Evening star., 1914-12-06

tion of the sixteen-inch projectile over
the fourteen-inch projectile are great.
The shell will pierce the sides of
warship and deal a death blow at
ranges beyond the reach of any other
defensive gun.
Hence Gen. Weaver wants more of
the sixteen-inch guns. His recommenda-
ton Is merely for the guns for the
Notifications yet to be built. notably
at Cape Henry, but no doubt the inten
tion is to replace the existing twelve
inch guns elsewhere in the country
with these newer ones as the twelve
inches wear out. They would have
to be replaced anyhow in very few
years.
In discussing this matter Gen.
Weaver remarked not long ago:
In view of the fact that the foreign
warships of the latest design are to
carry guns larger than fourteen inches
in caliber, under the highest ballistic
power, and in view of the fact that If the
defenses at Cape Henry were subjected
to naval attack. it would be possib BILE
for naval enemy to bring many
battleships carrying eight to twelve
large caliber guns per ship and to con-
centrate their fire on the Fort Henry
fortifications, and in view also of the
fact that coast fortifcations are not
restricted by reason of weight or space
in mounting and using effectively the
largest caliber of guns and guns Of the
highest power, L have recommended
that the type gun for the Cape Henry
Notifications be sixteen-inch, fifty
caliber gun.
Otherwise these fortifications may
be subjected not only to very much
greater volume of fire than can be de-
livered by them but also have the dis
advantage of replying to that fire with
guns of inferior power, both by reason
of the diameter of the bore of the gun
and by reason of It's shorter length. it
being understood that for any given
diameter of bore the power of the gun
is direct function of its length.
Where, some one may ask. will the
race for supremacy of caliber in big
guns cease? Will we go on and on
building bigger and bigger guns all
the time?
Ashore, II you know the precise Ioca
tion of the object at which you are
shooting. you can plant your gun at
the extreme distance of it's range and
fire away, with the assurance that il
your mathematical calculations and
your ammunition are all that they
should be you are going to score hits.
But battleship does not stay still.
IL 1t Is over the edge of your horizon
even an aeroplane up aloft is not GO
ing TO be able to give you explicit di-
rections for slamming a ton or so of
high explosives into the ships vitals
SO there is a Limitation there.
But for the field work the limitation
is less rigorous. as the Germans have
demonstrated. The new Krupp mortars
they have been improperly called
guns-for siege work. AZ centimeters in
diameter, have proven the surprise of
the war 1t was thought that the Ger
man had nothing bigger than II
inches. Forty-two centimeters. you
must know. are equivalent to more
than 16h inches, a centimeter being
1887 of an inch. And now 1t is re-
ported that the kaiser's men are build
ing 5000 and IS centimeter mortars.
Land limitations are imposed only by
ability to transport the weapon and to
find a stable mounting for it. The Ger
man 42-centimeter mortars have been
transported by especially constructed
motor trucks. On American roads they
would not get very far.
X x
The German success with heavy siege
artillery has given artillery experts Of the
United States Army cause for increased
agitation over the condition Of our own
artillery. OF course, this is not properly
a mattery in which the Coast Artillery
Corps directly Ia interested. 1t mans
sesacoast guns in place. not guns that
20 cuasin., ever .If'- ig' -.'t,-
an enemy. The GAS ~. t'..,.. u-..ia"d-