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EXECUTING COLUMN RIGHT. NOTICE THE PERFECT DISTANCE BETWEEN THE SHIPS THAT HAVE TURNED WAS standing on the forward deck of the Utah on a beautiful ~ April morning in 1912, as we plowed through the waters of the Southern drill grounds, just below the Virginia Capes. Off on the hori- zon great water spouts caused by the dropping shells were dissolving into mist while the acid fumes of burning powder were all around us and the decks were still strewn with the re- mains of burning powder bags. Men were streaming out from the turrets and battle stations for the first division of the Atlantic fleet had just fired the last shot of its division battle practice. A young ensign, just out from his turret, attired in overalls and with an old cap on his head, turned to me and with flashing eyes exclaimed--"I don't care what they say, Utley, it is the greatest game im the world. Football, base- ball, rowing--none of these can touch it.' I only hope that the readers of this article can catch something of the enthusiasm of this young officer, some of the intense interest of this great game in which each pawn is a battleship and each team is composed of from 600 to 1,000 clean-cut energetic young Americans, each one striving with all that is in him to bring to: his ship what is probably the most prized piece of bunting in the world--the Gunnery trophy of the United States navy. When you reduce the naval problem to its final analysis, it consists in the ability or lack of ability to land the greatest number of destructive shells upon the enemy's ship in the shortest space of time. Navy yards, ships, guns, organization, strategy--all exist for this one final purpose, for there is no use in building ships or getting them into the battle line unless they can shoot straight. Every day's routine has this final object in view. Twice each year these ships go out on the target range and strive with actual powder and shell to show just what they can accomplish with their big guns. In the record practice, the best gun pointers in each for a division record; torpedo runs when these very interesting weapons were discharged at opposing divisions and the night practice in which the ships are darkened and _ the _ 5-inch guns discharged at targets which have been located by means of the search lights. The main battery guns on the mod- UTAH FROM BOW, STRIPPED FOR TARGET PRACTICE turret strive for supremacy and for a permanent position at the trigger; in the battle target practice, each ship goes out as a unit and endeavors, un- der as near battle conditions as pos- sible, to establish her right to fly the gunnery pennant. The battle practice under discussion covers four kinds of work. Individual practice in which each ship competes by itself; division practice in which four ships com- posing a division were firing at once ern ships are all of 12-inch or 14-inch inside diameter and are mounted in tur- rets. These are small house-like struc- tures, composed of heavy armor s0 shaped as to present a glancing surface to the enemy's fire and capable of be- ing swung in any direction. The men enter through a trap door in the floor of the over-hanging part. The barbette, a great armored cylinder which sup- ports the turret extends in one wn- broken piece clear down into the bot-