The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1891-05-22
A sMoKELEss BATTLEFIELD.
How the Army Will. Be- Affected by the
--., 2, .s- New Powder. O. .

.,.. .. D., We New POwder. ~
In the ensemble of battle and in the
practice of following its different phases
the smoke of the field has been useful
auxiliary to the. commander-in-chief.
The clouds and puffs floating over the
lines of fire, which he followed from his
post of obscrvatlon-usually an elevated
one, where the atmosphere remained
clear-certified the troops engaged, re-
vealed to his praoticed eye an estimate
of the adversary's forces, and showed
him step by step the fluctuations of the
battle. In fact, they often told him
more than the delayed reports of aides
de-camp.
But powder without smoke is now an
establishedfact. Artillery and infantry
open fire, and no smoke is visible! A
single shot from the skirmish line is
henreforth absolutely imperceptible,
and a salvo from the line of infantry at
800 yards onl y produces a thin blue
white vapor like tobacco smoke, that
vanishes almost instantly. In no in
stance, not even in the firing Of heavy
ordnance, is the vapor dense enough to
indicate even at short firing range, the
position of artillery or infantry.
These facts and others showing the
lnsidious properties of the new agent in
modern warfare were discussed at
length at recent meeting of military
board in the Army building, when it
hnt he
should be tested officially at Springfield
with a view to it's introduction into the
American army. OF course, powder
without smoke cannot become the priv
ilege of the American army. European
nations have taken up the problem, and
several of them boast of having a form
ula of their own. Hence advantages
and disadvantages attending its use on
the field of battle will be common to
both sides. Each acquiresa better view
of his adversary, but loses the protec-
ton that veil of smoke afforded him.
A priori one can judge how doubly i'm
portant becomes the advantage of be-
lug the first to see the enemy, unseen
by him, if possible.
In spite of all the precautions which
may be taken to discard those details
in the uniform that might mark too
conspicuously the presence of troop,
surprises-and surprises are common
occurrences in war-will be much
easier to effect than before. The side
that first receives the fire will suffer a
serious disadvantage, for some time
must elapse before it can ascertain
whence comes the attack, and the
forces belonging to either side, though
not two miles away, may know nothing
of the skirmish.
Owing to the distance that two armies
preserve during the preliminaries of
combat, cavalry is intrusted with the
honor of getting information-a peril
GUS trust at best, when it is considered
that a mounted troop is not easily kept
out of sight, and that the. chances are
against its being the first to discover
well-intrenched advance post. More
over if it is true that in recent wars the
increased improvement of quick firing
arms has diminished the efficiency of
the cavalry role, it's future charge with
out the protection of smoke to cover its
advance is looked upon as problematic.
The results of the new powder in
what concerns infantry are doubtful, so
much depends on the quality of the
troops. AS long as he is ambushed the
infantry soldier will be myth; firing
at six hundred yards, his shot will
neither be seen nor heard, only felt
But, it is stated by army officers, his
role is not to remain stationary. He
must advance and show himself No
longer protected by cloud of smoke,
he will have to face fusillade tenfold
more appalling than Antietam or Get
tysburg. Then?
Artillery, say the veterans, gains
everything by operating in a clear field.
Before it worked blindfolded; the en-
emy's smoke served as aim, and it was
often deceptive. Now the exact posi-
ton of the opposed artillery will be
visible. With even chances, when once
battery has attained precision in its
aim, which before could but imperfectly
be determined on account of smoke, it
will serve as guide to neighboring bat
teries, and thus the fire will be concen-
trated and more effective. So that. the
artillery, if not the infantry and caval-
~, would seem to be the gamer by the
great material transition from much
smoke to no smoke at all.-N.,Y. Times.