Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-10-21
The GERMANS HAVE
PLENTY OF CANNON
Krupps Said to Be Turning Out
Enormous Number of War
Monsters - Comparison with
Guns of Other Nations


that the Krupps works at Essen are
building 56-centimeter guns, has now
been added another-the claim that
the same plant is turning out 56-centi-
metre pieces. While it is hard to be-
lieve this, it must be borne in mind
that a siege piece of AZ centimeters,
the existence of which was doubted be-
fore the war, has become a convincing
reality, as has also the Austrian 30.5-
centimeter piece, which even after the
outbreak OF the war was looked upon
as the object of very interesting ia
BILE.
To be sure 30.5 centimeter (about
12inch) gun was not in itself a nov
city. But that the Austrians would be
able to make such a piece mobile for
field purposes was thought out of the
question. The same process of reason
ing was applied to the German 42-cen-
timeter or 16 1-2 inch gun. A mathe-
NAUTICAL relation of cause and effect, in
this instance, the ability of steel to
withstand the shock of the propelling
explosion, and the weight which such a
machine of destruction would have, led
to the conclusion that a 16 IL inch
gun while possible could not be trans
ported easily enough to permit its use
in the field. Nevertheless, it was shown
that. though the German 42-centimet-
er gun weighs about &c tons, transpor-
tation difficulties had been overcome
largely with the aid of motor traction
and other devices.
Since the increase in weight of a So
centimeter or 224nch gun over a Az
centimeter gun would not be very
great, and since the increase in a 60
centimeter or % 12-inch gun over a
22-incher would be an almost negligi-
Bile quantity, the existence of such
pieces need not be doubted in this re-
spect If it is possible to move over
ordinary roads and across soft fields
a 26-ton piece, it is not unreasonable
to expect that gun weighing 35 tons
would offer no new transportation pro-
blems. The case is one of increase in
motive power instead of new aspects In
transportation.
No attention need be paid to popular
rumors making the rounds in Germany
that the new pieces are designed to
lombard the English coast from the
coast of France. The extreme flight OF
the 16 IL inch shell has recently beer
given as about IL kilometers for the
"krdmbahn" or high trajectory pieces
and 16 kilometers for these having g
flatter course. Since the increase il
calibre from 16 1-2 to % 1-2 does not
necessarily mean a proportional,
frightening of range, it is not at al
likely that the English coast cities op
posite Calais and other channel points
will make the acquaintance of the
1SrY ~ mo r.e-f' he L.
come to call their large siege pieces
The 56-om and Coon pieces, SHOULD
they actually exist would find thei
uses and these, as more or less we'll
Informed circles here assert would
consist of arming some naval base OF
the channel which the German hope t
establish during the course of this war
1t is maintained that Calais has beer
decided upon as the best locality fol
such base, and that the great activi.
ty in the Krupp works is in a measure
due to this.
There is an authentic report that In
this establishment over $4,000 mer
are busy day and night turning out
war material. While a large percent
age of this force must be employed in
supplying current demands of ammu
milton for the field pieces and replac
ing losses in this arm, II is only rea
sonable to assume that this huge force
should in part be employed in the
making of new and larger "Brum
mers." That the works are turning
out new additions to the 42-om equip
ment is known, for only few days
ago six new pieces of this class were
taken to the vicinity of Antwerp.
1t is of some interest to know with
what the French oppose these heavy
pieces. According to an article in the
Berliner Lokal Anzeiger of September
2Sth, the French use a 27-om mortar
smaller than the Austrian mortar piece
and 120 millimeter and 150-milli-
meter fiat trajectory gun. In addition
there is 13S-millimeter gun of older
pattern. To facilitate comparison, the
Austrian, French and German equip
ments are given in a table of millimet-
ers:
| Caiibre
| Austrian mot Or battery