of Rear-Admiral Dunn, in the Azores; of
Rear-Admiral Strauss, in charge of mining operations, and other officers
in charge of various special activities.

The report tells of notable achievements in ordnance, especially the
work of the 14-inch naval guns on railway mounts on the western front,
which hurled shells far behind the German lines, these mounts being
designed and completed in four months. The land battery of these naval
guns was manned exclusively by bluejackets under command of Rear-Admiral
C. P. Plunkett. The work of the Bureau of Ordnance is praised, and
Admiral Earle, the Chief of the bureau, is declared "one of the ablest
and fittest officers."

An account is given of the mine barrage in the North Sea, one of the
outstanding anti-submarine offensive projects of the year, thus closing
the North Sea, and for which 100,000 mines were manufactured and 85,000
shipped abroad. A special mine-loading plant, with a capacity of more
than 1,000 mines a day, was established by the Navy Department.

A star shell was developed which, when fired in the vicinity of an enemy
fleet, would light it up, make ships visible, and render them easy
targets without disclosing the position of our own ships at night.

The Bureau of Ordnance, under the direction of Rear-Admiral Earle, is
stated to have met and conquered the critical shortage of high
explosives which threatened to prolong the time of preparation necessary
for America to smash the German military forces; this was done by the
invention of TNX, a high explosive, to take the place of TNT, the change
being sufficient to increase the available supply of explosives in this
country to some 30,000,000 pounds.

In the future, it is stated, American dreadnoughts and battle cruisers
will be armed with 16-inch guns, making these the heaviest armed vessels
in the world.

Depth-charges are stated to be the most effective antisubmarine weapons.
American vessels were adequately armed with this new weapon.

A new type was developed and a new gun, known as the "Y" gun, was
designed and built especially for firing depth-charges.

THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE MARINE CORPS

BY JOSEPHUS DANIELS
SECRETARY OF THE NAVY

The United States Marine Corps, the efficient fighting, building, and
landing force of the navy, has won imperishable glory in the fulfilment
of its latest duties upon the battlefields of France, where the marines,
fighting for the time under General Pershing as