§ MAJOR RENTON (Lincolnshire, Gainsborough)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty how many seamen and how many marines competed in the gunlayers' tests and battle practice for heavy guns in 1905; and how many seamen and marines, respectively, were in the first hundred on the list.
§ * THE SECRETARY TO THE ADMIRALTY (Mr. EDMUND ROBERTSON,) DundeeThe following are the numbers of seamen and marine gunlayers respectively, who competed at the gunlayers' test of 1905, with heavy 227 guns of 6-inch calibre, which are the only heavy guns having a sufficient proportion of marine gnnlayers to allow of any comparison being established: 6-inch Breech Loading.—;Number of men who competed—;Seamen, 400; marines, 121. First 100 men on the list—;Seamen, 75; marines, 25. 6-inch Quick Firing.—;Number of men who competed—;Seamen, 176; marines 51. First 100 men on the list—;Seamen, 78; marines, 22. As regards the battle practice, no comparison is possible, as the hits from the ship as a whole are counted, and no distinction is possible between the hits from different guns.