The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1914-11-05
GINS By THE THOUSAND.
An Army of Men Busy in krupp
Works Night and Day.

To the rumors that the krupp
works at Essen are building 36-cen-
timeter guns. has now been added
another-rhe claim that the same
plant is turning out 56-centimeter
pieces. says correspondent of the
Associated Press. While it is hard
to believe this. it must be borne in
mine that a siege piece of 42-centl-
meters, the existence OF which was
doubted before the war, has become
a convincing reality. as has also the
Austrian 30.5-centimeter piece. winch
even after the outbreak of the war
was looked upon as the object OF q
very interesting fable.
To be sure 30.5-centimeter
(about 12-inch) gun was not in it
self a novelty. But that the Aus
trians would be able to make such
a piece mobile for field purposes was
thought out of the question. The
same process of reasoning was ap-
piled to the German 42-centimeter
or 16 1-2-inch gun. 4 mathematical
relation of cause and effect, in this
instance, the ability of steel to with
stand the shock of the propelling ex-
plosion, and the weight which such
a machine of destruction would
have, led to the conclusion that a
16 1-2-inch gun, while possible, could
not be transported easily enough to
permit it's use in the field. Never
theless, it was shown that, though
the German 42-centimeter gun weighs
about Sc tons, transportation diff
culties had been overcome largely
with the aid of motor traction and
other devices.
Since the increase in weight of
56-centimeter, or 22-inch gun over
a 42-centimeter gun would not be
very great, and since the increase in
a 60-centimeter or % 1-2-inch gun
over a 22-incher would be an almost
negligible quantity, the existence OF
such pieces need not be doubted in
this respect. If it is possible to move
over ordinary roads and across soft
fields a 26-ton piece, it is not unrea-
sonable to expect that gun weigh
ing 35 tons would offer no new trans
portation problems: The case is one
of increase in motive power instead
of new aspects in transportation.
No attention need be paid to popu-
lar rumors making the rounds in
Germany that the new pieces are de-
signed to lombard the English coast
from the coast of France. The ex-
treme fight of the 16 1-2-inch shell
has recently been given as about ~
kilometers for the ''krumbahn' or
high trajectory pieces, and 16 kilo-
meters for those having a f1atter
course. Since the increase in calibre
from l6 1-2 to 90 1-2 does not neces-
sarily mean a proportionate length
ening of the range, it is not at all
likely that the English coast cities
opposite Calais and other channel
points will make the acquaintance of
the "Brummers the Germans
have come to call their large siege
pieces.
The 56-om and Coon pieces,
should they actually exist, would find
their uses, and these. as more or less
we'll informed circles assert, would
consist of arming some naval base
on the channel which the Germans
hope to establish during the course
of this war. 1t is maintained that
Calais has been decided upon as the
best locality for such base, and
that is in a measure due to this.
There is an authentic report that
in this establishment over $4,000
men are busy day and night turning
out war material. While large per-
centage of this force must be en-
ployed in supplying current demands
of ammunition for the field pieces and
replacing losses in this arm, it is
only reasonable to assume that this
huge force could in part be employed
in the making of new and larger
"Brummers That the works are
turning out new additions to the
42-om equipment is known, for only
a few days ago six new pieces of this
class were taken to the vicinity of