The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1877-05-24
The 9ailg Argus,
ROCK rsEAED 49,. -. .TLLIaoIs
THE KRUPp GUNS.
What they are. and whst Gave then,
their Reputation
From The Louisgille- Uoarfs, .1ournai


1t is not quite certain whether Krupp has
given reputation to the Prussian artillery,
or the Prussiau artillery has given
quick reputation to Krupp. 1t is GER
tain. however, that in the last ten years
part krupp's system of breech loading
viable reputation 1t is also certain that
much repute even if it had cone to them
slower. The Krupp !guns are made OF
cast steel, composed of puddled steel and
pure wrought iron, melted in crucibles and
then run into large ingots, which are
worked under powerful steam hammers.
La loading. the breach block is drawn out
only far enoughto allow the charge and
proiectile to pass through hole in its
end; an exterior lever, working on a hinge,
starts the block, which, being guided by
proper grooves, can b. readily moved in or
out.
The various calibers are forged from a
singleslngot up to the nine, inch gun. The
larger guns sare built up by tshrinking
successive hoops of steel over
a central steel tube, and in these a
slight modification is made so that
the charge and rojectile are inserted at the
side of the breech instead OF through the
end. The larger calibers are from six to
eight, eight to nine, nine to ten, eleven,
twelve, and fourteen inches The heaviest
krupp guns used at the siege of Paris
were six inch, weighing about 5000
pounds, aud firing fifty FIVE to sixty pound
projeetiles, and they were opposed to the
heaviest French naval guns. Both the
French and Prussians attribute the sue
cess OF the prussians IN their late war to
| the excellence of the latters artillery,
which. whenever practicable, was
employed III mass; but there
is no question that the SUI
periority of the Prussian field guns was
very much enhanced by the skillful manner
in which they were-handled Many of the
battles Of that war were artillery combats
in which the Krupp gun bore a CON
spicuous part. The attack on MacMahon
at Worth was made under cover of a
battery OF ninety-six guns. At Gravelotte
over 800 guns, mostly ot!the krupp make.
played upon the French infantry and
forced it to retire. At Sedan $50 guns
brought death to 10000 Frenchmen. All
through that war the cannon roar sounded
the praises Of the Krupp gun.
The Krupp projectiles are of cast steel,
lead -coated, and take the rifing of four
raised rings on their surface. The deep
grooves cut into the steel to retain the
lead reduce the strength of the shells sc
much that they can contain only very sma
bursting charges compared with those Of
some other guns. Thus the Armstrong
aud Whitworth 8 inch shells carry charge,
from ten to fourteen pounds, while tn,
krupp 9-iHch shell contains a charge O
only four pounds The S-inch seacoas
Krupp gun sending 209-pouud projectile
is used with great effect up to 800 yard
against ships covered by four and-a-halt
inch plates, and at same rage the nine-incl
gun, with 297- pounds projectiIe, doe
: serious injury to siX-iuch armor plates
Fourteen inch guns have been made b,
Krupp. which, with l50-pound charge
fire shells weighing 1850 pounds, ex
elusive OF shell charge of II pounds. or
J solid shot weighing 1912 pounds. Thes
large guns, with carriage and turn-table
} weigh about 80 tons; the gun alone weigh
ing liz, 900 pounds, which is not quite S
much as the American twenty-inch Roc
man gun. The English consider ste,
guns dangerous, and this objection migf
. attach to the Krupp gun we're it not ths
the Rodman prismatic powder, which give
p extremely low pressure, is exclusivel
used for them Nearly all the Europea
powers have adopted the krupp syste.
r for their heavy guns, and the Krupp fel
pieces are now in very general use. Tu
= key, Roumania and Servia were anon
the first to follow the example of Prussia
this respect, and Turkey is now we
supplied with field artillery of this cha
acter.