Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1890-04-16
SMOKELESS POWDER.
How It's Introduction VIII Affect Exiat
ing War Tactics.

now It's introduction VIII Affect EHtat~
ing War Tactics.
To-day the principal powers all pos
sess their smokeless powders. The Ger
mans tried theirs in the maneuvers OF
last year, and we are going to do the
same thing next autumn. The practical
study OF this marvellous product Is no
less important than its discovery. A
noteworthy point is the physiological
action exercised upon the soldiers by
the results of the combustion of this
powder Although it makes no smoke,
it. nevertheless, emits gases whose in
visibility does not hinder their action
upon the organism. In some armies the
men have been considerably troubled by
the carnations of this powder. With us
no such effect has as yet been noticed;
but we can not say for a certainty that
our powder is harmless in this respect
until We have experimental with rapid
firing by large numbers of men, as in
the case of maneuvers.
AS to the consequence Of the uso of
the new powder from tactical point of
view, tho thing which appears best es-
tablished for an infantry engagement is
that the absence of smoke will render
the combat more murderous at short
When the two contending races become
close enough to see each other mutually,
the smoke forms between them curtain
which conceals them from each other,
and obliges them to fire almost at ran
dom. But when the distance is great
enough to render man scarcely dis
cernable, the smoke on each side facili-
tates the direction of the fire. 1t is
hot x.yst thn NJ
whose introduction, accompanies that
OF the smokeless powder, combat at
short range must bring about in few
moments the humiliation Of one of
the two forces, if not of both. Such
n close engagement can only &C.
cur when one Of tho two parties be-
comes sufficiently broken to be unable
to hinder the advance of the other. The
decisive attack must he prepared by
combat engaged and sustained at a
greater distance than any that we have
witnessed up to the present.
The preparation Of the attack becom-
ing, therefore, more necessary than
ever, the artillery which this prepare
ton especially concerns, must gain inn
portance. Its fire. moreover, will be
greatly facilitated both by the absence
of that Of the infantry. 1t will be easier
for it to aid up to the last moment it's
own troops in the assault Of an enemy's
position, because the absence Of smoke
will enable it to distinguish friends
from foes.
The general direction of operations
will become more difficult. The alb
sence Of smoke and the reduced noise Of
Al Ia %
marching by the sound of a cannon. 1t
will be necessary, in order to get an
idea Of the situation at a distance, to
examine it directly from some elevated
point. This will render still more nee
essary the use of artificial observatorics
and Of captive or even free balloons.
The fields OF battle that smoke
will no longer cover will also be more
easy to examine from an elevation.
With the new explosives future battles
must necessarily be more decisive when
the troops become closely engaged. Re-
treat will be some thing impossible for
the defeated. Shattered by the pro-
jectiles of the conquerors, whose fire
will no longer be, as in times past,
masked by it's own smoke, the runa-
ways would risk certain destruction,
and the smallest defeat must change
into q rout, if not II disaster. Hence
the important fact that at the moment
of going into action the commanders OF
an army and the officers of all degrees
must feel more kccnly the increased
weight of their responsibilities The
chances OF success will, therefore, be
with those who will be best able to sup
port these responsibilities; so that, in
fine, character will remain more thar
ever the chief quality to be looked fol
among the officers of all grades.
Cor. n. Y. Sun.