MR. GIBSON BOWLESI beg to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty, is he aware that in 1901 H.M.S. "Alarm," "Dryad," and "Renard," and that in 1902 H.M.S. "Renard," "Speedy," and "Gleaner," did not once hit the target at prize firing; did the special reports with regard to gunnery efficiency, forwarded to the Admiralty for consideration at the time of the half-yearly recommendations of lieutenants for promotion, disclose the cause of these unsatisfactory results; and if not, what inquiry has been made to ascertain whether these results were due either to faults in the gunnery officers of these ships, or to the ships themselves, or to 686 the gunnery officers having been deprived of necessary facilities for conducting gunnery training by the Admiral, the captain, or the executive officer.
§ MR. ARNOLD-FORSTERThe facts are as stated in the first portion of my hon. friend's question. In these and in all similar cases the reasons of failure are reported on by the Admirals under whose orders the ships are acting. The reports are fully considered on receipt by the Admiralty, and such steps are taken with regard to the individual officers concerned as in the opinion of the Admiralty are required. My hon. friend is doubtless aware that the mere absence of direct hits in the case of such small vessels as the "Speedy" and "Gleaner," is not in itself an evidence of bad gunnery.