EXTERIOR BALLISTICS 1926

Thick 4to. (27 cm.) xx, 1-322p. Appendices A - E. Profusely (!!) illustrated with folding tables and folding drawings of trajectories. Red cloth with the title in gilt and double-blocked in gilt on the front cover and the title in gilt on the spine. Tipped on to the rear pastedown is the "First Class - 5th Month Lesson Assignment - 4 February - 2 March, 1929" by W.T. Smith, Commander, U.S. Navy. Wear to extremities with the corners just rubbed through, top and bottom of spine beginning to fray, covers lightly soiled, spine gilt dulled, cover gilt slightly dulled, both hinges cracked but still attached, pencil marginalia and pencil underlining throughout, as well as paper tabs affixed to certain pages (obviously used by a student of ballistics!), pp. vii & vii have been cleanly removed, all folding tables and drawing pretty much intact, else very good to near fine. No dust jacket. I collated the book and it is not clear at certain points whether a drawing or two may be missing at the rear, as some drawings appear in duplicate. "Exterior Ballistics, 1926, has been written for use in the instruction of midshipmen at the United States Naval Academy. This new book was needed to replace an earlier text-book in order to present the more recent developments in this subject, and to take advantage of instructional experience acquired in this Department. The longer ranges of modern gunnery, with greater angles of departure than were used for many years in our Navy, and the requirements of anti-aircraft gunnery, have introduced new problems not considered in the predecessors of this book. Exterior Ballistics, 1926, will supersede The Groundwork of Practical Naval Gunnery, Or Exterior Ballistics, 1915." [from the Foreword by Walter S Anderson, Captain, U.S. Navy] Most all you needed to know about exterior ballistics in 1926 written by the person who wrote THE textbook on the subject! Ernest Edward Herrmann was born July 17, 1896 in New York City. He entered the U.S. Naval Academy with the Class of 1919 on July 7, 1915. Because of World War I, he was graduated one year early and commissioned Ensign on June 6, 1918. Joining the armored cruiser SOUTH DAKOTA, he immediately saw combat service escorting troop convoys to France. After another brief tour in the armored cruiser, HUNTINGTON, he was ordered to the destroyer, WORDEN, where he served in several capacities, including Engineer and Executive Officer. Ordered to duty in connection with fitting out of the new destroyer HOPKINS in 1921, he progressed through the duties of Engineer, Gunnery, Navigator and Executive Officer to Commanding Officer before he was detached in 1924. There followed his first tour as an Ordnance and Gunnery instructor at the Naval Academy, during which time he wrote the textbook Exterior Ballistics, 1926 which was in use there for many years. As Rear Admiral Herrmann assumed duty in June 1950 as Superintendent of the U. S. Naval Postgraduate School at Annapolis, Md. He served in this capacity, where he was intimately involved in the completion an implementation of plans for the erection of new facilities and the moving of this institution to Monterey, California, until his death in November 1952 after the move had been smoothly and successfully completed in February of that year." [from the Program issued at the dedication of buildings 31 May 1956 at the United States Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, CA, where a building was named in his honor, Herrmann Hall.].…