The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1905-03-31

BY Will H. 6r1ll.
Newspaper Enterprise Association.
Field Headquarters H. l. ]. M.
Second Army, Feb. 27.-Everything
looks now as If the big battle was
only question of hours. This morn
ing the staff sent us word that Oku's
army is in battle formation and every
indication points to an almist i'm
mediate clash between the two
armies
1t doesn't require an expert to
guess that this fight when 1t begins
will be the biggest of the war; and
that means the biggest the world has
ever seen. The Japanese never tell
the numbers of their armies, but it
is a safe guess that at present there
are very close to half million men
ready to attack when Oyama shall
give the word. 1t Is also probable
| that the opposing force is practically
as large. That means that there will
be a million men engaged in the
battle.
No such armies ever faced each
other before and never before were
so UldlN guns eIIlploy ~ 80 'iii
possible to tell how many guns the
Japanese have, but their main line
| extends over 60 miles and there is
little doubt that there are at least a
| thousand field guns in position to be-
gin the bombardment when it shall
! be ordered.
But the field guns are not all that
| ~, Thpra
| of much larger guns, guns of As
| inch and inch caliber, and hundreds
| of howitzers. l have myseslf seen
more than so baby howitzers, little
| things that the men draw on small
carts. They are less than three feet
long and their range is short, but
| they throw 6 inch shells and when
| placed on the front line will make
things very interesting in the Rus
sian trenches.
| In addition to the baby howitzers
there are scores of ordinary field
| howitzers big short, fat guns which
| throw inch shells and throw them
a very long distance. These guns
were used with much effect at the
battle of the Sha Ho and were equally
effective at Port Arthur. In addition
to their own guns, the Japanese have
q number of these howitzers which
| the Russians left at various places
between here and Port Arthur. and
these will help swell the chorus when
| the time comes.
But the thing which will surprise
the world as well as the Russians,
| will be the presence of the big l1.2
inch siege guns which the japanese
will use in the coming battle. There
were a number of these enormous
guns usesd at Port Arthur and as
| soon as that fortress fell these guns
were dismounted and shipped north.
Today they are in position facing the
| Russian lines and when the time
comes they will begin to blaze away.
Guns of Great Weight.
1t takes 200 men to drag one of the
guns. without the mount along the
best of roads. In mounting them it
is necessary to fix the carriage of
| concrete seven or eight feet deep,
The proiectile weighs 4S0 pounds and
it is all four men can do to carry 1t.
The range of the gun is about 5000
yards and when the shell eXplodes on
striking it digs hole in the ground
that you could put a two-horse hack
in. would like to be somewhere,
out of range of the pieces, where l
could see the first of those big shells
land in the Russian trenches. l have
an idea it will create something of
a surprise party.
This is the first time in the history
of warfare that guns of this size have
been used in the field. In fact, on
only n few occasions have they been
used even in sieges, Think of a gun
which will throw for four and a half
miles Il 500-pound shell and then
break it into couple of hundred
pieces 1t is something of a gun.
In addition to their own guns, the
Japanese have a large number of
guns which they captured from the
Russians. Among them are a number
of as and inch guns which are
|