The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1914-12-18
WAR OBSERVATIONS
By ARMY OFFICERS
indications Are Forts Are Being
Reduced BY Comparative
y Small Siege Guns

WASHINGTON, November 2s.--In
common with the military observers of
every other nation, United States army
officers are watching with keencat ~
terest the artillery develoIpcnt Of the
warning nations Of Europe as disclosed
upon the battlefelds of Belgium and
France. Every news despatch that
mentions the great German guns Is read
closely and photographs are studit1
with greatest care; but so far nothing
conclusive. has been found 10 conlfn|
the report that the Germans are pIac.
ing their main reliance npon fortf.lno
centimeter mobile howitzcfs.
American officers believe that tho
Germans have accomplished the deaIfnc.
tion Of opposing forts wi.S standafI
eleven-inch howitzers ara modern high
Explosives which are virtually the same
for all nations. The key 10 German
successes Of this character. they SAY.
lies in the thoroughness with which the
work is done and the accuracy Of their
shooting with eleven-ineh weapons.
photographs Of the forts before Iien1.
Nalnur, Antwerp and elsewhere in tho
war zone show tnrret forts compltlc|r
wrecked by German fire. There "A moth
ing to indicate, however. that the dam.
age was inflicted by elevcn-inch or or(se
smaller shells, ordnance experts bc|'of1
The enormous destructive force OF fhc.r'
shells has been well known ever since
thefalI Of Port Arthur In the Japanese.
Russian war.
The city was taken by the Japanese
notwithstanding modern f0ftiicnfion.
of the highest type; naturally stronger
than any that have boon assaulted dur.
4 ing the present war since the fort.
were located on high hills rendering
turret protection against fire unnctr&
sary. They were reduced by o|orr1+
inch coast defense howitzcrs brought
from the Japanese coast with great |1.'
Dor aud mounted after the exercise Of
engineering 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 kafn
from the FIRE Of the Russian guns. tho
howitzers disposed Of the enemy =
boasted defenses with the same case
that the German guns have battered
to pieces the Belgian forte
h American officers have studied with
i interest photographs Of the Austrian
i mobile siege mortars. No scale has &C..
eompanied these pictures but COMPARE
son of the size Of the men as shown in
the pictures with the bore or breach
4 Of the weapon beside which they stand
Indicates the guns 20 be not greater
II than the eleyen-ineh and In many in
stances even smallers
Novel Transportation System
u The most novel feature about these
i weapons to military eyes Is the sys.
Il tenn Of transportation employed by
which the gnn andfits carriage are III.
vided on two trucks equipped with
rimmed wheels and special devices to
Distribute the enormous weight over o1
Inzeh road service Ms possible Tho
whole train Is hauled by traction en-
CINE propelled by steam or gasoline.
|, Undoubtedly this has served to increase
(. the mobility Of the giant weapons, but
! officers are not satisfied that tho nccoa'
sity Of carefully preparing the ground
II upon which the guns stand when dis
charged has been done away with. ID
Is still a job for engineers TO place these
weapons and the long delay necessary
to permit the emplaeement Of sicnr
weapons, while a littiS reduced is stu
q factor ia military operations
The United States Is not contemplate
ing the construction Of very large siorn
guns because the roads Of the country
are not suited TO carry such enofmor.
weights The radius Of action Of tho
weapons would be limited to tho immo.
diate vicinity Of a few Of the larger
cities or to a highway here Or there
that has been improved for q long d'f'
tanec. In the event OF invasion Il
would be impossible to eonhne opera
tons TO territories best suited for Do
Tense and the guns would DO virtually
useless.