The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1911-07-26
SURE DEATH
TO AER0PLANES
New Army Aerial Gun a Perfect
Protection.
EXHAUSTIVE TESTS PLANNED.

Will Shoot "Dunnite" Shells Distance
of Fifteen Miles and Bring Down Air
Craft Before They Can Get Within
Scouting Ranee-owned by the Gov
ernment.
The United States government is
the owner of the most powerful quick
firing long range aerial gun in the
world and one (which it is declared
will prevent the swiftest and most
highly perfected aeroplane or dirigible
balloon from getting near enough to
New York to even make observations.
No hostile aerial feet could get within
twelve miles of New York without be-
coming a perfect target and being
sent to the earth in bits, so 1t is as
serted.
The gun is the recent perfection of
the aerial gun invented by army ord
nance officers under the direction of
Brigadier General William Crozier,
chief of ordnance. 1t has been given
to the government gratis and is not
patented. 1t is weapon far superior
to any aerial gun yet built, according
to ordnance and aeronautical experts.
With 1t has been perfected q tracer
shell charged with a high explosive.
The gun is a six FOUNDER with a cal
iber of 2.3S. Its weight is 947 pounds,
and it is mobile. 1t is equipped with
a modern breech block mechanism in
vented by the ordnance corps. At
Notifications it will be mounted on a
carriage like that used for all six
Founders. The only difference will be
in the latch or hinge by which the
gun is attached to the carriage. This
hinge will be so arranged as to permit
the firing of the gun from horizontal,
or zero, to vertical or ninety degree
angle. 1t can be swung from zero to
zero, completing a full half circle.
Tracer of colored Gas.
For field service the gun will be
mounted on a carriage similar to that
used by the field artillery. In this
case also it will be so mounted as to
permit its being elevated to any angle
from horizontal to vertical.
The shell used in this gun is a COM
bination Of the best tracer shells used
by England, France, Germany and
Austria, with few Yankee improve
ments. Its weight is six pounds.
The tracer is of colored gas, ignited
from the firing pin of the gun. 1t
is charged with smokeless powder and
''dunnite." The velocity of the pro-
jectile is 2,400 feet per second. The
velocity is so great and the shell so
hard that the latter will penetrate
three inches of Harveyized steel at it's
maximum range, between twelve and
fifteen miles.
"To show what guns of this type
would do if used in the forts about
New York against an enemy's air.
ships" said an ordnance expert, pic
ture fleet of twenty aeroplanes of
the six passenger carrying type being
launched from a fleet of battleships
fifty miles at sea. Then look upward
through pair of feldglasses and see
these mechanical birds at height of
10000 feet and a distance of ten miles,
flying in flock toward Sandy Hook
or the upper part of New York city.
Then glance toward the forts in and
about New York and see a burst of
flame and a hundred of these projec-
tiles with little tails of smoke trailing
them go plunging through space for
the air feet.
''There is cloud of smoke, then a
nch Af In frauf f,.na
ments of aeroplanes are dropping to
earth or sea. Nothing minute after
ward remains in the air except hazi-
ness. One round from these 100 guns
has sent 100 men to eternity and $780,
600 worth of aeroplanes to nothing
ness"
Drastic Tests to Be Made.
One hundred of these guns and pro-
jectiles mounted in Forts Hancock,
Wadsworth, Hamilton and Slocum
would prevent anything less than a
feet of 100 aeroplanes from getting a
sight of New York. Mounted on cais-
sons and wheeled along with an army
in the field the aerial gun would be
invaluable, according to leading Of
f1cers of the army, in preventing an
enemy's aeroplanes from getting near
enough to estimate the strength of the
troops. For ordinary field work the
gun would be as serviceable as the
present field or light artillery gun.
Some tests of the gun have been
made, and they were pronounced most
successful. The big test, however, will
be made at Sandy Hook some time in
August. For the test free and captive
balloons and box kites win be used
These latter will be of man carrying
size.
The gun will be fired from every
angle possible and at its maximum
range, both vertically and horizontally
The navy viii make an aeroplane
test one month later on the southern
drill grounds, The gun the navy will
use is the regular six FOUNDER re,
mounted so as to be fired at the same
angles as the aerial gun of the army