The Brookhaven leader., 1889-02-14
RAPID-FiRE CANNON.
Remarkable Success Of John Bulls Latest
Instrument of Warfare.

Remarkable Success Of John Bulls Latest
Instrument of Warfare.
Information has been received in this
country through military channels Oh
the complete success of the trial OF tho
new English Armstrong 6-inch rapid
fire gun. This gun is a development OF
the Armstrong 4. 72-inch rapid-ire gun,
which succeeded in throwing in | min
ute and 40 seconds 10 proiectiles, each
capable of piercing 9 inches OF iron.
The wonderful success of the latter
gun commonly known as "the rapid
firing 3G-pounder," gave the British an
advantage in naval warfare which for
eign officers were quick TO perceive.
1t was found that the proiectiles which
could be fired with such extraordinary
rapidity weighed no less than IS pounds
and had a velocity of 2,073 foot seconds,
and were capable of penetrating 9
inches of iron and = feet OF oak and
teak. The whole weight of the gun is
only 1900 pounds.
Notwithstanding the efficiency OF the
4.72-inch gun, it was decided by the
British Ordnance Board to construct u
G-inch rapid-fire gun on the same plan
as the former. The question imme-
diately arose: VIII a 6-inch Armstrong
resist the heat resulting from a fire of
such rapidly? As result OF the trial
it has been found that the gun has
stood intact the enormous pressure to
which it has been subjected, and IN
stead of forty-five pound projectiles the
British now have gun which will
throw, with almost the same rapidity,
projectiles weighing ITO pounds, with
a penetration of ten and half inches
of iron ard four feet of oak and teak.
The powder charge is nearly fOrtytwo
pounds in weight and the chamber
pressure over seventeen and a half
tons.
The great advantage possessed by
these British rapid-fire guns is the
rapidity with which they can be load
ed and fired. For some time past the
1,7O0-ton class of British cruisers have
relied upon them almost wholly for
class, for instance, asking for no better
battery.
The new torpedo cruiser Rattle
snake, of the British service, carries
forward on her forecastle her only gun,
which consists of a rapid-iire gun hav-
ing a range of five miles. The Rattle
snake, which has II speed of twenty
two knots an hour, is able to work this
gun, in an ordinary sea way, while
running at her highest rate of speed.
In no particular are tho rapid-fire
guns so advantageous as when en-
ployed in repeling tOrpedo-boat night
attacks or in clearing beach of an
enemy sheltered behind intrenchments
and earthworks. In the engagement
at Sualiim the other day the Racer and
Starting used their rapid-fre guns with
more than usual success, and were in
strumcntal in contributing not small
part to the victory of General Gren-
fell.
Several attempts have been made to
introduce this British gun into the
American service, but so far nothing
exactly like it has been adopted. The
American service is depending in
the main on Hotchkiss' revolving
cannon, Hotchkiss quick fire guns,
and Cuttings for its secondary
batteries. A rapidity of ten
shots in one minute has been OBJ
tanned from the thirty three FOUNDER
IIotchkiss, with Il penetration of eight
inches of iron. This is good result,
but officers doubt the ability OF the
Hotchkiss to stand the same heat
strain under continued fire as the Arm
strong rapidfre gun.
The five-mile range of the rapid fire
guns makes it extremely difficult for
the swiftest torpedo-boat to approach
a. vessel armed with these guns with
oi7t being torn to pieces by the inces-
Sc ut rain of solid shot they are capable
of throwing. They are breech-load-
ing, and are worked either by steam
or ha nd brakes. Six men only are re-
quired to work them effectively.
These guns may be said to be an i'm
provement on the Hotchkiss in the
same way that the HOtchkiss is an i'm
provement on the Gatling and Gard
ner. The superiority of the rapid-fire
gun is in its ability to throw heavy
metal at rate which exceeds any
mo dcrn gun of single-firing capacity.
The, HOtchkiss can throw ten shots per
minute from the 33-pounder, but the
accuracy with which ten shots in one
minute and forty seconds can be
thrown from the rapid-shotgun, to say
nothing of the increase in metal, far
exceeds the rain of lighter projectiles
from tho Hotchkiss. However, nldg-
ing from the familiarity with which
the details of the British rapid-fire
CUR are being discussed, it need not
cause surprise if an improved type of
the piece is seen aboard one of the
new American cruisers before long
n Y. Times.