Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1912-09-26

| ITOI0 Td9C
fire them out here They would be
used in time of war to repel invaders
or in siege operations, should they
ses er occur here. Of course, at the
piesent time, there are. not enough
companies of Coast Artillery in the
I district to man the mortars and the
siege battery too, but it might be that
the latter would prove more effective
at certain times than the former, as
they are mobile, and could be placed
at the most advantageous point"
There was more significance AMI
interest attaching to the tests thi;
morning than appears on the surface
for, besides drilling the men, there
was considerable doubt as to the eff
! fectiveness of the guns. Genera
Macomb, the department commander
] was an interested spectator, motor
ing to Leilehua accompanied by hii
! aide, Lieutenant Andrews, Captain
w. H. Johnson of headquarters staff
and Captain Hannum of the Engin
GERS. Major Undertake and Captain
j. S. Johnson, Coast Artillery, were
also on hand.
Risky Work.
Then, too, there was the element
of risk in handling the ammunition
especially as both the siege and how
itzer batteries are known as man
killers, and have a bloody history be
| hind the guns. These same siege
pieces ran amuck9 few years ago
one of the guns blowing out breech
block while a salute was being fired
at Governors Island, killing three
men and injuring several more. The
howitzers have also done their share
of damage, for at Fort Riley an &C
cident happened which killed a cor
poral and three men. Soldiers are
| superstitious, and batteries with a
bad name are regarded with awe and
suspicion. The men who served the
eight siege guns and four howitzers
here had no way of knowing just
which guns had the unsavory treputa
| ton, so they treated all alike with
considerable suspicion and respect
The range in today's firing was con
siderabIy longer than that used two
| weeks ago, the battery being moved
! to a point opposite the First Infantry
camp, which increased the distance
from $500 to AGO yards. AS in the
firing of the 105th Company, two
shots were fired from each of the four
siege guns and two howitzers, and the
gunnery was trifle more uniform
today than in the initial test.
The field telephone was again
! brought into use, an observing party
on the heights to one side of the tar
gets being in communication with the
battery at all times, and reporting
! the location of the shots as thy fell
When all was in readiness, and the
range finally reported as clear, the
| first cast iron shell screamed sky
| wards and some II second later q
huge cloud of dust showed where ii
had burst about so yards beyond, and
| TO the right of the target aimed at
| The next shot was only % yards over
and from that time on the shots drop
ped so closely around the targets that
no living thing could have maintained
! the position, and any shelter or forti
! fication would have been blown tC
atoms. The last shrapnel fired was
reported as a base hit, meaning that
the fuse was so perfectly cut, and
! the range so accurate, that it burst
| in just the position to shower its
deadly contents against the vest base
of the target, the ideal result fOg
! shrapnel fire.
Only One Bad Shot.
There was only one poor shot OF
| the entire twelve, the third tireG
rom the hovitzers bursting way
short 1t was so far off that the re,
suit was laid to defective powder
! Che second hOWitZer shot was re-
| ported as only yards short, which
is to all intents and purposes a per
! feet hit.
! 1t was the 13gth companys turn to
fire the big field pieces today at
Schofield Barracks, and with the
! completion of the mornings work the
entire Coast Artillery force Of Oahu
has been initiated into the mysteries
of siege guns and 'howitzers. Today S
firing is the wind-up to two weeks in
the field for the coast defenders, who
have now got a taste of inland sol
diering, besides learning to handle
the unfamiliar ordnance.
Lieutenant Harry Vaughan is in
command of the 18th. the new COM
pany commander. Captain Carpenter
not having arrived in time to relieve
Captain Carter Lieutenant Vaughan
has made a splendid showing with the