New-York tribune., 1906-07-16
yEW ARTILLERY CORPS.
,fccEiue GIN Detachnlents May Be
Nucleus of Ne5c 4rm.
rrr9m The tribune Bureau.I


-,.,vton. July IA artillery corps OF
"----,issoned officers, IS sergeants. 80 corporals
% -ss nrtvates, having 80 Vicker's Sons Maxim
aDa aD'.,ic . machine guns and $50 horses and 80
aD.. has been created by General Orders No. ll3.
f1u's t F-igadier-General Barry. by order Of the
Sc. corns is formed from the existing
and viii be divided among the cavalry and
c. regiments. so that each regiment will have
ll-.,cbine gun platoon. commanded by COM
IL sto,ed officer and provided with two machine
- the type indicated. These guns. popularity
- as screw guns" are capable Of a fire of
A,.slv 600 shots minute. and the effectiveness
- they will add 10 a regiment can easily be
-ro-iated. The gun platoon, armed with two ma
- 80 Guns will be able 10 discharge the enemy
hoVer Of projectiles equal TO the entire firing
s,v of all the rest Ct the regiment
-,n rlatoon which viii be commanded by a
,,issioned officer and one sergeant. will consist
= .v,o gun detachments, each consisting Ct nine
-a+es under the direction of a corporal. Each
p sa.sohu7ent will handle a single gun which,
- ts ammunition. viii be transported on five
- animals horses being used in the cavalry and
lies IN the infantry
RE General staff. and General Crozier. Chief OF
,-s-snoe have been working quietly on this
lame 10 increase the efficiency OF the army for
.rs-al years. the final tests. whereby the Vickers
.-s & Maxim gun was selected from among
r,ber Of competitors. having been conducted in
a
.ss,s held al that time, at the Springfield ATmory
- the guns themselves. and at Fort Riley, KAN
-s,b the mounts and packs. the Vickers machine
-, vas adopted with tripod mount, the whole
s.,entlble Of being completely dismounted and
iosssd onto pack animals in brief time.
arrangements have been made for the manu-
,.r,e os this gun by the Colt Manufacturing
r,rranv and as soon a sufficient supply OF the
anons is delivered they VIII be served the regi-
rents in the arms Of the service named. When the
-se- has been filed each of the thirty regiments
!, Infantry the fifteen regiments Of cavalry and
.te Porto Ricsn provisional regiment OF infantry
-sr have its gun platoon. including two rapid fire
,.cbne guns Seven thousand rounds of ammu-
-,,on will be- carried for each gun. One pack
,,imsl will carry the gun. tripod and three boxes
n ammunition. and the remaining twenty-five
toves Of ammunition, the reloading machine and
vater boxes viii be distributed among the four
csher pack animals.
Tse Yickers Sons & Maxim gun IS the latest de-
vslopnnent Of the machine gun, the first type Of
rbcb was the Calling gun, the second the mitrail-
1svse and the third the Maxim. IN the tests
Quoted with the several types Of guns submitted,
80 shots we're fred in minute from a Maxim
run ana 2e0 rounds we're fired in eleven minutes.
4 bene necessary several times to refill the water
jackets during the firing Of the latter number. OF
=. 90 rounds fred in the latter test. all hit the
.s-get within an area eight feet wide and six feet
high.
The effectiveness OF a gun platoon capable of dis
charging l.2l9 rounds a minute from its two guns.
n rrotectins point Of vantage or defending a
defle or pass. may well be appreciated. In the
estimation Of the army experts these guns will al
most double the effectiveness OF a regiment engaged
n defensive work In offensive work the efficiency
n the machine gun is Of course, less. for the
son that, while each rifle in regiment is guided
ty separate intelligence capable presumably, OF
Racing each shot where it will tell the machine
6fs~- of fS
ci-cunscribed area. and unless attack was made
n solid columns much of the ammunition would
Be lost The effectiveness Of machine guns in
6hpe-slng riots has already been demonstrated.
Al details regarding the future Of the machine
rln platoons have not yet been determined. Many
O themselves will doubtless he worked out in
practioe but that il IS the purpose Of the General
sRh so 10 handle the platoons that they may,
should occasion require, be assembled into bat
tsres Is evident from the wording Of the order
calling them into existence. and It is. of course.
possible that ultimately they may be organized
into a distinct arm Of the service at least into
& section Of The artillery corps
Dealing with this subject. General Order No lib
says:
Il is The purpose to have the machine gun pla-
oaitaAons. but complete IN themselves and capaDe
o. independent existence and action when that
shall be necessary. To this end. in garrison the
enlisted men COMPOSING the platoons Will be quar-
tered messed supplied disciplined. instructed IN
small arms target practice ard borne upon the
guard roster as are other enlisted men or their
respective troops companies, but for drill and
Instruction they viii form independent units Of
ne seuadrCns or battahons unoer me linInedlaOe
command Of the selected officers. Those officers
onoe selected viii not be permanently relieved by
their regimental commanders except for urgent
reason, viii the enlisted personnel of the pla-
foons be changed except by reason Of discharge
o. other compelling cause and upon the approval
O the reFimental commander. In the field the
phtoons viii he marched, camped, messed and
ManRuvred hahtually separate units of the
sg1adrons battalions 10 which they pertain.
The machine gur platoons herein provided for
Gll ne permanently attached TO their particular
squsdrons hattalions. Should the eXigenoies Of
ne service make il appear advisable TO transfer
machine gun platoon from one squadron or bat
nEon TO another. recommendation to that efect.
VIII the reasons Tor the proposed change, Will be
!FEarded through military channels TO the Mill
ar Secretary of the army for the final action
O m War Department. The commanding gen
sal Philippines Division. is authorized to take
mai action the transfer of machine gun pla-
i9ons IN The Philippines Division. When author
1ed the Enlisted personnel Of the platoon will be
Eansierred far practicable in toto.