The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1898-10-24
Improvement in The Artillery Arm
in France.
is A NEW RAPID-FIRE Gun
Barrel of Nickel and Steel-Opera'
tor at Side-Germany's Work
in Same Line.

Stories have been published in the
French papers from time TO time dur
ling the last five years regarding eX-
periments with rapid-fire field guns,
says the New York Herald. These eX-
lperiments have now been successfully
concluded, and the field artillery
branch OF the French army will in the
near future be equipped with the gun
finally decided upon.
The gun is made OF nickel steel and
| is provided with breech lock operat-
ed by a screw mechanism, its calibre
| being 10 centimetres, or a tTitie less
than three inches. Smokeless powder
! is used, and the charge and projectile
are combined in one, as in an ordinary
infantry cartridge. These cartridges
are of considerable length.
Loading the gun is done by the can
noneer on seat at the left Of the car
riage, who operates, the breech lock.
After inserting cartridge he closes
the breech, this operation simulta-
neously setting the firing pin. After
the shot is fired he catches up the
empty shell on opening the breech.
The gun is aimed and fired by the
cannoneer sitting at the right of the
carriage. Within a certain arc the
lateral movements of the piece are
made by means of a screw without dis
turbing the position OF the carriage,
while for greater changes of aim the
carriage itself is moved, lever eX-
tending from it's foot. being employed
for this purpose.
When a shot is fired from an ordi-
mary cannon the carriage has a ten
Idency to run back. This is checked in
the new gun by a glycerine brake, and
1.-The gun is replaced in firing position
Iby means of compressed air. Part of
1.-The recoil, however, is communicated
to the carriage, and to prevent the lat
ter from changing it's position it is fur
nished with a spur at is foot, which Is
forced into the ground after the first
lshot or two, rendering it immovable
, 1.-The metallic cartridge, combining both
, charge and projectile, the possibility
, of aiming the gun while 1t Is Delns
loaded and it's lateral movability with
Tout disturbing the carriage. Five shot!
, a minute are considered slow work
= land as many as twenty may be free
;. lin case of necessity. For the protec
, ltion of the gunners two steel shields
f are provided.
:. Two kinds OF projectiles are used
o lshrapnel and shell. The former con
ltafns about go lead bullets and ar
timed to burst just before striking
scattering bullets in all directions
while the latter are charged with me
Unite and are used to pierce breat
u works.
Destructive effects of the shrapne
IS are increased by swinging the gu
II Through it's arc on the carriage Will
n. firing, thus covering a large area. Thi
is is called ''faucher lie terrain
ID moving the ground" a grimly sus
lie gestive term.
ot Other European countries have mad
w experiments in this line, notably Gel
ir many. which has already equipped il
j. field artillery with a somewhat sim
ut lar weapon. During a recent trial
I'd that country targets representing tn
E. equivalent of three-fourths of an il
in trenched field battery of the ordinar
o. kind were put out of action in seve
]: minutes at a range of 50 kilometr'
is (about three and one-quarter miles).
he From this it would appear that II
Nv next European war will be muderol
n. beyond description - provided Il
in Cars disarmament proposition is n,
ur accepted before the smouldering fl
III breaks into flame.