Evening journal., 1914-11-10
HUGE field Guns.
Riddle SOLDIERS

A b. ttery OF four siege guns, the larg-
est and most modern field pieces in the
service of the United States Govern
ment, has been tested in ranging prac-
tice at Fort DUPONT and found salts
factory. Officers who directed the final
practice of the year were pleased with
the results given by the Little Ber-
thas.n
The guns are Of the largest type of
( field artillery, and although much
smaller than the famous "Busy Ber-
thas" OF the German army, they are
built along the same general lines and
are more portable, eight horses being
sufficient to drag them into position.
1 They weigh four tons each, making
them the heaviest portable artillery in
this country. To batter down fortiiica-
tions is their chief duty, but with their
range OF three and one-half miles the
guns could efTectually prevent hostile
war vessels from attacking Philadel-
phiu.
Major II. L. Steele, commander OF the
coast defense. expressed himself as
highly pleased with the showing made
bv the guns. He was an interested spec
tator. and was especially Observant oil
the bio wheels and long trails wallowing
i'm the sandy soil with each report The
handicap of an unstable foundation, he
said. did not seem to detract much from
the accuracy of the fire which the guns
maintained.
with the exception that the signal
partly exposed itself TO view OF the
"enemv." situated on Pea Patch Island,
to the northeast, the firing was done a.
if in actual warfare and was realistic.
As discovered through glasses and
"aeroplane scouts the enemy con-
sisted OF wooden figures representing
columns of infantry and platoons OF ar
tillery in silhouette.
Captain l.. S. Ryan, Of Company IL,
Coast Artillery, and senior officer at
Fort DUPONT, directed practice from
windswept knoll. With him were
Major Steele, Captain Burt, of Fort
Mott. Lieutenants Barlow and Wal
sinner. and the signal corps. The
! four guns manned by Company ll2
were concealed in a cornfield below.
! Clumps of bushes cut off a view of the
/ island. and the olive-colored guns
were screened by drab cornshocks,
1 behind which the men in olive-drab
uniforms operated the pieces. Can
noneers, cannon, caissons and limbers
melted into the background, so that
they were hard to detect.
The range. DETECTION and other data
were furnished the gunners by the
signal party, which used geometric
calculations in determining the is
tance of the enemy" The data were
sent to the battery by telephone and
megaphone. md subsequently firms
was corrected by the signal party
which observed the effect of the shots
Thirty rounds of shapnel were sen
across the intervening one and three
quarter miles of water with deadly
effect With every cannon roar ant
cloud of dust a shell weighing 10
! pounds whistled across the sky, and 1.
seconds later the watchers on tn
knoll saw spurt of white cloud abov
the island as the time fuse burst tn,
shrapnel and hurled over a thousan,
leaden balls upon the "enemy's
heads. Six seconds later the faint re
port Of the explosion was heard.
Examination later in the day of tn
havoc wrought on the island showed a
entire line of Infantry riddled wit
shrapnel balls; one unfortunate woodc
soldier carried not fewer than /
wounds. a battery commander stan,
ing beside his gum was pierced in til
"heart." The shrapnel which failed I
explode in the air tore great holes
the sand of ricocheted into the river b,
yond.
Captain Ryan is proud of his pet
each of which costs about $4,000. The
were made at the Rock Island Arseni
and represent the highest type of sies
gun the government has vet produce
The rccoil system is similar to that
the Krlpp guns. The recol cylinde
filed with oil and springs, is above Il
gun cylinder With every detonatic
the recoil cylinder is forced baekwar
I relieving the strain ON the trail.