Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1897-02-04

De no protecting cloud Of smoke to
conceal him, and should the enemy
have found cover, he on his side is
more vulnerable than when the smoke
showed his position. The supposition
that troops can be exposed to fire with
out knowing whence it comes is more
Or less fanciful, in the opinion OF
General Miles AMI the best military
tacticians in Washington.
It is admitted that with the sup
preston 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 900 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 ~
new army gun will be altogether
less or non-smokeless powder is used.
With high-powdered guns capable of
terrific velocities and greater accuracy
than the old wartime pieces, it will be
one of the greatest benefit to soldiers
to have a clear field, without a cloud
Of smoke, so that long distance aiming
can be done and a good target made of
the enemy. The absence of smoke.
the army says, will be of material adj
vantage to the defender, who can oc-
cupy positions which give cover, while
those attacking must very often. if not
always, advance concealed. In some
cases formation of the 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 it
is quite clear to the army that it will
exercise considerable influence on the
other two armies-the artillery and
cavalry. The advantages which it
will confer on the artillery are set forth
by ordnance officers as follows: It
The effect of long range fire will also
leaves a clear field of fire and will
render it possible, therefore, when
firing upon artillery to distinguish the
guns from the intervals and to keep the
fire Of ones own guns directed ON the
former. The observation of the fire
will also be simplifed, while with the
new powder the effect of projectiles
which burst in the rear of the smoke
of the enemy's guns could not be seen.
be as easily observed as at short.
When the artillery is employed in an
open country lit Will be more difficult
to conceal it, while the smoke for
merly screened it from view. The
movements of batteries, it is claimed,
will be more difficult, since no advan-
tage can be taken of the smoke.
It is possibly an exaggeration to say,
as many officers have who look upon
the introduction of s-nokelesS powder
as necesSitating a direct change in the
present tactics, that the cavelry will
be rendered valueless On the battle
field. This same opinion was expressed,
the army men say, when firearms were
introduced, and still the cavalry re-
mains an important factor in all mill
tary organizations. Some of the
closest students of the art of war con-
tend THAT the cavalry will not appear
ON the battlefield in the next great
wars, but will be reserved solely
to screen the infantry and for re
connoitering purposes. Others con-
tend that, as men on horses are higher
above the ground than infantrymen,
they have better opportunities of see
ing what is before them, regardless of
smoke clouds, and that when the time
for the cavalry comes to act it makes
no difference whether the enemy is
concealed by waves of black smoke or
standing in plain view.