The $15,000 requested here, together with an equal amount being requested in the Engineering appropriation, is to provide: The next item is expense under appropriation, "Construction and Repair for the Torpedo Station at Alexandria," for certain facilities to be provided at that station. Mr. SCRUGHAM. How much does that amount to, Admiral? Eight 40-foot motor retrievers, $100,000; one 50-foot motor launch filled as diving boat, $13,000; one 40-foot motor launch, $5,000; and one 26-foot motor whaleboat, $2,000, at a total cost of $120,000 under the appropriation C. and R. Mr. SCRUGHAM. Does C. and R. handle the installation of machinery and the purchase of machinery for the proposed new torpedo factory? Admiral DU BOSE. We have nothing to do with the torpedo factory. These are the boats which will be used in connection with that plant. Mr. SCRUGHAM. Which comes under your Bureau, and which is an additional cost by reason of the installation of the plant? Admiral Du BOSE. This item covers the Bureau of Construction and Repairs' part of the expenses, and the Bureau of Engineering part is $117,000. This is in addition to any expenses of the Bureau of Ordnance, COMMISSIONING ALLOTMENTS FOR 27 NEW SHIPS The next is item 18, "Commissioning allotments for 27 new ships." $93,000. This appropriation will provide for the commissioning of the following new ships to furnish the initial outfit of consumable supplies at the following estimated costs, based on past requirements: 1 This includes funds for 1 light cruiser (Helena) which will not actually commissie until the fiscal year 1940 but for which it is anticipated the commissioning all the.t will be granted in 1939. For similar purposes the Engineering appropriation is requesting $59,000, Mr. THOм. Admiral, as I understand it, the appropriation "Increase of the Navy" does not provide the items which you are referring to under this appropriation item? Admiral Du Bose. The appropriation "Increase of the Navy" or "Replacement naval vessels," as it is now designated, provides the items of outfit but does not provide any items of consumable supplies such as oils, waste, and things of that kind. Mr. UMSTEAD. That has to be supplied by your Bureau? Admiral Du BOSE. We supply part of it, and the Bureau of Erzi neering supplies part. INVESTIGATION OF CAUSES OF FOULING The next is item 19, "Investigation of the causes of fouling," $9,000. For a number of years the Bureau of Construction and Repair has conducted research into the causes and correction of the fouling of ships' hulls by marine growths. Information has been collected from many sources, but the problem is so vast in scope that continuous investigation is necessary. In 1937 the services of a marine biologist were employed, at a cost of $1,500, to study the biological aspects of the problem. In addition, numerous tests of small cost were made at various naval stations. In the 1938 appropriation $10,000 was allocated for extending research. The necessity of effecting economy requires that this amount be withdrawn for 1938, although it is proposed to use funds from the base to continue activity in this important field to whatever extent practicable. The $9,000 requested here is to continue the biological research and to extend the investigations in the field of antifouling paints, particularly of plastic paints by actual application to naval ships. We want to continue that work. It is a very small sum of money, and it may result in large savings eventually. TEST OF APPARATUS FOR DEFOULING SHIPS Item 20 is development of apparatus which could be used when we have no drydock available to clean the bottom of a ship. CORROSION OF PIPE MATERIALS Item 21 is for research in the corrosion of pipe materials, $6,000. This is for the extension of research for methods of preventing the rapid deterioration of salt-water piping and the investigation of new piping material. This investigation has been pursued for several years with such funds as could be made available. The 1938 appropriation provided $5,650 for this purpose, but this has been reserved due to the necessity of effecting economy. We want this small sum of money to let us go ahead with research on the corrosion of pipe materials. CAISSON TESTS This item, $100,000, covers work in connection with research in the field of the design of ships. WEDNESDAY, December 15, 1937. EXPERIMENTAL SHIP STABILIZATION INSTALLATION Mr. UMSTEAD. Admiral, you may proceed with your justification. Admiral Du BOSE. The next item is No. 23, "Experimental ship stabilization installation," $50,000. This is to cover research work on this problem. 36929-38- -28 WELDING RESEARCH AT VARIOUS NAVY YARDS Item 24, "Welding research at various navy yards," $12,000. The great importance that welding has assumed in shipbuilding requires continuous research in order to improve and perfect the technique and to determine the extent to which welding can be employed. The Bureau of Construction and Repair has utilized information from all available sources, but it is necessary to supplement this with original research. Funds for this purpose to the extent of $50,000 were obligated from the 1937 appropriation and will be available during the fiscal year 1938. The money will finance research into problems of design, the weldability of materials, welding technique, and improvements in welding equipment. Various features of research will be assigned to the navy yards best qualified to handle them. The $12,000 requested here is to continue the research. RESEARCH IN FOUNDRY PRACTICES Item 25, "Research in foundry practices," $2,500. This is to provide for research in foundry practice, materials, and equipment in order to improve the quality of castings, particularly steel castings. It will include tests of new casting processes. CAMOUFLAGE EXPERIMENTS Item 26, "Camouflage experiments," $2,500. This is to continue investigation of practicable methods of camouflage for ships. RESEARCH IN PAINT TECHNIQUE Item 27, "Research in paint technique," $8,000. This Bureau conducts routine research in the field of paint technology at the paint-manufacturing yards. Funds for this purpose are included in the base for object 16. The funds requested here are to extend the research to perform exhaustive experiments to correct the present defects in standard paints and to investigate and test new materials, particularly newly developed synthetic resins. The Bureau of Construction and Repair has for many years back been carrying out experiments in connection with ship-bottom paint, to protect the bottoms of ships from fouling, so as to maintain their speed. This particular research that we are referring to here is to improve the quality of topside or interior paints, in order to get something of a more durable nature and cheaper. RESEARCH IN DESIGN OF RIVETED JOINTS AND STRUCTURAL ASSEMBLIES Item 28, "Research in design of riveted joints and structural assemblies," $4,000. This is to construct and test fundamental types of structures which form parts of complicated assemblies and to investigate the action of combined riveted and welded structures. The research will lead to fundamental design data on the basis of which ship structures may be improved. We may spend more or less than that. This is just a suggestion If what we will have to spend. It is a small sum at most. INVESTIGATION OF DESIGN OF ARMORED STRUCTURES Item 29, "Investigate the design of armored structures," $5,000. This is to continue investigation of this important design question. EXPERIMENTS TO IMPROVE SHIP FIRE-FIGHTING EQUIPMENT Item 30, "Experiments to improve ship fire-fighting equipment," 2,000. A number of new developments have occurred in ship fire-fighting quipment. This Bureau wishes to investigate and make service ests of the most promising of these new types. The information hus obtained will be of great value to the merchant marine as well s the Navy. We have been in close touch with the Maritime Commission and he Department of Commerce in connection with their tests on some of the decommissioned ships on the James River, and we have caried out at the Philadelphia Navy Yard some experiments, includng actual fires built on one of the old destroyers, with fuel oil and rasoline in the fire rooms, and we have been able to control the fire (put it out) by a new method known as mulsifier. It is simply a pray of water which forms a blanket all over the surface of the il, forming an emulsion. That is where the term "mulsifier" comes from. It has been most successful. IMPROVEMENT IN DAMAGE CONTROL ARRANGEMENTS Item 31, "Improvements in damage control arrangements, $7,000." This is to continue investigation of damage control appliances. DEVELOPMENT OF TECHNICAL MATERIAL AND EQUIPMENT Item 32, "Development of technical material and equipment, $10,000." This is to provide for the extension of research in a number of general fields. The expenditures for each item will be small, but the amount requested here is considered sufficient to permit all necessary minor research to be undertaken. This item is to take care of miscellaneous odds and ends in testing new materials which are proposed, or trying out certain things to see if we can use them in connection with naval work. Mr. FERNANDEZ. Admiral, what is the total requested by the Bureau of Research and Experiment in the development of technical materials-all of these items? Admiral Du BOSE. We have requested $375,000 in the "base," a large part of which will be expended for the routine testing of material rather than research in new fields. In addition we have requested a total of $223,000 for strictly research projects, as outlined in the foregoing. EXPERIMENTAL DEVELOPMENT OF GROUND TACKLE Item 33, "Experimental development of ground tackle, $2,500." In outfitting ships with anchor chain it is essential that the lightest chain of adequate strength be employed. It is not possible to simulate, by experiment, all of the forces to which the chain will be subjected when a ship is anchored. Consequently, when a new type of ship is commissioned special arrangements are made on one ship of the type to ascertain the force on the chain under various conditions in service. From this data we obtain information of future value. The $2,500 requested here is to provide for testing gear of the types to be investigated during 1939. SALVAGE SERVICES Admiral Du BOSE. Item 34, "Salvage services, $50,000." This item is to cover the cost of providing commercial services for the salvage of stranded ships of the Navy. The total amount to be expended cannot, of course, be predicted. Expenditures in recent years for this purpose have been: 1936, $6,500; 1937, $5,655. In 1938, $100,000, the same amount set aside at the beginning of the year for a number of years, was requested for this purpose. The committee allocation, however, was $50,000. The cost of salvaging the Omaha probably will exceed $100,000. The added funds must be provided at the expense of other work. It is requested that $50,000 be appropriated for this purpose for the fiscal year 1939. This is considered the minimum which should be provided for this purpose. CHEMICAL WARFARE PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT, ETC. Item 35, "Provide chemical warfare protective equipment, $680,000." Item 36, "Development and issue of special mine-sweeping gear. $50,000." Item 37, "Replacement of paravane gear, $65,000." Item 38, "Special equipment for ships' repair parties, $25.000.” Item 39, "Construct Marine Corps landing equipment, $140,000." The amounts, as indicated, are requested for the five objects above mentioned to continue work of the same general nature that habeen under way in previous years. CONSTRUCTION OF AVIATION RESCUE BOAT Item 40, "Construct one aviation rescue boat, $20.000." This appropriation and the Engineering appropriation jointly provide funds for the construction of aviation rescue ("crash") boats for the Bureau of Aeronautics. These boats are for duty at air stations to be dispatched to the scene of an aircraft casualty to rescue personnel and to speed injured personnel to shore. The boats must be rugged and of high speed. Their design is constantly improved as the defects of older designs become apparent in service. There has been allocated from the 1938 appropriation $60,000 to provide rescue boats at San Diego, Norfolk, and Seattle. The $20,000 requested here is to provide, jointly, with the Engineering appropriation: One 45-foot boat as an addition to the complement at Pearl Harbor to provide services necessary due to the increase in the number of planes at that station, $20.000. The Engineering appropriation contains a request for $30 to provide the engines and engineering outfit. |