The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-11-15
FRENCH GUN PROVES
SUPERIOR TO GERMAN
Rapid Fire ".75" Found Effcc.
tive Even Against kaiscr's
Giant Mortars.
CARRIES 500 PROJECTILES
Special Corrcspo ndeno, TO TINS srN.

Special GORE ondeHce 10 TINS SrN
PARIS. oct. 2O-The French IS milf.
meter gun is hailed everywhere as tho
real hero" OF the war. Every soldier
writing from the front makes reference
to the carnage caused In the ranks OF IN.
enemy by "uotre petit soixante quinze"
and the officers OF the artillery are proud
OF the advantages which the cannon DOS.
sesses over the German gun OF nearly
the same calibre. the German III" III.
".75" has even on occasion proved to be q
formidable enemy OF the giant mortsrs
which tho Germans used to demohsh
the Belgian fortresses.
Even the soldiers OF the Kaiser admit
the superiority of the French rapid fr.
gun. For the last ten years their artfl.
lery experts have been trying to mako
something better. but the experience o,
the present war proves that they have
worked in vain. The German gun A,
ornamented with the arms Of one OF the
four Kingdoms of the Empire and bear,
the device PRO Gloria ct Patria," with
the monogram OF the Kaiser. The French
gun IL bare Of all adornment
The .75 gun is only seventeen year,
old. Its invention was due to NJ Deport
and NJ. Sainte- Claire-Deville, while its
adoption In the army followed on the
recommendation OF Gen Langlois. It's
superiority over the German II is an.
parent from the follow ing differences:
Range of s,1 KiIometers.
II has range of 6Ia kllometers, com.
pared with the German "a 1t carries
1oV proJectiles, while the enemy's gun is
provided with only 373 Moreover. the
French projectile is of two kinds, N.
shrapnel shell. OF which it carries s0O.
ana the melnite shell. OF which II has
200. II throws a shell Weighing ~ kilo
grlmmes, about fifteen pounds Tho
German projectile weighs a little less than
: klogrammcs
Here is the detailed contrast OF the two
weapons
Length Frencb - c..z.. -
Initial velocity. - meters sec 1sS metSrsas.c
WWaannGee, -. $500 meters Z, 800 meters
vie.tLie 80. 90 grammes $50 gramme.
weight of gun LOO Kilograms. $50 kiiogram.
In addition 70 the weight of the vean,p
u Is pointed out that the German gun 81
served nv hve men while the French
needs only three. The German carpo,
is much inferior regarding stability ia.
'llity Tor aiming, spread OF fire settinr
ut fuse and rapidly OF fire To poInt
the ~ at mark the German gunn.rs
nave 10 make use of two complicated
"P''hu'Hs' whereas the French gunner
/ mas TO take time for only one tponipuis
uoh OF part OF the cannon The Ger
man gunner has to set tn. fuse nv hand
WINE the French fuse Is set automatically
by the fuse punch. Moreover the French
tuse Is set for "A distance while the
German is set for "A calculated time
which has TO be figured out for each
range.
German Gun Hard tn H,ndI.
The small carriage which supports H.,
German gun is apt to be thrown out Of
plumb AT each shot which necessltates
correction in the aim. The French
gun Is provided with an apparatus which
brings the gun back on it's axis each
Time and thus keeps IL always aimed
straight
These defects in the German gun make
! II impossible to denlade, or protect Tho
. battery from enfilading hre. Tho advan-
thges gained by the French from this
herman efficiency are evident OH every
pa'teheln where artillery plays a large
part The German batteries. because o.
the long time 1t takes for them 10 find
the range and keep 1t In face OF RAPIDLY
moving troops, are exposed for greater
/ time than the French to the cannon FIRE
Of the enemy
Each change of aim means setting back
the rangehnders to zero, a new setting ~
wv 'llHV luStH ana rTesn orders to the
/ sunners, The sppreciable benefits OF the
| French system of adapting the fire 70
any possible target by simple and prac
teal commands are unknown to the Ger
mans.
II is not alone the "77" which has de-
fects apparent only IN actual fighting
| The famous l6 inch (42 centimeterN
mortar with which the Germans battered
! 10 pieces the forts Of Liege and Antwerp
! Is not immune from criticism. French
artillery officer who has Just come 10
Paris 20 recuperate after being wounded
gives some interesting details regarding
! this weapon.
kntsrr's 16 Inch Mortar Defective.
We knew said he. that the '4so'
would prove redoubtsble arm whic1
In normal operation. might have disas
/ trous results for us. BY normal operation
| | mean that the AGO mortar placed e.
| position by thirty-sx TO forty horse rowe
/ traction served by engineers who alone
are capable of working It's complicated
mechanism. provided regularly with am
munition, can follow In every point tho
mathematical role laid out by the Gen
eral stan.
The mortars worked In this fashion
at the beginning OF the campaign, as
| 'he destruction of the Liege and Namur
| forts proves, but the situation has
/ changed. These mortars are difficult to
| handle and In rainy weather their trans
| port through muddy and rain washed
| countries II complicated It IN difficult
! also to keep the gun supplied with shells
| The enormous shells are difficult 10 bring
up when the conveys ara attacked by our
! cavalry.
Another point Of Importance is tn
| fact that on account Of the delicate
| mechanism Of the gun necessary parts
| cannot De replaced immediately when the