The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-11-08

The superstition that troops can be exposed
to fire without knowing whence it comes.
is more or less %fanciful in the opinion OF
General Miles and the best military tao
ticians in Washington.
1t is admitted that with the suppression
Of smoke the advance against a position
will no doubt be somewhat more difficult
than formerly, but the danger will not be
greater until within 500 or 600 yards of the
enemy. Beyond this point, when distances
can be judged with less difficulty, when the
errors of aiming are small, and where the
trajectory Of the bullets of the new army
gun will be altogether dangerous, 1t will
whether smokeless or n~onsmokeless powder
is used. With high-powdered guns, capable
OF terrific TIN ~, Xeiocities and a,a greater Is w afGq ba ~
the greatest benefit to soldiers to have a
clear field, without a cloud or smoke, SO
that long-distance aiming can be done and
a good target mad of the enemy. The alb
sence of smoke, the army says, will be of
material advantage to the defender who
can occupy positions which give cover,
while those attacking must very often. if
not always, advance unconcealed. In some
cases formation OF ground might enable
them to approach under cover, but these
are exceptional. and sooner or later he
must disclose himself.
Whatever result smokeless powder may
have when infantry is fighting ii is quite
clear to the army that 1t will exercise con-
siderable influence on the other two arms
the artillery and the cavalry. The advan-
tages which it will confer on the artillery
are set forth by ordnance officers as fol-
lows: 1t leaves a clear field OF fire and
will render it possible, therefore, when fir
ing upon artillery to distinguish the guns
from the intervals and to keep the fire of
ones W guns directed on the former. The
observation Of the fire will also be SIM
plified, while with the new powder the eff
feet of projectileS which burst in the rear
Of the smoke of the enemy's guns could
not be seen. The effect of long range fire
will also be as easily observed as at short.
When the artillery is employed in an open
country it will be more difficult to conceal
1t. while the smoke formerly screened it
from view. The movements of batteries, it
is claimed, will be more difficult, since no
advantage can be taken of the smoke.
1t is possibly an exaggeration to say, as
many officers have who look upon the in
PRODUCTION of smokeless powder as neces-
stating a direct change in the present
tactics, that the cavalry will be rendered
valueless on the battlefield. This same
opinion was expressed, the army men say.
when firearms were introduced, and still
the cavalry remains an important factor
in all military organizations. Some of the
closest students or the art of war contend
that the cavalry will not appear on the
battlefield i'm the next great wars, but will
be reserved solely to screen the infantry
and for accommodating purposes. Others
contend that, as men on horses are higher
above the ground than infantrymen, they
have better opportunities of seeing what is
before them. regarduess of smoke clouds,
and hat when the time for the cavalry
comes to act it makes no difference wheth-
er the enemy is concealed by waves of
black smoke or standing in plain view.