The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-04-08
sMokELEss POWDER IN WAR.
1t Gives Many Advantages to the Side Max
ing the Attack.
[Iron Age.1


The introduction of snokeless powders
has had considerable to do with a change
of tactics on the field of battle. In the
absence of the smoke screen on both
sides the company officers not only find
it easier to work together, but can con-
troll their men and judge the effect of
their fire on the enemy to far greater
degree than was formerly possible.
From their point of view this increased
power of control more than compensates
the attack for the increased facility of
concealment smokeless powder confers
on the defense. 1t is true that the latter
also profits by the same increased power
of control, but they argue that from the
nature of things the defence, striving
only to prevent being beaten, whereas
the attack fights with the determination
to win, the latter is in a position to make
far better use Of this new powder than
the former. Put in another form, it
comes to this: The heavier and more
accurate the fire Whistling over trench,
the harder it is to make men raise their
heads over it to take aim. Smokeless
powder makes it easier for the attack to
deliver such fire; hence the difficulties
of the defence will be increased.
Further, in the absense of smoke, men
stationary on the defence cannot escape
the depressing influence of the dead and
wounded lying around them, but the
attack leaves all these evidences of the
fight behind it. So here again the ad-
vantage is on its side.
With reference to the question of the
use OF smokeless powders by the artil-
lery, the general idea seems to be that it
was all gain to the side which thought
more of killing its enemy than of avoid
ing being killed itself. 1t enormously
facilitates the maintenance of fire disci-
pline within the battery, permits of con-
tinuous fire even at the most rapid rate,
for no smoke interferes with the laying
of the guns, and above all things, cheers
the hearts of the men by enabling them
to see the results of their fire.
As means of concealment it is of no
use at all, for even at extreme ranges of
5000 yards and upward the fash Of dis
charge is always distintly visible, and at
fighting ranges the flash enables one to
note exactly the position of the enemy's
guns This was not always possible with
the old powders, for the smoke obscured
the object and prevented ones picking
up an exact point to aim at.
The artillery will be far from regret
ting the loss of the two clouds which
hung, one in front of their own and the
other in front of the enemy's guns.
Smoke is a cover added to that furnished
by the ground, and no one has ever been
anxious for his opponent to have covers
which he himself could not turn to ad-
vantage. If both are deprived of this
cover victory will belong to him who, all
else being equal, can most skillfully sup
ply the deficiency.
Maneuvres will hereafter probably
take place over larger areas before actual
fighting begins, and something of an In
mans craft and natural keenness will be
needed on the part of staff officers.
Smoke has been SO good cover on many
occasions that its absence will impose
new conditions, and natural cover will
have to be much more extensively util-
lied. With the vanishing poetry OF the
smoke battle the prose of new era will
| begin, in which combat will be more like
| game of chess, i'll view of the pieces as
| a whole, and new dispositions OF old
| qualities and virtues will be wanted.
| Caution will pay in sinokeless combat,
| enterprise and vigor will win as before,
but blunders viii receive a terrible pun
ishment, fatal to armies and ruinous to
nations dependent upon them