The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1899-07-27
Modern Field Artillery,

complete evolution during the Itst lew
years. Increase 10 rapidly OF firing has
become an essential condition Of the eIis
tence OF the modern fsld-piece. All mill
tsry authorities agree upon the necessity
OF being able to produce at a given mo
mert terrible fleets in the shortest posi-
BILE time. The difficulty in the problem
consisted in avoiding . waste OF M upi
tions,
Upon this subject Lieut., Poncet has
published in the "Revue d'ArtilIerie" sn
interesting article which has been partial
ly inspired by the works OF Gen. Lang
lois upon field artillery. Up to the end
OF the sixteenth century little attention
had been paid to rapid firing. The sriil
lery, moreover, was heavy and clumsy.
At the battle OF Grsuson, 10 li75. accord
ing to Meyer 10 his Technology OF Fire
arms" the pieces Of Charles the Bold were
charged and pointed against the Ssiss ct
the beginning OF the combat The fling
began 10 voleys, but the aim WAS too high
and this O. used be loss OF the battle, be
cause the was no time to rechsrge the
pieces. At that period the average srtil
lery fire wac about II itty shots . day Ter
each piece. The heating Of the pieces
also proved 10 be an obstacle.
Attempts at increasing the rapidity Of
artillery fire 60 back IS far as the seven
teentb century. when the Germans EN-
ployed the frat breech-loading cannon.
More serious results we're obtained in the
time OF Frederick III when the field artil
lery was made very much lighter, Up to
the end Of the eighteenth century, with
the returo OF the heavy pieces OF artillery
OF Grebeauval, as we'll as 10 the wars OF
the Revolution and OF the empire. the
maximum rspidity OF the fire 10 battle was
from one to two shots q minute for each
piece.
Moreover, in the time oil smooth-bore
guns, the cannonade which preceded the
battle WAS never intended to crush the
enemy. During the grestsr portion OF the
action the artillery fire was almost con
linnous, but slwsys extremely slow. At
the decisive moment. marked by the EN-
ploy ment OF shrspnel or grspeshot, the
artillery discharges were carried on with
extraordinary violence, and reached q rs
pidity OF IL and even 8 shots minute
for esch piece. ts, for instance, at
Wsgrsm and Friedlsnd. when the batteries
open the breach Tor the isisntry by their
grape aud canister fire.
With riff ID cannon the action was rare
ly decisive st long range. At an ordinary
distance the effect produced was satisfsc
tory. but it was never crashing. For
example, at Ssdows. two lines Of artillery
foue ? BIT for Eve hours without either being
out. During the Frsnco-Ger
man var the rspidity OF FIRE OF the French
Q euns reached one shot q minute with the
3 and pound pieces. and the same for
fire. The rspidity OF the Ger
msn b'eecb.losding guns ives very little
superior to that OF the French,
Since 1871 the progress OF field artillery
hss been considerably increased. 10 the
first advance the range Was increased. In
the second the destructive power OF the
projectile was developed by methodics
freq N mentstion, and 10 the third and last
step this same power has been augmented
still more by the general use OF the tir
iussnt, which extends by 500 TO 5000
metres. and even more, the crushing
effects OF the old shrspnel fire.
1t is undeniable that TO crush an enemy
ii is only necessary TO increase the ofien
sive power OF artillery FIRE, and to do that
The maximum Of rspidiiy is required
ARTILLERY, says Gen. Linglois, by its fire
ous sht TO be jnst like an old.time charge Of
cavalry With this difference, tbst it is y
charge tbst nothing can stop snd which
.msshes down everything before 1t. The
means employed TO that end consist 10
diminishing The recoil. 10 sccelersting the
return OF the piece 10 battery, snd 10
IseIlitsting the pointing. the charging and
he firing OF the guo. Tnspks to the com
bins,ion Of these different advantages, the
,uns recently made show 40 Increase 10
rspidiiy Of hri5g.
Tue hsldpisce oi 1895 adopted by the
Jsrmsn Government ts made 10 FIRE regu |
,rly Ave shots minute; bnt tnst is . |
inited speed TO avoid waste. 10 reslity,
he piece is capsule Of firing double aud
sven treble that nunbef OF shots 10 .
minute.
Consequently. the sversse rapidly OF
-.pid nre asld srtillefy 10 tea or twelve
,bois minute. supposine that the point
ns Of The piece can be done With The de
,i,ed sccur.cy. II only 40 approximate
.in IL tsien. . rspidiiy Of IRON eighteen
10 twenty shots . niante c.n be easily !