The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-04-16
THE ARMORED TRAIN.
It's History, Mechanism and Field of
Usefulness.

Its History, Mechanism and Field OF
Usefulness
The armored train is one Of the in
struments of war that has received a
severe test in South Africa and the re-
connoitring performed by these engines
Of MODERN warfare has served to call
moro than passing attention to the sub
ject. Credit has been given to Admi-
raj Fisher. of the British navy, for the
first use Of the armored train in actual
war, when, in 1882, he covered a loco
motive with boiler plate and equipped
cars, similarly protected, with field
guns and put them to effective practi-
cal use.
But the germ of this idea goes back
further than 1882. When the Germans
closed their vise-like grip upon Paris the
French made frequent sorties from the
city, and in many of these attacks they
were assisted by field guns mounted on
wagons and carriages. Later they
were mounted on railroad cars, which
were protected in their vital points
against the enemy's guns. They could
hardly be called armored trains such as
have been used in South Africa and
whether Admiral Fisher got his notion
of an armored train from the besieged
Parisians Is, therefore, an open ques-
ton.
Since 1882 most of the military powers
of Europe have been experimenting
with armored trainss Great. Britain,
as if anxious to sustain her reputation
of first having invented the new in
c.t,, Oh n 70 eyt1I
and has now probably the most com
plete and efficient armored trains in the
world. The best that the British army
possesses is the engine and train of the
First Sussex Artillery volunteers. and
this is far superior in the hastily con-
structed trains that have previously
been in service The model train was
made from special designs for war pur-
poses. The protected engine carries
Maxim gun, and the protected cars have
heeavy field guns operated by machine
ry, so that any part of the surrounding
country can quickly be covered. Ar
engagements are made to compensate for
the recoiL and also to give steadiness
and stability to the cars. This latter is
accomplished by an arrangement for
strong screw clips whenever the gun is
fired. There are also several steel
plated vans accompanying the train in
which horses and soldiers can be safely
The armored train, it has been stated,
was never intended to be used except in
connection with cavalry, and it was due
to lack of support of mounted troops
that several of the disasters to the hast
lily constructed trains in South Africa
occurred. In cooperation with a
strong force of cavalry the armored
train is a formidable weapon, but with
out the help of mounted troops a small
quantity of dynamite might be used to
destroy the roadbed in the rear and
wreck the train In spite OF the lack
Of all cavalry support, however, the
type of movable fortress performed no.
table achievements in South Africa, and
in the sorties from Ladysmith and KIM
berley it was the chief Implement that
forced the Beers back. With machine
guns and field pieces the moving train
becomes valuable offensive apparatus,
being able to move up close to the enc
mys lines or retreat to point beyond
the range of small arms. The rapidity
with which the train can change its base
Of action renders it difficult object for
he batteries an an enemy to hit, and al
most the only way to defeat it's OPERA
ions is 10 wreck Oh deIdn it, then it
helpless target for long range
guns.
The question of armored motor cars
which could travel over an ordinary
'oad or level stretch of country has
also received some attention in the
South African conflict Several cars
we're eXtemporized hurriedly for this
purpose, but they proved Of little use in
l rough country and, as commanders
10 not always choose a level space for
heir battles, the armored motor car is F.,
till a war machine of doubtful ef1icien- |
y. In the mountainous regions of |
south Africa it is hopelessly inadequate |
or effective service, and, with the ex-
option of a few isolated instances, they
we're never seriously taken up.-Cas-
ier's Magazine.