Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1866-08-03
The Prussian Needle Gun.

The Prussian Needle Gun.
The terrible battle of Sadowa, which has
almost crushed the military strength of Aus
tria, and raised her Prussian rival to lofty
rank among the first class powers, has de-
monstrated above all other things, the fear
full efficiency of the now famous "Zuend ma
del gewehr," or explosive needle gun, the
weapon par excellence of King Williams
army. The entire press of Continental Eu-
rope, including the Berlin and Viennese, as
well as the Paris journals, are unanimous in
ascribing largely to the rapidity, accuracy
and force with which missiles can be hurled
by this new arm, the unbroken series of sue
cesses that has made the southwark march
of the Prussian host one long triumphal
progress. The discipline, docility and steady
carriage of the North German soldiery, and
the energy and ability Of their princely COM
manders-in-chief, have indeed formed the in
dispensable groundwork of this success, but
the Austrians, too, have been heroically
brave, and were marshalled by tried leaders
Of the highest experience and talent on bat
tle-fields of their own choosing, yet the re-
suit has in every instance, been the same,
viz: not merely the defeat but the rout of
the Kaiser's troops.
In 1859, the latter fought with the utmost
stubbornness and skill against the legions of
France and Piedmont but they were crush
ed not merely by the impetuous valor of
their opponents. but also by the distant and
rapid hammering of the rihed artillery, there
and then introduced into modern warfare
by the French Emperor 1t seems to be
Austria's fortune, and, apparently, one of
| the inevitable consequences that flow from
bar OIL md rno inno ho
| shall suffer at the hands of advancing sci
ence. With less routine, red tapeism and
distrust of everything and everybody, she
might Just as well have had both the rifle
cannon and needle gun long ago. The breech
loading principle, which is one of the main
points about the new gun, was recognized as
early as 1905, and the "gun with "a dis
charges" i.e., discharging "a shots in one
succession, was known in 1867. But the
empire, like the house that governs it, is pro-
verbal for never learning and never forget
ting anything. Hence, with all its ambition
to be the leading German military power, ii
has not kept up with the spirit of the age,
and for that reason, chiefly, in military as
well as in a moral point of view, lies pros
trate at the feet of its competitor.
In Marshal Benedek's order of the day
promulgated to his soldiers at the opening
|
to him and his, he referred with rash disdain
to the certainty of utterly defeating the
Prussians at the point of the bayonet, not
withstanding the vaunted weapons Of the
enemy. Had this disdain been well found
ed, which there is much reason to doubt
since at the great battle of Sadowa the heavy
Prussian infantry easily overcame their
slighter and feebler opponents at close quar-.
ters, the needle gun nearly always rendered
anear approach impossible in sufficient force
to make any serious impression.
Says an official German gazette: "The
Prussian lines often arranged in three ranks
as in the time of Frederick the Great, and
contrary to the directions of their present
manual, allowed their enemy to approach tC
the distance of about $50 PAGES, the officers
forbidding the men to fire, and never omit
ting an order to keep themselves in bend
ing or crouching attitude, so as to afford the
less surface to the hostile fusillade. But the
moment the enemy had reached that limit
they were received with five or six volley:
fired one upon the other, with that eXtraor
dinary rapidity which distinguishes breech
loading weapons. The carnage thus pro.
duced would be so dreadful, that the Aus
trians, despite the most desperate bravery
on the part of officers and men alike, were
compelled to recoil in confusion. What was
so destructive to infantry, was even worss
for the splendid cavalry of which the Kaiser
army has always made its proudest boast
The Prussian cavalry had simply to wal
for its advance under general discharge
from the "Zuend nadel gewehr," and ther
charge in upon the broken and disordereC
ranks. Notwithstanding the splendid Aus
tran artillery, the plan thus described inva
riably prevailed, and the Austrians were
scattered like chafl, leaving an average o
eight killed and wounded to one Prussian OF
the field.
Observing these tremendous results, every
military government in Europe has instant
ly set about providing its armies with breecl
loading muskets, rifles and carbines, ant
there is some reason to suspect that Prus
sia's hesitation to accede to an immediate
armistice, is an apprehension lest the Aus
trians should avail themselves of it to fur
nish their troops with similar if not better
weapons. The war ministry of Vienna have
already ordered many thousand of Spencer
repeating rifles, made in this country. ant
her neighbors, allies and sympathizers will
quickly follow suit Opposition writers whit
are fond of attacking Napoleon III, decar,
) that he had repeatedly rejected models o
needle guns during the past ten years, bu
that he is now ludicrously alarmed at tn,
awful ELECTS OF that much sighted invention
On the other hand, it is alleged that expert
ments have been continually in progress a
Vincennes, and that more than 100 different
= systems, each better than the preceding one
have been tested, until now well nigh per
) feet article, far superior to the Prussian riff
has been produced, with, which the Frencl
army is being rapidly provided.
In England the subject has been taken NJ
with characteristic energy, and the who'll
regular and volunteer force of the United
Kingdom is to be furnished with the mos
approved weapon of the kind that can b'
manufactured. The British Army and Ma
Wy Gazette, states that the Snider Enfield
rifle can be fired fifteen times Il minute, Will,
the extreme rate of the Prussian needle gun
is not more than or Shots
} In this country we have numerous riva
patents of breech-loadiIg repeating rifles
: all claiming to be greatly superior to tn
Prussian wonder, and we judge from its pas
) enterprise in that respect, that the Unite,
, States war department win see that all tn
J troops mustered into our service, shall hav