Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-10-08
TIE GEKEaanS' NEW
GURS h!.J EXCLUSIVES
The Guns Terribly Destructive
at Certain Ranges-Difficult
of Transportation-New Ex-
plosive Most Deadly Yet H.
vented
Correspondence of The Associated
Press)

HTeSS.)
Rotterdam. Sept 19-"In view of
the great results achieved by the new
German guns a description OF the
modern fort may be OF interest" says
the military critic OF the Nieuwe
Rotterdamsche Courant: He writes:
when 1t becomes necessary to
fortify a terrain permanently forts
are built at intervals Of from to 6
Kilometers apart These forts are
combinations OF earthworks and such
buildings and other structures as are
needed. They are surrounded by deep
meats with steep sides, on the far
eide of which barbed wire entangle-
ments are laid out. In modern forts
all structural walls are made Of con-
crete, this applying to the turrets and
barracks alike. The number of guns
in fort depends upon the system Of
defense OF which the fort is a unit
In case a fort is not supported by
flank works and is, therefore a unit
in itself the effort is made to place
as many guns as possible. selecting
both large and small calibre pieces.
In this manner a fort may be made
very strong. Another method Is not
to place so many pieces in the fort
itself but to depend upon the sup
t pert Of artillery stationed in case of
war on neighboring points of van
tage.
THE first system becomes the CEN
trail point Of the defensive force
which may operate with the fort as
support. According to the Belgian
General Brialmont (well known mill
] TO-. ,Nersv, ny tg hn1 hao he
advantage of having all pieces con-
stantly in readiness for action and
surprises are guarded against But
! it has the drawback Of becoming
easily the target Of a concentrated
fire OF the enemy's heavy artillery. In
case of bombardment the enemy can
make the turrets his goal or he can
make the entire fort his target
which usually becomes the practice.
If one fails to hit one thing, one hits
the other. For theoretical reasons
| (proven correct by the lessons Of this
war; there has long been held a pref
udlce against this system OF fortifl-
cation.
1.-THE second method seems decid-
eddy better. Instead OF having a few
separate forts OF great strength
which the enemy can make the OBJ
! jective of the operations, one offers
him a large number of small forts
which in the first place are hard to
locate and upon which large
amount of ammunition must be ex-
pended. In this case the forts are
supporting points of the infantry po-
sitions lying between them. Artillery
/! of small calibre is used in this in
stance for the protection of the front
and TANKS.
THE new German Notifications
near Metz and Strassburg are Of this
latter type consisting Of small works
surrounded by the usual obstacles
! (such as redoubts, trenches. meats
and barbed wire entanglements)
These forts are grouped and form
units, each of which has its arTnored
batteries dong range guns) and also
sunken batteries Of high trajectory
mortars. The Intervening infantry
positions are supported by small cali
bre field pieces.
| These forts lie merely a few hun
bred meters apart and are connected
with subterranean passages which
lead also to the barracks beyond the
range of artillery fire (making It pos
sible to move troops into the positions
without exposing them to the hostile
artillery fire. In this case the ar
rangement is such that the enemy
would have to take one small work
after another, an operation which
would cost many lives.
Tho speedy reduction OF the fort
resses Liege and Namur does not Of
necessity demonstrate that forts of
the order first named have entirely
lost their value. but it Is certain that
the 42-centimetre pieces are "just the
thing for them" But against small
forts with permanent "tusschen-
LINEN" Intervening military works.
the fire from these guns; while terri
BILE in effect, would not so quickly
accomplish the results wanted. Az
additional factor in this is that the
transportation Of these heavy pieces
is a difficult undertaking. which is al