Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1898-03-17
A REVOLUTION IN GUNS.
French and German Armies Re-
Armed.

Some little time ago--we think in July,
lS97-the German Emperor invited the
military attaches to breakfast, and after
tie repast told them it was no use keeping
it Il secret any longer, but the German
army had had its artillery changed with
out anything being known about it, says
the London Chronicle. No fewer than
five army corps had up till then been
armed with the new gun, Il quck-trlng
weapon made by Krupp, and by the mid
die of the present year all the field guns
will have been replaced by quick-fring
guns capable of throwing ten to twelve
shells minute and with higher destructive
power in their shells. How well the secret
was kept may be understood from the fact
that Krupp employs 10000 workmen and
that several powers try to spend large sums
in Germany to obtain military and naval
intelligence.
Upon the kaisers revelation the French
military attache at once took train for
Paris, and found his government not I'M
prepared to deal promptly with the ques-
ton. In fact, model had been deter
mined upon some time before, and orders
were immediately placed, not cnly with
the government factories, but with num-
Der 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 I've
grasped when it is stated that the extra ex-
pendlture involved within very brief pc
Rod ten millions sterling. The secret has
been kept by the French nearly as well as
the Germans kept theirs, but it is now
known to several European governments.
The weapon now in course Of rapid
manufacture is a quicll-fring gun, capable
of firing at least ten shots 4 minute. 1t
has calibre of seyenty.fve millimetres IS
in. ) the calibre Of the French field gun
being 90 MN. (3S in, y and Of the horse ar
tillery gun SO MN. The weapon is very
similar to the latest pattern of the Norden-
felt cannon. Its weight, fitted with auto
matte hydraulic or glycerine brakes to
check recoil, and with steel shields to re-
duce the risk from infantry fire, is some
what greater than that of the 80 nm. field
gun, but tie range and the bursting power
of the shell is fitted with perfect percus-
sion fuse, the accuracy Of which has been
tested in the most thorough fashion.
As many as 5000 of these quick firing
guns for the French artillery are being
provided at a cost, including 1000 rounds
of ammunition for each, Of 2090 per gun.
Up till January l this year SEQ guns were
completed, with their due proportion of
proiectiles. There will be enough guns in
being before the end Of the current year TO
arm all the corps artillery, and 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 equal
to whole six gun battery of field guns,
with a margin to spare. Nevertheless, tie
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 tripled by
the adoption Of the Quick-fring guns. In
view Of this decision it has been resolved
that each gun shall have not one, but two,
ammunition wagons, which will not re-
main in the rear, as in the case Of the field
batteries, but will come up witt the guns
into action. This involves the increase of
thirty-six horses for each battery.
1t must be remembered. first, that the
problem of supply ammunition in the 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.