Meat Ball

Until next July 1, whenever Capt. Adolphus Eugene Watson of the U. S. S. New Mexico gives orders that her 15-ton anchors be dropped, he will give another order also. Immediately his seamen will hoist to the ship's foretruck what they call the "Meat Ball." The original Meat Ball from which it is copied last week remained by official order in its glass case in the New Mexico's wardroom mess. It is a 15-ft. red silk pennant with a black disc in its field, known to bigwigs as the Battle Efficiency Pennant, high Navy Department honor awarded annually to the battlecraft making the best class score in gunnery, communications and engineering combined. Three consecutive years has the

New Mexico won it and the right to inscribe her name in the black disc, though last year the Maryland tied the winning score, shared the honor, flew a replica on alternate days. Proud was Capt. Watson, experienced in battle-efficiency, recipient of the Navy Cross as executive officer of the U. S. S. Florida in the War Zone to see the "Meat Ball" stay aboard the New Mexico during his first competitive year in command.

For excellence in communications and gunnery, the New Mexico received other trophies last week. For gunnery she was entitled to paint a white "E" on her fire-control tower. Not since 1928 has she won the engineering trophy and a white "E" for her stack. That "E" was displayed proudly last week by the Utah, and beside it an "E" of red for engineering improvement.

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