Dutie s of Fiel d Engineers , 



While the problems of field engineering were complex and 

 variedj, it was possible to divide the functions of the Group 

 into four categories? 1) giving staff assistance, 2) detec- 

 tion of fundamental or type equipment difficulties s o) intro- 

 duction of new equipments 4) development of new systems and 

 techniques of using equipments 



The engineers' contact with the fleets had revealed to 

 them a serious and urgent need for better trained and better 

 informed personnel. Naval operations were badl;/ hampered 

 during the first part of the war by lack of training facil- 

 ities s inadequate technical information and inadequately 

 trained instruction personnel. Here was another problem for 

 the field Engineering Group „ 



As soon as the Group was organized, it went to work to 

 establish better Naval training facilities. It had ships 

 assigned to training activities and sent urgent reports to 

 Bu Ships on the need of more and better training facilities. 



Before the engineers could become instructors , they 

 often had to become familiar with a whole new field of 

 knowledge in a few days. For instance, one group of engi- 

 neers took a two-hour course on how to man sound gear and 

 fire control^ and how to helm and conn the ship,, The men 

 who had been recruited proved adaptable in learning tactical 

 as well as operational and electronic problems „ They could 

 discuss tactical and operational problems with the skipper, 

 answer questions on operation of gear 9 and instruct the crew 

 on adjusting sound range recorders and improving the ac- 

 curacy of target-hitting and depth charge dropping. 



In 1944, ComServPac requested the Group to help pre- 

 pare a curriculum for sonar maintenance at the Pearl Harbor 

 Radar School, This school was to train qualified radar 

 technicians to maintain shipboard sonar equipment. Some 

 students came from the Radar School, and others were taken 

 from ships, trained^ then returned to duty. 



The school opened on November 1, 1944 and field engineers 

 served temporarily as instructors until new instructors 

 were available from the ASW Training Center, 



Since the students who came from the ships knew what type 

 of gear they would have to work with when they returned, it 



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