The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1914-12-14

OF ARTILLERY
In European Countries BEING Watch
ed ey the Officials at WASH
ington.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 13.-In COM
mon with the military observers OF
every other nation, United States
army officers are watching with
keenest interest the artillery develop
ment OF the warning nations OF Eu-
rope as disclosed upon the battle
Fields OF Belgium and France. Every
news dispatch that mentions the
great German guns Is read closely
and photographs are studied with
greatest care; but so far nothing
conclusive has been found to confirm
the report that the Germans are
placing their main reliance upon
GERS.
American officers believe that .le
Germans have accomplished the de-
struction of opposing forts with
standard eleyen-inch howitzers and
modern high explosives which are
virtually the same for all nations.
The key to German successes OF this
character, they say. lies in the
thoroughness with which the work is
done and the accuracy or their shoot
ing with eleven-inch weapons.
photographs Of the forts before
Llege. Namur. Antwerp and elsewhere
In the war zone show turret forts
completely wrecked by German fire.
There is nothing to indicate. however.
that the damage was inflicted by IL
men or even smaller shells. ordinance
experts believe. The enormous de-
structive force of these shells has
been well known ever since the fall
of Port Arthur In the Japanese Rus
sian war.
Reduced by Eleven Inehers.
The city was taken by the Japanese
Notwithstanding modern Notifications
OF the highest type. naturally stronger
than an ythat have been assailed dur
ing the present war. since the forts
were located on high hills, rendering
turret protection against fire unneces-
sary. They were reduced by I1-inch
coast defense howitzers brought from
the Japanese coast with great labor
and mounted after the exercise OF en-
cheering skill OF the highest order to
get them over the rough ground and
into place where they commanded the
Russian fortresses. Once established
behind nearby hills. absolutely safe
from the fire of the Russian guns. the
howitzers disposed of the enemy's
boosted defenses with the same ease
that the German guns have battered
TO pieces the Belgian forts.
American officers have studied
with interest photographs of the Aus
TRAN mobile siege mortars. No scale
has accomplished these pictures but
comparison OF the size OF the men as
shown in the pictures with the bore
or breach of the weapon beside
which they stand. indicates the guns
to be most greater than the elev-inch
and In many Instances even smaller.
System Of Transportation.
The mos novel feature about these
weapons to military eyes Is the sys-
TEN OF transportation employed by
which the. gun and its carriage are
divided on two trucks equipped with
trimmed wheels and special devices
to distribute the enormous weight
over as much road service as DOS.
sible. The whole train IL hauled by
traction engine propelled by steam or
gasoline Undoubtedly this has serv.
ed Increase the MOBILITY Of the giant
weapon: but officers AZ not satisfied
that the necessity Of carefully pre-
pairing the ground upon which the
guns stand when discharged has been
done away with. II IL stin n Job for
engineers to place these weapons on
The long delay necessary 20 permit
the emplacement OF siege weapons.
while little reduced IL stll a factor
In military operations
The United States d. not contem.
plating the construction Of very large
siege guns. because the roads Of the
country are not suited 70 carry such
enormous weights. The radius Of &C
ton OF the weapons would be limited
10 the Immediate vicinity ~ few Of
the larger cities or 20 n highway
here or there that has been improved
Tor long distance In the event Of
Invasion. ~ would b. impossible TO
couhne operations 20 territories best
suited for defense. and the guns would
b. virtually useless