Examiner. Harold E. Cloke
of the examination, to be published immediately. The report of the board to be published in orders shall contain the names of those who have qualified as first and second-class gunners and recite the date of the report, which will be the date of the completion of the company examination in each case, the names being arranged for each organization in each class in muster-roll order.
Syllabus of Examination for Candidates for Gunners in Companies assigned to Gun Defence.
The following syllabus gives the outline of the scope of the examination of candidates for gunners in companies assigned to gun defense. While the indoor instruction in any subject need not be limited to what is indicated in this syllabus, the examination of candidates for gunners shall be confined thereto.
SECOND-CLASS GUNNERS.
(a) Service of the Piece.
Questions on the service of the piece and nomenclature of the piece to which organization is assigned. If the company is assigned to pieces of different calibers, the candidate will be examined upon the piece of the caliber selected by the company commander. Examining boards are cautioned not to attach too much importance to nomenclature, where a candidate shows a knowledge of the practical use of the part under examination.
(b) Guns and Carriages.
Explain briefly how a breech-block of a heavy gun or mortar is dismantled; having a breech-block completely dismantled (not dismounted), how it is assembled and adjusted for firing; how old packing is removed from recoil-cylinders, and how they are repacked; how recoil-cylinders are filled. Object, care, and use of throttling-valve for guns and by-pass valve for mortars. Parts and surfaces of guns and carriages to be oiled; how much oil to use, and how it is used. Adjustment of grease-cups. In the case of rapid-fire guns explain how to adjust firing mechanism, percussion, and electric (if so equipped).
(c) Powders, Projectiles, Primers, Fuses.
Examination: Name the kind of powder used in the pieces of battery to which organization is assigned; give the weights of service charges and corresponding muzzle velocities of these pieces; also the lowest and highest muzzle velocities of the steel and cast-iron mortars, if assigned to mortar battery. Name the projectiles used in the pieces and give their weights. Tell how to distinguish from the painting of projectiles used, its kind, armor-piercing quality, and nature of bursting charge. Point out the cap, the ogive, the bourrelet, the body, the base, the rotating band, the fuse hole of a projectile.
Name each kind of fuse used in the battery (ring resistance, centrifugal, combination, detonating, see Ordnance Department pamphlet No. 1727); tell how it is inserted to make a tight joint. Name the different kinds of primers used in the battery. Friction, electric, combination (electric-friction), percussion, igniting. Reload a drill primer. (Ordnance Department pamphlet No. 1881.)
(d) Cordage.
How is the size of a rope denoted? How do you serve a rope? Make a square knot; a bowline; rolling hitch; blackwall hitch; round turn and two half hitches; clove hitch. What is a strap or sling, and what is its use? Make a shear lashing. Mouse a hook and explain for what purpose used.
Point out the shell, sheave, pin, strap of a block, and describe the different kinds (single, double, treble, snatch, and tail blocks). Point out the running part; the standing part; the fall of a tackle.
Rig the following: Whip, gun tackle, luff, single burton.
Gins.—Name the different parts of a garrison-gin. Explain briefly how it is assembled and raised (the drill is not required). How can the upper block be placed in position after the gin has been raised?
Sheares.—What do sheares consist of, how are they rigged and raised, and what are they used for? How and when is the tackle made fast? How are sheares held in position after being raised?
Hydraulic Jacks.—For what is a hydraulic jack used? What liquids are used in the jack? How is it filled and emptied? How is the jack cared for when not in use? Show how to use the jack when lifting a heavy weight; in lowering a heavy weight; use of the claw in connection with the jack.
(e) U. S. Magazine Rifle.—Nomenclature of the piece, kind and weight of powder used, description and weight of projectile, muzzle velocity. Setting of sight for range and deflection.
FIRST-CLASS GUNNERS.
(a) Azimuth Instrument (pattern in use by the company for instruction), definition of angles, horizontal angles, vertical angle, angle measured by the instrument, leveling and orientation; focussing the telescope. Graduation of the instrument: Set up the instrument over a given point and orient it from sufficient data; direct the telescope successively on a series of points and read their azimuths with accuracy.
(b) The Plotting-room (for guns).
1. Plotting-board.—Point out the following: Primary and secondary stations, directing gun, displacement, gun-arm, travel-scale, azimuth-correction scale, tally dials, range-correction scale.
Lay off a distance of so many yards on the board; conversely, tell the distance in yards between two given points on the board.
The azimuths of a fixed target from the primary and secondary station being given, locate the corresponding point on the board, and give its azimuths and range, from the directing gun or directing point.
The azimuths of a fixed target from the primary and secondary stations being given, locate the corresponding point on the board and determine its range and azimuth from the directing gun or point.
2. Range Board.—Show how to make the range corrections for atmosphere, wind, tide, muzzle velocity, travel, and how this range correction is applied to the range-correction scale.
3. Deflection Board.—Show how to make deflection correction for wind, drift, and travel. Show how to make azimuth correction in Case 3 for wind, drift, travel, and how this correction is applied to azimuth correction scale.
What data are sent to the guns in Case 1, Case 2, and Case 3?
The plotting-room (for mortars).
1. Plotting-board.—Point out the following: Primary and secondary stations, directing point, gun-arm, gun-arm azimuth circle, displacement, powder zones, elevation, times of flight.
Lay off a distance of so many yards on the board; conversely tell the distance between two given points on the board.
The range and azimuth of a fixed point (from primary station) being given, locate the corresponding point on the board. Tell the zone, elevation for firing at this point, and its azimuth from the directing point. The azimuth of a fixed target from the primary and secondary stations being given, locate the corresponding point on the board and determine its range and azimuth from the directing point.
2. Show how a target is tracked, how to get travel, how the time of flight is used, how to get predicted point, how to get set-forward point. What is the predicted point used for? What is the set-forward point used for? What data are sent to the pit and what to the B. C. station? Show how range corrections are made.
3. Drift Device (for deflection board if issued).—Show how to make arbitrary and drift corrections.
(c) Aiming and Laying Guns or Mortars.
1. For Rapid-fire Guns.—Set and read the sight for given elevations and deflections; aim the gun at some object; show how elevating and traversing hand-wheels are used; explain the use of the deflection scale for firing right and firing left. What is Case 1?
2. For Mortars.—Use of the gunner's quadrant, setting and reading the instrument, when and how placed when used with mortars. With