Naval camps were established at various
points. The main ones were those at Philadelphia, (League Island);
Newport, Rhode Island; Cape May, New Jersey; Charleston, South Carolina;
Pensacola, Florida; Key West, Florida; Mare Island, California; Puget
Sound, Washington; Hingham, Massachusetts; Norfolk, Virginia; New
Orleans, San Diego, New York Navy Yard; Great Lakes, Illinois; Pelham,
New York; Hampton Roads, Virginia; and Gulfport, Mississippi. Schools in
gunnery and engineering were established and thousands of gunners and
engineers were trained, not only for the Navy but for the armed merchant
vessels.
The training of gun crews by target practice was a feature of this work.
Long before the war began systematic training of this kind had been
done, but mainly in connection with the big guns, and great efficiency
had been obtained by the steady practice. With the introduction of the
submarine, it became necessary to pay special attention to the training
of the crews of guns of smaller caliber, and it was not long before the
officers of our Navy were congratulating themselves on the efficiency of
their men. It is not easy to hit so small a mark as the periscope of a
submarine, but it could be done and many times was done.
Twenty-eight days after the declaration of war a fleet of United States
destroyers under the command of Admiral William S.
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