The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-03-27
a REVOLUTION IN GUNS.
French and German Armies Re-
armed.


From the London Chronicle.
Some little time ago. we think IN July.
1897 the German Emperor invited the mil
itary attaches TO breakfast, and, after the
repast, told them it was no use keeping
it a secret any longer. but the German
army had had les artillery changed with
out anything being known about IT, No
fewer than five army corps had, UP till
then, been armed with the new gun, a
quick-firing weapon. made by Krupp, and
BY the middle of the present year all the
field guns win have been replaced by quick
firing guns capable OF throwing ten 10
twelve shells a minute to as great a dis
lance as the field guns. and with higher
destructive power in their shells. How
well the secret has been kept may be I'M
derstood from the fact that Krupp EN-
ploys 5000 workmen. and that several
powers try to spend large sums in Ger
many TO obtain military and naval INTEL
ligence
Upon the Kaisers revelation, the French
military attache at once took train fer
Paris, and found his government not un-
prepared TO deal promptly with the ques-
ton. In fact, model had been determine
cd upon some time before, and orders were
Immediately placed not only with the gov
eminent factories, but with a number of
private firms only the question OF cost
had prevented the French war Office from
being beforehand with the Germans. and
the reason for this hesitation will be grasp
ed when 1t Is stated that the extra cx-
penditure involved within a very brief pc
Rod exceeds 100000 pounds sterling The
secret has been kept 10y the French nearly
as well as the Germans kept theirs, but 1t
Is now known to several European govern
ments.
The weapon now in course of rapid man
ufacture Is a quick-hring gun, capable OF
firing at least ten shots minute. IL has
a callber of seventy-hve milimeters Chree
iuches), the CALDER of the French field gun
being so mllimeters 639s inches), and of
the horse artillery gun 50 millimeters. The
weapon is very similar to the latest pat
ern OF the Nordonfet cannon. It's weight.
fitted with automatic hydraulic or glycer-
inc brakes to check recoil and with steel
shields 10 reduce the risk from infantry
fire. is somewhat greater than that OF
the 90 milimeter field gun, but the range
and the bursting power OF the shell are
greater. The she'll is fitted with a very
perfect percussion fuse, the accuracy OF
which has been tested in the most thor
ough fashion.
AS many as 5000 of these quick-hring
guns for the French artillery are being
provided at a cost including 1000 rounds
of ammunition for each, at f2OO0 per gun.
Up till Jan. /, this year, 500 guns were
completed with their due proportion of
proiectiIes. There will be enough guns In
being before the end of the current year
to arm all the corps" artillery ana the
whole of the artillery will be rearmed be-
fore the end of 1899.
The French have satisfied themselves
that for effect two of these guns are equat
TO a whole six-gun battery of field guns,
with margin to spare. Nevertheless, the
superior council OF war has decided that
each battery shall, as heretofore consist
of six pieces. Thus, the effective power of
the French artillery will be at least trip
led by the adoption of the quick-fring
guns. In view of this decision, II has been
resolved that each gun shall have not
one, but two ammunition wagons, which
will not remain in the rear, as In the case
of the field batteries, burt will come up
with the guns into action This involves
the increase OF thlrty-six horses for each
battery.
1t must be remembered. first that the
problem of supplying ammunition In tho
field Is made immensely more difficult by
this new departure; and, secondly, that
neither France nor Germany has adopted
machine guns as we have done. These two
facts enter materially into the question
of the change from field guns to quick
firing guns.