The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1866-07-16
Military Exnerfenees.
BRrECH-IoApiNG RIFLES IN ACTION, AND VAST
SUPERIORITY or THE PsrSsIAN SMALL ARa.
From he London lines DULY

SUPERIORITY OF THE PsISSGAN M ALL ARA.
From he london Tines, July 4
Tho great Lesson 10 Le learned by military men from
the present IN Germany is tho irresistible FORTY
OF breechoading rifles IN action The Austrian army in
Bohemia supposed 10 be numerically stronger than
Prussan II contained far larger proportion ~ vet
eran soldiers and probably of scleutdc officers was
commanded by second in reputation TO no general
in Europe, 1t WIS fighting on the eensve for canse
which, against tho invaders Is good one, and in
country of which the population is loyal 10 the House OF
Hspeburg and yet has6een gradually driuen Tack Nth
loss estimated by the I,sans at thirty or tery thousand
men, and said D. be greatly dspi cd ty the series Of
rece'ss hich il has sustained II was for some timo
supposed that 'stategcal reasons of an unexplained
and mysterious nature might have induced Marshal
Benedck TO fall back, point By point towards position
selected by himself for general engagement This
supposton no longer tenable II is Altogether in
credible that such resistance as was offered by the
Ausrians at Skalicz, Trautenau and MnnchengraN
feint after all, that Gitschin allowed to be
storrned and Prince Frederick Charles to effect juno
ton with the Crown Prince in the hope or drawing the
enemy to the battle ground between Koniggratz and
Josephstadt where nothing but decisive victory could
avail Austria and where crushing defeat might open TO
the Prussians TO Vienna In these sangunary
fcts the Austrian troops fought obstinacy and we'll but
all the that have reached usby the rapid
fire Of ne Prussian Infantry From FIRST 10 last IL s the
needle gun that has apparently carried the day and the
different quality. In principle as well as in constrnc
tfon not to be compared with several breech ding
rifles manufactured by Engsh makers; but, imperfect
Is has proved quito good enough 10 secure victory
for the Prssans in almost every encounter III VIC refer
70 the letter Of our correspondent at headquarters
the First Prussan army find ample proofs Of its
traordinary effect 1t was this which mainly enabled
the Prussans TO force the passage Of the bridge over
the Iser Podol between Turnau and Munche ngratz
The Austrans had occupied tho village through winch
the road passes towards the bridge and commanded all
the approaches from windows and barrcadcs thrown
across the street. But the Prussan r1emen "dred
about three times before the Austrans armed only with
muzze loading rifles, were able TO reply" This more
than compensated Tor any disadvantage In numbers
position, and the Austrians seem 20 have been COM
pletely overma,ched in the street, the Austrian
soldiers hudded together and encsnslered wih clvms
ramyods unable to load with case, and could
turn adequate IRE TO that OF the Prussans, while
quick voileys into an almost defenceiess It
the same at the railway bridge, about two hundred
yards distant where like struggle was going on stimuli.
taneously Here, too" says correspondent the
needle gun showed its advantage the old fashioned
weapons Of the Ausrans for the latter fell In the pro
retreated leaving most IL ALL OF their killed and
wounded on the field; and was found that not only
was the number Of Austrian dead much greater but that
in the hospitals tte proportion of re,ded Auerd 10
rounded Prusiaas ,rGs a. ere % o,s@"
These startling resuits and get they more
than any unfettcred by military prejudices world
have anticipated Thore may be stin some lingering
doubts among Old hands TO whether breech-loader
shoots as .hard--n other words carries quite far
as but the better opinion is that II held
straight IL Is fully equal to lie awkward rival in this
respect while no one ever ventured 10 doubt that docs
much greater execution Now battle strongly resembles
battue, with this difference that GOODNESS and se-poe
session are far rarcr and Of far more importance II
sporismen are often furred by the difficulty Of load
ing fas; enough while birds getting up all
sides, how can young soldiers be expected 10 keep
thetr nead9 clear ana thelr hands steady the
of ramming down while they are themselves under
Gre From this point OF view another remark made by
correspondent with the Prussan deserves ser
consideration. II is not only In rardty or discharge
and in safety Of loading tina. breech loading rifles
pass muzzlcoaicrs but also Ia acreage direction Of
ana "a with musket on the nipple of which he
has TO place naturally raises tie muzzlo In the air
the hurry excitement ~ action often forgets
10 lower IT, and only sends HIS bullet over the heads o.
The opposite ranks while the soldier armed with
breech- loading mnsiet keeps his muEzle down,
and II in haste he fires u OF without raising tho
often low and proof OF this Is that very many OF tho
Austrian prisoners arc wounded In the legs The only
objection indeed which Is urged against tho hre CHI
loading system for weapons TO be used war that
itself II is said that regiments would Gre
their ammunition so fast that Il would be impossible TO
keep them supplied This Is much as 10 that SOL
ders must be exposed TO the certainty OF beng
down by enemies firing three shot 10 their because
Otherwise ammunition might be wasted, and the
Of transport must be increased IL might be SUFFICIENT 20
reply that In the PrusIan army these Obstacles not
found insupcrble but where is decisive
OF question IL seems needless 10 invoke experience.
Without experience. however, no reform involving
considerable expeBse likely 70 lind favor with heads Of
departments this country. IL ~ this ground that
we have invited attention the experiments which have
lately tried the largest scale in real warfare aud
now earnestly represent the urgent necessity OF
proAng by them. II but last month that Marshal
Benedek encouraged Ma troops dsps the alIeg supe-
rorty o. Pru's,an trcas and 10 rely On ne oayo, and
already me conequenco Every knows that
bayonets are seldom actually crcssed when they
crossed by means follows that those who carry the
worst ri1es will give the most vigorous thrust, and
before they crossed u Is cr,an that rapidly or ERE
will ten fatally. With these facts before Us no. day
should b. lost in ar,ning iHfdnty 10TH brceh-
ioadrs of s bea ar1idlle plffcrn There Is oncal
Ia the War Department who would himself think Of
using muzzlc-oader in cover shooting 10 he had the
option Of breech-loader who would like 10 confront
with the former enemy provided with the latter.
Then why delay 70 place the better wespon In the hands
OF our nrmyf The smaller the force maintain
compared with our ncighbors, and the greater the di
Guilty We experience in recruiting It, the more essential u
Is that we should forthwith appropriate an improvements
which muliipes iis effective strength, and makes one
man, under certain circumstances. match for two
three whether the single hrecch-loader, some re-
peatng rife like that 81 Spencer adopted In tho United
states, would on the whole be more serviceablo Is
matter TO be discussed by professional connosscurs.
Spcnccrs rife is ''scvcn shooter and all scven
charges are put In nj once into chamber In the stock
but the brecc must DO opened after each shot 70 get
rid of the empty cartridge Il Is possible that very little
time s gained and some risk Of arrangement incurred
by this additional complication. kuch points may safely
be eft 20 the Judgment OF scientific officers but the ex
pcdlency OF substituting brrech leaders FOR muzze-
leaders Is another affair Scientific officers viii never
succeed by themselves forcing the change upon the
authorities and the only power capable Of doing 20 " the