Gun Elevation

Secretary of the Navy Wilbur prepared, for transmission to the House of Representatives, a lengthy memorandum on the state of the Navy, particularly in regard to gun ranges. The controversy over the vexing question whether we have the right to increase the angle at which our guns may fire (the Limitation of Armaments Treaty being the possible bar) has apparently been settled, at least within the Executive Department of the Government. Secretary Wilbur says that the State and Navy Departments agree that the Treaty does not prohibit gun elevation.

Accordingly the bill for elevating the guns on our six oldest ships will again* come before Congress and may theoretically be settled on the grounds of military and economic advisability. Mr. Wilbur's summary of the comparative ranges of the British and U. S. Navies is as follows:

"First--That five American battleships--the West Virginia, Colorado, Maryland, California and Tennessee--outrange anything in the British Navy.

"Second--That with five other battleships--the Idaho, New Mexico, Mississippi, Arkansas and Wyoming--the difference in range is very small as compared with the range of British ships, merely a few hundred yards.

"Third--That the other eight American battleships--the Arizona, Pennsylvania; Oklahoma, Nevada, New York, Texas, Florida and Utah--are outranged by British ships by several thousand yards."

Mr. Wilbur appended a detailed comparison of the ranges and gun elevations of the two Navies:

United States:

BATTLESHIP MAXIMUM ANGLE OF ELEVATION RANGE IN YDS. AT THAT ELEVATION

West Virginia. 30 34,500

Colorado 30 34,500

Maryland 30 34,500

California 30 35,500

Tennessee 30 35,700

Idaho 15 24,000

New Mexico 15 24,000

Mississippi 15 24,000

Arkansas 15 24,350

Wyoming 15 23,500

Arizona 15 21,000

Pennsylvania 15 21,000

Oklahoma 15 21,000

Nevada 15 21,000

New York 15 21,000

Texas 15 21,000

Florida 15 22,000

Utah 15 21,600

Great Britain:

BATTLESHIP MAXIMUM ANGLE OF ELEVATION RANGE IN YDS. AT THAT ELEVATION

Royal Sovereign. . . 20 24,300

Royal Oak 20 24,300

Revenge 20 24,300

Resolution 20 24,300

Ramillies 20 24,300

Malaya 20 24,300

Valiant 20 24,300

Barham 20 24,300

Queen Elizabeth. . . 20 24,300

Warspite 20 24,300

Benbow 20 23,800

Emperor of India. 20 23,800

Iron Duke 20 23,800

Marlborough 20 23,800

Hood 30 24,300

Renown 20 24,300

Repulse 20 24,300

Tiger 20 23,800

Thunderer 20 23,800

King George V 20 23,800

Ajax 20 23,800

Centurion 20 23,800

* In 1922-23, $6,500,000 was appropriated by the 67th Congress for the elevation of the guns on 13 battleships, but was returned to the Treasury following the protest of the British Government that this program was in violation of the Limitation of Armaments Treaty (TIME Mar, 31, May 5, 1923).