Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1912-09-26
BIG GUNS
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fire them out here They would be
used in time Of war to repel invaders
or in siege operations, should they
ever occur here. OF course, at the
pl esent time, there are not enough
companies of Coast Artillery in the
district to man the mOrtars and the
siege battery too, but it might be That
I 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 anC
! interest attaching to the tests this
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 hi!
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 ana how.
itzer batteries are known as man
killers, and have bloody history be-
hind the guns. These same siege
pieces ran amuck" a few years ago,
one of the guns blowing out a 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 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 reputa-
ton, so they treated all alike with
considerable suspicion and respect.
The range in today's firing was con-
siderably 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 4760 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 a 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 a
huge cloud of dust showed where ii
had burst about 30 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
ned so closely around the targets that
no living thing could have maintained
the position, and ans shelter or forti-
ficatiOn would have been blown to
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 70"
Shrapnel fire.
Only One Bad Shot.
There was only one poor shot Of
the entire twelve. the third fired
rom the hoNitzers bursting way
short. II was 50 far off that the re-
suit was laid to defective powder.
The second hOWitzer shot was re-
ported as only s yards short, which
is to all intents and purposes pei
t"cr hi.
1t was the I54th companys turn to
fire the big field pieces today at
SrhOfieId 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
tie field for the coast defenders, who
have now got taSt" Of inland SOL
dierng. besides learning to hand}"
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 splendid showing with the