The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-12-18

lery will be able To man efficiently oil
mine defences and IL Share Of the TUT
defences. To provide for this shortage
Will involve an annual cost Of approx.
mstely es.75o.0oo. which is a compare.
lively small cost for the efficient use Of
armament which has cost 70 much more
1t Is indeed essential that this trained
personnel Of regular coast artillery be
provided II our system Of coast defencea
10 to be efficient on the outbreak Of war
with Any maritime Power. II must be
had In mind that in any such event the
coast line would. Immediately on the
declaration Of war. or even before the
declaration Of war. become the
threatened line. There will not then be
time available 70 train men to serve the
coast armament. II we're better that
coast batteries not manned at that time
BY trained troops had not been con.
~structed. The armament mounted
therein in such case might even be made
use OF against US by the enemy.
Garrisoms Cot 70 Bone.
A. the present time many Of the coast
notifications have been so stripped OF
the personnel that they have been placed
In the hands Of caretAkern. who can only
keep the material In ssrviceabls conAi-
hon. The garrisons for the coast de-
FENCES OF Portsmouth. the Della ware, the
Potomac. the Cape Fear. Charleston.
Key West. Tampa. Mobile. Galveston and
the Columbia are greatly below what
they should be under the policy which
contempiates that one-hsK OF the guns
and mortars be manned by regular
troops.
In view OF the foregoing the recon-
mendations made by the undersigned In
previous reports are urgently renewed
that laws be enacted that shall provide
an adequate coast artillery personnel
Tor the home Notifications and that
legislation be sufficiently elastic 10 au.
thorise the President to increase at any
tirns the coast artillery forces by ths
NUMBERS OF officers and men necessary
to man any new fortihcations that may
from time to time b authorised by
Congress.
Calling attention to the fact that q
special board appointed last spring by
secretary Garrison to study the Ques.
ton OF ordnance had recommended that
guns Of at least Is inch caiibre should
be installed In future coast defence
works e Weaver expresses the
opinion that inasmuch az there has
been serious talk In foreign countries
OK mounting Is incl and even II inch
guns on battleships guns Of even greater
calibre might we'll be considered for the
american shore forts. In this connection
he says:
Heavier Guns Needed.
1t Is to be pointed out that the recon-.
mendation Of the board wa for guns
OF at least Is inch calibre. Inasmuch
as there has been some discussion AZ
to mounting Is Inch and even II inch
guns ahoat II Ii a question whether the
dimensions Of our primary shore guns
should not be made OF larger caiibre
than sixteen inches. The advantages
ina come from increasing caiibres are
NOT only those due to greater striking
energy greater accuracy OF hre and
greater perforation OF arnor, but also
tnose due to increased weight Of explo.
siv carried In the cavity of the shell
the weight Of explosive carried in.
creases as the cube Of the diameter. but
experiments have shown that the de-
strucuve effects caused by the expio-
sion OF a high explosive she'll increase
IN greater ratio than the cube.
IL will therefore be understood that
an exceptional advantage Is to be At.
tained from the fact alone that the
weight OF the shell charge il increased.
Inc destructiveness OF the AZ centimeter
ana other large she'll guns used by the
In the land warfare in Europe
mas clearly brought out this fact.
~"rs ns8 HOWitBera.
II is on these considerations that tho
.hiet or coast artillery recommended
mat our present system Of runs.
mounted In fixed positions. should be
by providing a new tvne ~
armament hat would Involve thu use M
howitxers OF the largest practicable shell
rApacity. type TO be mounted on rail-
road trucks so designed as to hermit
me nowhzers to be fired therefrom. and
me o'her or the maximum sise practi-
caole FOR WACO Dad transportation.
from time to time the chief OF coast
artlilery has recommended that more con.
uera,'eh De given to tho advantages TO
% had by utilising coast guns and NOR
-ars In fre ~landward. The range OF
-nese guns and mortars are such that
'ney would be very effective AGAINST
aiding parties OF the enemy seeking 70
attack the fortincations from the rear
they could be made OF great assist.
nee to the commanding ohicers of mo-
army troops operating In the vlcin-
~ OF the Notifications.
The efficiency OF indirect f A.. of In
ward operations has been very much in.
'reased by the aid OF observers in aero.
II the aviator has n reliable
typographical map of the land about
iortihations, on which may be laid
" n number OF squares Of suitable d. ,
ne can. from his position aloft.
Win a sufficient degree OF accuracy. 10,
ate bodies OF troops and signal such in I
ormation to "a battery commander. also
,roVided with n duplicate OF such man !
ne hattery commander. with this ,nsor. ,
nation In his possession. can %nnmedia,siy !
over the locality designated with nv
Elective fire. ~ w." !
Experiment. Ordered. ,
experimental firing has been author. v
win a view TO exploiting the pos .
Ioiii''es OF nre OF this nature. II found
!, oe as enective as 1t gives promise 6
! oe.ns ~ would seem to he desirable
IN an future construction OF coast I
,r.incttiohs guns as we'll as morta ~ s
.tIu'u 90 PROVIDED with all around fire I
ne p'''c'pie was recognized in the a
nG,hss OF the Breckinridgs board. O
me effectiveness OF the HAMMOND n
tdio controlled torpedo appears 10 hay. 7
well established. The board OF ora a
ahce ana fortifcation recommends ~. h
orapiy to the Secretary Of war a. IN .
lie merits OF this invention and ,hs :
recommended TO Congress- thai,
re rights OF the inventor be acouir"d
recommendation OF the board az ord
ance ana fortification was made how
yer. at TOO late a date for considera,,or
y the last Congress. II is -recommsndsd
'at the recommendations be renewal 80
ie next Congress TO the end tina, ,,i.
ew type OF Weapon may be installed n,
noes. ''"s' ue-