been on the job It was of considerable value to all of 

 the men to have this active and informal help in getting 

 acquainted with actual operations in Navy yards and stations 

 before undertaking the responsibility alone at a new activity. 



Ref r esher and Special Training. 



To insure the continuing usefulness of the Group to 

 Naval operating forces , men were brought back from time to 

 time to laboratories and factories to receive refresher 

 training on equipment in the final stages of development or 

 in production o In each case they returned to the field 

 bringing fresh and current information on new equipment about 

 to arrive in the fleet Also this refresher training program 

 made it possible for the engineers to convey a point of 

 view gained in the field to the laboratories and factories. 



Scope of Operations . 



In describing the scope of operations of the Group it 

 is impossible to include all the various functions and 

 duties the Group performed^ However the growth of the engi- 

 neering activities is briefly, described,, followed by specific 

 examples of work done, 



When the group was formed in 1943 , men were assigned - 

 as directed by Admiral Cochrane - to the various Navy yards 

 in the continental United States ^ under cognizance of the 

 Radio Material Officer and in several cases under the 

 Ordnance Officer , to fill the most pressing needs at that 

 time - 



Engineers were assigned to give technical assistance to 

 RMO's making Installations of sonar equipment. Having an 

 experienced engineer from industry who had the installation, 

 maintenance and field point of view was an advantage, since 

 most 'civilian employees in the yards were not familiar with 

 the practical shipboard use of echo ranging and sound equip- 

 ment . 



During this period, the field engineers made in-the-water 

 checks of sound gear and cleared up difficulties arising 

 from the adaptation of new devices to existing equipment. 

 This surface-ship activity naturally evolved Into certain 

 assistance to operating bases in the continental United States, 



At the operating bases,, field engineers were asked to 

 assist in tactical operations,. In training facilities, 



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