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NavSource Online: Battleship Photo Archive

Target Rafts & Practice


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Target Barge1.22kREAL TEST OF TORPEDO.
Target Like Part of Battleship Sunk in Practice.
Image and text provided by Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
Photo from the New-York Tribune. (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 22 July 1906, Image 16, courtesy of chroniclingamerica.loc.gov.
Target Barge1.22kREAL TEST OF TORPEDO.
Target Like Part of Battleship Sunk in Practice.
PDF Image and text provided by University of California, Riverside.
Photo & text by The San Francisco Call.(San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 29 March 1908, Image 5, courtesy of chroniclingamerica.loc.gov.
Target BargeNRONE OF THE NEW TARGETS FOR BATTLESHIP PRACTICE. Image and text provided by Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
Photo from the New-York Tribune. (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 15 August 1909, Image 18, courtesy of chroniclingamerica.loc.gov.
Target Barge 90k Target Rafts Mare Island style. These appear to be approximately 20ft high by 45 ft long and they are in the yard's dry dock #1 (circa 1910). They don't have their mast (target support poles) but they normally would have 4. I don't have a detailed photo of the rafts ready for action. USN photo courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
Target Barge 107k Target Rafts Mare Island style. These appear to be approximately 20ft high by 45 ft long and they are in the yard's dry dock #1 (circa 1910). They don't have their mast (target support poles) but they normally would have 4. I don't have a detailed photo of the rafts ready for action. USN photo courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
BB-21 Kansas 21k Target ship, circa 1911. Photo courtesy of Michael Hughes.
Target Barge 56k "The Navy Target after many hits". Target raft with its fabric targets largely blown away, following U.S. Navy battleship gunnery practice, circa the mid-1910s. The original image, copyrighted by N. Moser, New York, is printed on post card ("AZO") stock.
U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph # NH 106276. Donation of Charles R. Haberlein Jr., 2008.
BB-26 South CarolinaNRHOW AMERICA'S GUNNERS HOLD THE SUPREMACY OF THE SEA
THE EYES OF THE GUNS
Above is the Ordnance Officer who sits in the Foretop and Directs by Telephone the Marksmanship of the Gunners Below.
At the Bottom of the page is the Crew of a Seven inch Gun on the Utah (BB-31)
Lowering a Pontoon Raft with Contact Mines from Battleship South Carolina (BB-26) to the Ship's Cutter
Placing the Mines from the Bow to the Cutter
Photos by Enrique Mueller
Image and text provided by University of Utah, Marriott Library.
The Salt Lake Tribune. (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 12 May 1912, Magazine Section, Image 38, courtesy of chroniclingamerica.loc.gov.
Idaho 538k YANKEE NAVY AT TARGET PRACTICE
The Michigan (BB-27) firing broadside. 2. Same, nearer view. 3. Going to look at target. 4. Big gun at moment of firing. 5. Battleships in line. 6. Ready to lay mines. 7. Setting up target. 8.Utah (BB-31) firing broadsides. 9. Target in position.
Photos by Enrique Muller.
Image and text provided by University of Hawaii at Manoa; Honolulu, HI.
Photo from The Hawaiian Star (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 31 May 1912, SECOND EDITION, SECOND SECTION, Image 9, via chroniclingamerica.loc.gov.
Target Barge 682k Target rafts in Mare Island's Dry Dock 1 on 11 July 1913. Rafts 14, 15 & 4 at the head of dock. Raft 6 didn't survive docking in one piece. Photo MINSY 1413-1-1913 courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
Target Rafts 131k Towing Target # 23, after being hit by gunfire from Virginia (BB-13) during Atlantic Fleet gunnery practice, circa 1913. Photographed by Sargent, probably from Rhode Island (BB-17). U.S. Naval Historical Centre Photo # NH 101078, from the album of Francis Sargent; Courtesy of Commander John Condon, 1986 via Robert Hurst.
BB-27 Michigan377kTaken from the U.S. battleship Michigan (BB-27), the target, anchored in Chesapeake Bay, with the Rhode Island (BB-17) standing by passing a line to take it in tow. The ships take turns at towing the target. Photo by Enrique Mueller Jr.
Image and text provided by Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
Photo from the New-York Tribune. (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 9 May 1915, Image 51, courtesy of chroniclingamerica.loc.gov.
BB-26 South Carolina4.38k"Battleship South Carolina (BB-26) at a distance of nine miles, firing on a target seen between the towers of water during the naval games in Chesapeake Bay, just concluded. The observers on a sister ship in the foreground are only a few hundred yards away." USN photo by Enrique Muller Jr, courtesy of memory.loc.gov.
Text courtesy of N.Y. Times, 31 October 1915, page 8.
BB-26 South Carolina4.38k"The target when the South Carolina (BB-26) had finished firing." USN photo by Enrique Muller Jr, courtesy of memory.loc.gov.
Text courtesy of N.Y. Times, 31 October 1915, page 8.
Target Rafts 193k A Navy Target Raft before being fired on. USN photo by N. Moser courtesy of Robert M. Cieri.
Target Rafts 197k Target Raft on 12 July 1917. USN photo courtesy of Robert M. Cieri.
Target Barge757kHITTING THE MARK HAS GROWN INTO A HABIT WITH GUNNERS OF U. S. NAVY Image and text provided by University of Utah, Marriott Library.
Photo from the The Ogden Standard. (Ogden City, Utah) 1913-1920, 15 October 1917, 4 P.M. CITY EDITION, Image 7, courtesy of chroniclingamerica.loc.gov.
BB-29 North Dakota 43k Target sled for observing shots, circa 1917-19. Courtesy of Philip H. Robare RMCS, USN - RET.
LOC 421k With the American High Seas Fleet in Southern waters. Sailors are shown putting up the floating targets at which the big and little guns on the dreadnoughts will roar as the ships sweep along in battle formation and at battle speed. Image and text provided by The New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox and Tilden Foundation.
Photo from The Sun. (New York, [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 10 March 1918, Section 4 Pictorial Magazine, Image 44, via chroniclingamerica.loc.gov.
Target Rafts 167k U.S. Navy Towing Target # 48 being launched at the Philadelphia Navy Yard on 5 August 1918. The transport Henderson is in the background. U.S. Naval Historical Centre Photo # NH 45239 via Robert Hurst.
Almost Unknown900kNot a shipwrecked crew at sea trying to rig a jury mast on a make shift raft, but a bunch of husky sailor lads of your Uncle Sam's navy at work in a heavy sea erecting one of the big targets used for gun practice by the battleships.Image and text provided by Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
Photo by New-York Tribune. (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 30 May 1920, Image 49, courtesy of chroniclingamerica.loc.gov.
BB-43 Tennessee 915k After fitting out, Tennessee (BB-43) conducted trials in Long Island Sound from 15 to 23 October 1920. While Tennessee was at New York, one of her 300-kilowatt ship's-service generators blew up on 30 October, "completely destroying the turbine end of the machine" and injuring two men. Undaunted, the ship's force, navy yard craftsmen, and manufacturers' representatives labored to eliminate the "teething troubles" in Tennessee's engineering system and enabled the battleship to depart New York on 26 February 1921 for standardization trials at Guantanamo. She next steamed north for the Virginia Capes and arrived at Hampton Roads on 19 March. Tennessee carried out gunnery calibration firing at Dahlgren, Va., and was drydocked at Boston before full-power trials off Rockland, Maine. After touching at New York, she steamed south; transited the Panama Canal; and, on 17 June, arrived at San Pedro, Calif., her home port for the next 19 years.
A tug boat taking a target barge out for the Tennessee (pictured behind the barge) while conducting gunnery calibration firing at Dahlgren, Va.
Photo from the James R. Nehez, Sr. collection, courtesy of James R. Nehez, III. Partial text courtesy of DANFS.
Melbourne 384k Circa 1922: "Result of a salvo from the Fifth Division of the American Atlantic fleet, composed of the Utah (BB-31), Delaware (BB-28), Florida (BB-30), and North Dakota (BB-29), which registered ten hits during target practice at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The Nevada (BB-36), in the foreground, towed the target to its position and remained nearby for close observation." Photo courtesy of Tommy Trampp.
BB-37 Oklahoma468kBattleship Oklahoma (BB-37) and What Her Guns Can Do
THIS a salvo from her 14 inch guns. Below is shown her target riddled by shot. The range was 10 miles.
Image and text provided by Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records; Phoenix, AZ.
Photo from Mohave County Miner and Our Mineral Wealth. (Kingman, Ariz.) 1918-1922, 20 October 1922, Image 6, courtesy of chroniclingamerica.loc.gov.
BB-33 Arkansas 69k Arkansas (BB-33) towing battle raft during target practice circa 1928-29. Note range device in front of crewman sitting on top of turret # 5. USN photo courtesy of Joseph Sandling via Fred Willshaw.
Melbourne 1.17k This target raft is located at Guantanamo Bay Cuba 1930. Photo from the LT Howard Havens photo collection now held by the Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum.
Photo courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
Target Barge 946k 8 page PDF of a Model of Target Barge 111. All the thumb nails photos have been preserved to explain the photos of the PDF.
It is Mare Island Model #00145 and is now located at the Vallejo Naval & Historical Museum. It appears the barge was launched in August 1930. I was allowed to take the model home to take photos and measurements and do a few repairs to its rigging.
The model data: Length 40 13/16"
Hull width 3 7/16"
Keel length (Upper) 32 7/16" (4 7/8" from the bow)
Keel length (Lower) 29 3/16"
Keel thickness 5/8"
Main Deck to Keel Bottom 4 3/8"
Target Supports (Masts) height 9 15/16"
Target slats are 5/16"
Target 5 ½" Square
Bow and Aft Structures Height 15/16"
Bow Structure - Length 4 3/16"
Aft Structure – Length 2 7/16"
Draft leaving dry dock after construction 13.5'
(from dry dock logs) There is no marking on the model indicating its scale, but based on the draft information from the dry dock logs I believe the scale 5/16". This would make the barge 11' wide (the hull width is made-up of 11 timber each 5/16" wide) with a length of 130.5'.
The following photo is a close up of target panel.
Photo courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
Target Barge 946k Bow view of Model of Target Barge 111. Photo courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
Target Barge 946k Stern view of Model of Target Barge 111. Photo courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
Target Barge 946k Plan view looking aft of Model of Target Barge 111. Photo courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
Target Barge 946k Starboard forward quarter view of Model of Target Barge 111. Photo courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
Target Barge 946k Starboard aft quarter view of Model of Target Barge 111. Photo courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
Target Barge 946k Starboard broadside of Model of Target Barge 111. Photo courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
Target Barge 946k Target panel support of Model of Target Barge 111. Photo courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
Target Barge 267k The MV Spirit of Nantucket had a close encounter with what is most likely the remains of a Target Barge found in 2007 in the Intracoastal Waterway near Pungo which is part of Virginia Beach, VA. Courtesy of David A. Barto.
Target Barge 1.10k Possible Target Barge viewed from 1,500 feet up in the Intracoastal Waterway near Pungo which is part of Virginia Beach, VA. Courtesy of David A. Barto.
Target Barge 2.90k 12 photo PDF of what is most likely the remains of a Target Barge found in 2007 in the Intracoastal Waterway near Pungo which is part of Virginia Beach, VA. Courtesy of David A. Barto.

Target Practice

Target Barge3.72kHOW GUNNERS ON A BATTLE-SHIP FIGURE OUT THE DISTANCE OF THE ENEMY PDF Image and text provided by University of California, Riverside.
Photo & text by The San Francisco Call.(San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 15 May 1898, Image 20, courtesy of chroniclingamerica.loc.gov.
Target Practice 774k AMERICAN NAVAL GUNNERS LEAD ALL IN MARKSMANSHIP
TARGET RIDDLED BY ACCURATE SHOTS FROM THE GUNS OF A BATTLESHIP OF THE NORTH ATLANTIC FLEET.
Image and text provided by University of Hawaii at Manoa; Honolulu, HI.
Photo from The Pacific Commercial Advertiser. (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 23 June 1903, Image 6, via chroniclingamerica.loc.gov.
Blazes Away 985k HOW OUR NAVAL GUNNERS BREAK RECORDS.
Their Marvelous Accuracy Only Attained by Constant Practice with Most Ingenious Mechanical Aids.
Champion crew of the Alabama's (BB-8) after turret.
Image and text provided by Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
Photo from New-York Tribune. (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 04 October 1903, Image 31, via chroniclingamerica.loc.gov.
Target Practice1.18kLEARNING TO SHOOT. Image and text provided by Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
Photo from the New-York Tribune. (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 15 May 1904, Image 31, courtesy of chroniclingamerica.loc.gov.
Target Practice1.11kBravery of the Man Behind The Gun is of Little Use Unless he is Long and Carefully Trained. Image and text provided by Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
Photo from the New-York Tribune. (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 15 August 1909, Image 19, courtesy of chroniclingamerica.loc.gov.
LOC 4.36k Training the modern Dreadnought to fight. Image and text provided by University of California, Riverside.
Photo by The San Francisco Call. (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 31 December 1911, Image 6, courtesy of chroniclingamerica.loc.gov.
Blazes Away NR United States Navy "Blazes Away" $1,000,000 Annually in Target Practice.
American Gunners Are Tested Twice Each Year Under Conditions Reproducing Those of Battle.
Photos from the Minnesota (BB-22) & Delaware (BB-28).
Image and text provided by Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
Photo from New-York Tribune. (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 28 April 1912, Image 21, via chroniclingamerica.loc.gov.
BB-32 Wyoming67k"Turret drill in the Old Navy".The photos in this collection are dedicated in the memory of E. J. Stewart, seaman, fourth division, whose copy of the book was scanned and submitted by his son. Photo submitted by Ted Horrell.
LOC 813k HOW NAVY WILL MEET NEED FOR MEN BEHIND THE GUNS
HOW TRAINING TELLS: A TARGET THAT HAS BEEN TORN TO PIECES BY SPLENDID GUNNERY
Measures to Secure the 33,000 Recruits Called For in the Nation's First Line of Defence
Image and text provided by The New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox and Tilden Foundation.
Photo from The Sun. (New York, [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 01 April 1917, Section 5 Special Feature Supplement, Image 51, via chroniclingamerica.loc.gov.

Additional Resources
The Evolution of Battleship Gunnery in the U.S. Navy, 1920-1945. By William J. Jurens
Back To The Main Photo Index Back To The Battleship Photo Index Page

This page is created and maintained by Darryl Baker, David Barto, Robert M. Cieri, Chuck Haberlein, Mike Green, Ric Hedmen, Chris Hoehn, David Johnston & Michael Mohl And Maintained By Michael Mohl.
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