The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1914-10-01
GERMANS ARE USING
WONDERFUL EXPLOSIVE
Quick Destruction OF Liege and
Namur Forts Caused By
Powerful Substance.

NANS $50 - y I'M -
be recalled that after howitzers were
brought up several Of the Liege forts
were reported to have been fairly blown
to pieces. Gen. Leman Is said to have
been rescued in an unconscious condi-
ton amid a mass of debris. The fort
had been rent asunder.
The iron cupolas Of the Liege forts
were proof again the fire OF ordinary
field guns. No impression was made on
these forts, ii IS reported, until howit-
GERS were brought into play.
Lord Roberts has declared that the
one striking lesson OF the Boer war
was the necessity for heavier, guns for
field operations. The British, 1t will be
recalled, found II necessary 70 bring
4.7-inch and 6-inch naval guns into
service with the army. These heavy
naval gun were mounted on impr0-
vised carriages and were dragged over
many miles Of country roads by heavy
teams OF e The naval guns pos
sessed long ranges and fired shells filed
with lyddite. The 4.7-inch shell weighed
about So pounds. and the six-inch shell
100 pounds. While these guns were cap
able OF long range they did not yield
the mine power Afforded by the how
itzer projectiles. Later In the war the
British sent out howitzer guns, using
lyddite projectiles.
The howitzers are designed to throw
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velocity. Penetration Is not sought for
so much as mine effect. SO long as b
projectile a be dropped on or close to
the object aimed at the destructive
effect is obtained through tho result
ing explosion. In other words, the
howitzer shells have comparatively thin
walls. The head Is made OF steel OF
sufficient strength to admit OF piercing
light armored structures and there Is
sufficient delay in the fuse TO insure
the shell travelling q few feet beyond
the point OF impact before decorating
the explosive mass within.
Use Of High Explosives.
The question regarding how much
destruction will ensue consequent upon
h explosion depends entirely on the
character OF the explosive used. Lyd-
dite, which has been adopted in the
British service, and melinite, which IS
used In the French service, are both
compromises as between a very high
explosive and one that Is safe to ham
die. Both Of these explosives r used.
respectively in the British and French
navies, and 1t will be readily under
stood that no high explosive Is admis-
sible for use on board ship that Is not
safe to handle and which cannot at the
81 Z = time be depended upon to remain
So under varying conditions Of cli-
mate and temperature.
In all selections OF powders and high
explosives for use aboard a ship the
safety Of the ship itself must not be
hazarded by the carrying OF highly sem
sitive compounds. For torpedo work
guncotton has long been recognized as
the safest explosive to use. This ma
terial loses D d OF it5 power by reason
OF being wet, n when wet guncotton
Is as safe to handle as black powder.
1t Is only necessary to use a small
amount Of dry guncotton to explode the
wet charge, and on shipboard the dry
primers are carried above
the main decks and IN widely separated
positions. These dry guncotton charges
are fitted In the noses OF the torpedoes
just before firing. Guncotton 10 h
form OF explosive which is largely used
Tor mine ~defences.
For army service there is not the
sakaA necessity FOR exercising the ex-
IRENE caution as on board ship. The
high explosive used may be more sem
sitive, that is to say, up to the point
where It an be safely fired from q gun
and even in this respect, where the fir
Ing is against stationary objects such
forts, the gunners can be withdrawn
the piece and the gun fired from
4 distance by electrical connection.
krupp Guards Secrets.
The Krupp factory at Essen probably
more knowledge on III sub
ect OF high explosives than IN n
plant I'm the world. Krupp secrets are
carefully guarded, and artiIlerists have
ong recognized that tho last word 1
practice Is to be had at Essen
inventors the world over generally Of
'er to Krupp first OF all any new ideas
gun or projectile development. That
has always paid well for any
sdea possessing merit so long as II alb
solutely controlled h principle In
The wonder was expressed In the
days OF the ighting at Liege
hat heavy Krupp guns had not been
brought up. Either ths Germans had
lot expected the resistance offered o
we're slow at the outset In dispatching
the front their heavy siege guns,
tut the results seem to bea out what
.lrtillerasts have believed here-nameIy,
hat no line OF redoubts could with
stand very long high explosive mortar
Jhells.
This opinion was largely based on
he experience Of the Japanese fire at
Port Arthur from howitzers against
he Russian ships In Port Arthur har-
Dor. The howitzer projectiles de-
a high curve, and In descend
ng upon the decks OF the Russian ves-
sels encountered no more resistance
han was offered by the light armored
leck plates. These plates could be
pierced. ana once INSIDE the ter
rtnc mine effect of the shells literally
.ore open the sides OF the vessels.
In the siege OF Paris Of 1870 the Ger
nan siege guns were Of relatively light
They were rife guns for tho
most part. and possessed far greater
range thar field guns, but 1t is a Gact
that several French guns mounted In
the defenses OF Paris possessed a long,
err range than the German runs. One
Of these French guns may be seen to-
day near the Artillery museum 1 Ber-
lin. 1t Is a trifiing gun as compared
with the siege gun or the present day.
II is the probable effect Of high ex-
shells from the new Krupp
siege guns which military men here are
watching so closely. Paris held out for
nearly Ave months against h Ger
man siege Of 1870, and many OF the
forts which then did service are In ex-
today. An attack against these
forts by modern siege guns win call for
new forms OF defense and even greater
resourcefulness.
Manager Bill
Senator Norris. attacking the man