Down Report

The Down Report was a pair of reports by Template:LtCommRN Richard Thornton Down following a 1917 trip to Washington, D.C.. He and his American hosts exchanged information and observations of how their naval services operated.

Initial Report of 27 June 1917

With minimal formatting changes to suit this Wiki medium, here is what Down sent on 27 June.

I have the honour to forward the report of my proceedings during the period of my residence in the United States from the 6th of May to the present date. During this time which embraces that in which the British Mission was also in this place I have been employed exclusively in Washington with occasional visits of from three to four days to the American Fleet at their War Bases.

I have been questioned by and have given information before the House of Representatives Naval Committee. I have been throughout in constant touch with all heads of Departments and their Staffs at the Navy Department but more particularly with the Ordnance, Materiel and Gunnery Exercise Sections. I have also been down to the Fleet on three occasions visiting a large number of their latest ships, witnessing two full calibre firing practices besides meeting and conversing with many of their Officers.

I have invariably met with the utmost courtesy and then keenest spirit of co-operation has been apparent on all sides. Everything that I wished to see has been shown me and my criticism of their materiel, methods and organization has been freely invited in the desire to profit by our experience.

In the exchange of information I have dealt principally with the following Officers :-

• Chief of Bureau of Ordnance and Staff (Ordnance and Materiel)
• Chief of Bureau of Navigation and Staff (Personnel and Manning Section)
• Chief of Bureau of Target Parctice and Staff
• Chief of Staff to the Admiral Commanding the U.S. Fleet
• Fleet Gunnery Officer on the Staff of the Admiral Commanding the U.S. Fleet
• Gunnery Officer on the Staff of Vice-Admiral Commanding the Battleship Force
• All Battleship Gunnery Officers
• Fleet Surgeon and Naval Constructor on the Staff of the Commander-in-Chief

Information Down Provided the U.S.N.

The following is a summary of the points discussed. Many of them have been gone into in considerable detail according to the requirements of the Officers with whom I was dealing and to the extent of my knowledge to satisy their queries. In all cases I endeavoured to make it plain where I was simply expressing my own views or where I believed them to coincide with opinion or practice in our Fleet.

GENERAL

• Grand Fleet Bases and Composition of Fleet
• Coaling arrangements and percentage of coal kept on board
• Routine and Daily Leave
• Refits and Long Leave
• Exercises in the Flow and in the Firth of Forth, day & night
• Exercises in the Pentland Firth
• Night and day full calibre firing, towing arrangements, targets and so on.
• Base and exercies of pre-dreadnoughts
• Allocation of the Flow for practices - system employed
• Daily drills, etc. at anchor. Spotting Table
• Full details of all gun and searchlight practices and Torpedo look-out exercises
• Battle Orders, Cruising formations and General Tactics of the Fleet
• General scheme of traininh in the Fleet to meet the requirements for new construction, etc.
• Paravanes and how worked and fitted

ORGANIZATION AND TRAINING

• Action. Night Action and Night Defence Organization
• Cruising organization for Night Defence
• Fire and Repair parties for action and "Scout System", and with equipment of these parties, stores, etc.
• First Aid men at Fighting Stations
• Food, water and sanitary arrangements in action and while closed up before action
• General question of clothing in action and at other times
• Closing of all doors and ventilation in action
• Permanently closing all non-essential ventilation and closing as much more as possible on going to sea
• Necessity to prepare for battle before closing up at Action Stations
• Scheme of daily training for all skilled ratings, training classes, ordinary seamen and boys, R.N.R's, R.N.V.R's, and men for Armed Merchantmen and new construction

PERSONNEL

• Average arrangement and numbers of personnel in each capital ship
• Reduction of Officer personnel due to expansion
• Substitution of "Officers for War only" for properly trained officers
• Withdrawal of Officers for Specialist courses, other services, etc.
• Withdrawal of C.P.O's, P.O.'s and Leading Seamen on promotion
• Withdrawal of ratings monthly for new construction and other services

FIRE CONTROL

• General system with description of instruments
• Standardization of orders for Fire Control
• Concentration of fire and intercommunication between control positions
• New spotting rules; full explanation
• Point of Aim

MATERIEL

• General arrangement of our turrets, loading, etc.
• Control instruments and rangefinders
• Our Director system
• Evershed's Bearing Installation
• Usborne's Time of Flight Indicator
• Dryer's Plotting Table [sic]
• Aid to Spotter
• "Rounds Fired" Indicators
• Secondary Lighting
• Gas Appliances
• Extended Range Scales to increase range of guns to greater limits
• Natures of projectiles and delay action fuzes
• Small collision mats to plug holes, damaged hatches, etc.
• Manhole escapes in hatches
• Air Blast system
• Magazine protection and reinforcing armour decks
• Water sprinklers in turrets
• Protective mattresses, fearnought screens, mantlets, fire-proofing solition and their use in isolating secondary gun positions, etc.

LESSONS OF JUTLAND AND OTHER BATTLES [TO BE CONTINUED - TONE]

Bibliography

• "Report of Proceedings by Commander Richard T. Down, R.N. during visit to Washington -- 6th May to 27th June" dated 5 July 1917 at The National Archives. ADM 137/1621.