Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1900-06-07
THE ARMORED TRAIN.
Irs History, Mechanism and Field of Use
fulness.

The armored train is one of the in
struments of war that has received a
severe test in South Africa, and the
reconnoitring performed by these en-
gines of modern warfare has served to
call more than passing attention to
the subject. Credit has been given
to Admiral Fisher, of the British
navy, for the first use of the armored
train in actda! war, when, in 1882, he
covered locomotive with boiler plate
and equipped cars, similarly protect
ed, with field guns and put them to
effective practical use.
But the germ of this idea goes back
further than 1882. When the Ger
mans closed their like grip upon
Paris the French made frequent sor-
ties 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 protect
ed 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 be-
sieged Parisians is, therefore, an open
question.
Since 1882 most of the military
Powers of Europe have been expert
menting with armored trains. Great
Britain, as if anxious to sustain her
reputation of first having invented the
new instrument, has steadfastly kept
the lead, and has now probably the
most complete and efficient armored
trains in the world. The best that
the British army possesses is the en-
gine and train of the First Sussex
Artillery Volunteers, and this is far
superior to the hastily constructed
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 heavy field guns operated by
machinery, so that any part of the
surrounding country can quickly be
covered. Arrangements 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 clamping the
truck to the rails by 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 con-
veyed.
The armored train, it has been
stated, was never intended to be used
except in conjunction with cavalry,
and it was due to lack of support of
mounted troops that several of the
disasters to the hastily constructed
trains in South Africa occurred. In
cooperation with a strong force of
cavalry the armored train is formid-
able weapon, but without the help of
mounted troops 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, this type of
movable fortress performed notable
achievements in South Africa, and in
the sorties from Ladysmith and Kim
berley it was the chief Implement that
forced the Beers back. With ma
chine guns and field pieces the NOV
ing train becomes valuable offensive
apparatus, being able to move up
close to the enemy's 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 the
batteries of an enemy to hit, and al
most the only way to defeat its opera
tions is to wreck or derail it; then it
becomes a helpless target for long
range guns.
The question of armored motor
cars which could travel over an Or
dinary road or level stretch of coun-
try has also received some attention
in the South African conflict. Several
cars were extemporized hurriedly for
this purpose, but they proved of little
use in rough country, and, as COM
manders do not alwas choose level
space for their battles, the armored
motor car is still war machine of
doubtful efficiency. In the noun
famous regions of South Africa it is
hopelessly inadequate for effective
service, and, with the exception of a
few isolated instances, they were
never seriously taken M.