The Caucasian., 1911-07-27
SURE DEATH
TO AEROPLANES
New Army Aerial Gun a Perfect
Protection.
EXHAUSTIVE TESTS PLANNED
VIII Shoot "Dunnite" Shells q Distance
of Fifteen Miles and Bring Down Air
Craft Before They Can Get Within
Scouting Ranse-owned by the Gov
ernmsnt.

Craft Before They Can Get Within
Scouting Ranss-owned by the Gov
ernmsnt.
The United States government is
the owner of the most powerful quick
firing long range aerial gun In the
world and one which 1t 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.
I 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 it is as
serted.
The gun Is the recent perfection Of
the aerial gun invented by army ord
nance officers under the direction OF
Rrigadier 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 six FOUNDER with cal
iber of 2.3S. Its weight is 947 pounds,
and 1t is mobile. It is equipped with
a modern breech block mechanism in
vented by the ordnance corps. At
| Notifications 1t 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 ziring Of the gun from horizontal,
or zero. to a vertical or ninety degree
| angle. 1t can be swung from zero to
zero, completing full half circle.
Tracer Of CoIored Gas.
For field service the gun will be
mounted on 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 COM
kbination 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 its
maximum range, between twelve and
fifteen miles.
ITO show what guns Of this type
would do IL 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 feet Of battieships
tifty miles at sea. Then look upward
through a pair Of f1eldglasses and see
these mechanical birds at height of
10000 feet and 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 burst of
flame and 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
nxA - a. T~~
ments OF aeroplanes are dropping to
earth or sea. Nothing minute after
ward remains in the air except a tlazi-
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
lcers 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 will be used.
These latter will be of man carrying
size
The gun will be fred from every
angie possible and at Its maximum |
range. both vertically and horizontally. |
The navy will make an aeroplane |
test one month later on tire southern |
drill grounds The gun the navy viii
use Is the regular SIX pounder re-
mounted sc as to be fred at the same
angles as the aerial gun of the army.
The army tracer shell will he used. |
Balloons and box kites will be the tar
gets. These tests win be raade while
HhfrsG nj 90 n~.otrx.r -