The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-07-23
THE PRUssIAN NEEDLE.GON.
Military Experiences.

",
SUPERIORITY OF THE PRUssIAN SMALL ARM.
From the London Times, July4.
The great lesson to be learned By military men
from the present war in Germany is the irresisti.
bic superiority OF breech-l odng rifles in action.
The Austrian army In Bohemia was supposed to
be numerically stronger than the Prusslan; it
contained a lar larger proportion OF veteran
soluIeTs and probably OF scientific officers: it
was commanded by man second IN reputation
to no general IN Europe; it was lighting on the
defensive for a cause which, as against the
invaders, IS good one, and in a country or
which the population is loyal 20 the House OF
Hapsburg and yet 1t has been gradually driven
back, with loss estimated by the Prussians at
thirty or iorty thousand men, and is now SAID to
be greatly dispi1ted by the series of reYerses
which II has sustained. 1t was for some time
supposed that 'strategical reasons OF an uneX.
planned and mysterious nature might have
induced Marshal Benedek to fall back, point by
point towards posit on selected by himself for
algeneral engagement. Ths supposltlon Is no
longer tenable. IL is altogether incredible that
such a resistance as was offered by the
AustTians at Skalicz, TIautenau, and Muuchen-
gratz was teint, alter ALL or that Gltschin was
allowed TO be stormed, and Prince Frederick
Charles to effect junction with the Crown
Prince in the hope OF drawing the enemy to the
battle-ground between Koniggratz and Joseph
stadt, where nothing but decisive victory
could avail Austria and where crushing de-
feat might open 10 the Prussians a way 70
Vienna. In THESE sangunary conflicts the
Austrian troops foup mt o oostinately and we'll, but
they were fairly beaten-and they were beaten,
according to ali the accounts that have reached
us, by the more rapid ire of the Prussian
infantry. From first to last 1t is the needle.gun
that has apparently carried the day, and the
ncedle-gun Is simply a breech-loading rifle OF
very indifferent quality. In principle, as well
az in construction, it is net to be compared
with several breech-loadiug rifles manufactured
by English makers; but imperfect as it is, it has
proved quite good enough 20 secure victory for
the Prussions in almost every encounter. we
r,'er to the letter of our correspondent at the
headquarters of the First Prussan army, we find
ample proofs OF its extraordinary effect. 1t was
this which manly enabled the Prussians to
force the passage OF the bridge over the lser at
Podoll, between TuInau ana MuncbengralZ. The
Austrians had occupied the village through
which the road passes towards the bridge,
and commanded all the approaches IRON
windows and barricades thrown up across
the street. But the Prusslan rilemen
"fired about three times before the Austrians,
armed only with muZzleloading rifles, we're able
10 reply" This more than compensated Tor any
disadvantage IN numbers or position, and the
Austrians seem to have been completely over
matcned. 'In the street, the Austrian soldiers,
huddled together and encumbered with clumsy
ramrods, were unable TO load with ease, and
could return no adequate fire TO that OF the
Prussians, while these. from the advantage of
better arm, poured their quick vOlegs into an
almost delenseless crowd 1t was the same at
the railway bridge, about two hundred yards
distant, where a like struggle was going on
respondent, The needle.gun showed its adYan.
tage over the old-iashIoned weapons OF the
Austrians; for the latter fell in the proportion OF
six to one Pruslan.' At last the former re.
treated, leaving most if not all, OF their Killed
and wounded on the field; and it was found that
not only was the number OF Austrian dead much
greater, but that in the hospitals 'the proper
tion OF wounded Austrians to wounded Pruosans
was as five to one"
These are startling results, and yet they are no
more than any one unfettered by military pre-.
JUDGES would have anticipated. There may be
still some lingering doubts among old hands as
to whether bIeech-oader shoots as "hardn-
in other words, carries quite as far-as muzzle-
loader but the better opinion is that, II held
STRAIGHT, it is fully equal to its awkward rival
in this respect, while no one ever ventuIed to
doubt that it docs much greater execution.
Now, a battle strongly resembles battue with
this difference that GOODNESS and seltpossesslon
are far rarer and of far more importance. If
sportsmen are often hurried by the difficulty OF
loading fast enough while birds are getting
up on all sides, how can young soldiers be
expected to keep their heads clear and their
hands steady in the process OF rammlng down
while they are themselves under fire? From
this point of view, another remark made by our
correspondent with the Prusslan army de-
serves serious consideration 1t Is not only
in rapidity of discharge and in safety OF
loading, that breech-loading rifles surpass
muzzle-loaders, but also in the average
direction of aim. "a man with musket on
the nipple of which he has to place cap natu'
rally raises the muZzle in the air, and i'll the
hurry and excitement of action often iorgets to
lower it and only sends his bullet over the
heads of the opposite ranks while the soldier
armed with breech-loadng musket keeps his
muzZle down, and if in haste he fires 1t of
without raising the butt to his shoulder his shol
still takes effect, though often low; and proof
of this is that very many Of the Austrian pri
soners are wounded in the legs" The only
objection, indeed, which is urged against the
breech loading system Tor weapons to be USED il
war isone that answers itself. 1t Is said thai
regiments would fire away their ammunition SC
fast 1t would be impossible TO keep them sup
phed. This is as much as to say that soldiers
must be exposed to the certainty OF being mowI
down by enemies firing three shots to their one
because otherwise ammunition might be wasted
and the means of transport must be increased
II might be sufficient to reply that in the Prus
sian army these obstacles are not found lnsu
perable, but where common sense is DECISIVE
of a question it seems needless to invoke eXpe
TienCe.
Without experience, however, no reform in
yolying considerable expense is likely 70 flint
favor with heads oil departments in this country
1t Is on this ground that we have invited atteu
tioD to the experiments which have lately beel
tried on the largest scale in real warfare, AM
we now most earnestly represent the urgent ne
cessity of profting by them. 1t was but las
month that Marshal Benedek encouraged hi
troops 10 despise the alleged superiority OF Pru;
sian firearms, ard to rely on the bayonet, an
we already see the consequences. Every ON
knows that bayonet are seldom actually crossed
when they are crossed 1t by no means follow
that those who carry the worst rifles will giY
the most vigorous thrust, and before they ar
crossed it is certain that rapidty of lire Will tel
fatally. With these facts before not q da
should be lost in arming our own infantry wit
breech-loaders OF the best available pattern
There is no official in the War Department VIII
would himself think of using muzzle-loader il
cover shooting If he had the option of breecl