The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1915-03-25
Big Guns Change
The War Tactics

mas upset many previously dcScpteu
military theories, caused others to
be modified, placed the individual
soldier in the background, and made
artillery preeminent in war.
War, as it is fought today is large
ly a matter of pitting one death deal
ing machine against another. This
means that, more than ever before,
the army with the strongest artillery
is the superior force. 1t is the long
range field gun, heavy howitzer, and
high explosive projectile which weak
en- the enemy's resistance, more than
rifle fire from the trenches.
At the beginning of the war Ger
manys heavy artillery was wheeled
onto the battlefield for the first time.
The enormous power of its big how
tiers constituted the one real sur
prise of the war. The introduction
of a 16.5 inch siege piece to batter
down Notifications was just as rad
zeal an innovation as was the Mon.
itor" when 1t made its appearance al
Hampton Roads during the Civil war
So at the opening OF the world wide
struggle Germany's enemies were in
one particular unprepared: the forts
in Belgium were not built to with
stand anything heavier than a 9 inch
shell, and even the 11.2 inch Krupp
howitzers we're too much for any for
LITIGATION in their path.
Germany SO far as 1t is known, has
only two Of the great 1876 inch how.
tiers. And now 1t is reported, pro-
badly correctly, that Great Britain
has developed an even greater en-
CINE of death, which will be brought
out when the first chance comes.
This new ordinance is supposed to
be modelled after the master Krupp
piece and to have II inch bore.
There is little doubt that in a mum
Der Of instances the Germans have
been credited with using much larg-
er siege mortars than were actually
fired, as for instance at Namur,
where 1t is now declared that the
11.2 inch howitzer was employed {.
This weapon has frequently been mis-
taken for the larger one and pictur-
ed as it. Its existence was not I'M
known prior to the opening Of hostil-
tiles. In fact, It was SO well known
that France in 1911, also developed
an 11.2 inch howitzer OF equal de
structive capacity as rejoinder.
This is a Schneider gun and Is pro-
vided with stationary mounting
concrete anchor weight and ground
plates, when in action, insteadsof be-
ing fired from its carriage.
From this it would seem that Ger
many's strength in siege artillery is
no greater now than that Of her enc
mics. The reason that SO much has
been heard of the heavy Krupp guns
and so little about the Schneider
howitzers Of the French is obvious
So far Germany has been fighting
largely on the offensive In the ter
ritory of her enemies, breaking thru
solid Notifications and storming cit
les. The allies, on the other hand
have been resisting invasion. If the
coming of spring brings with 1t al
invasion of Germany, which will
mean the storming of the fortified
tons along the Rhine, the Schneider
siege howitzers-and possibly tn,
new British piece-will be brought
out for action. Until such a time
however, there is little or no oppor
tunity to use them.
Very little actual information hal
filtered through the German lines re
garding the 1876 in. siege howitze
or mortar. The measurements o
the 11.2 in. howitzers, however, are
known and military authorities, us
ing these as basis for their calcu
lations, have compiled figures for the
larger weapon which approximate &C
curacy. These estimates place tn,
weight of ordinance with the breecl
block at 2l.3 tons; the weight of the
piece in action, 80 tons; the heavies
load to be transported, including
transport wagon, 1913 tons; tn,
weight OF the shell used 1855 lb. re
coil energy, 1880 tons.
The actual number of these larg
siege guns and howitzers is compar
atiyely small and by far the creates
part Of the fighting has been carried
on with field guns of enormous pow
ed but not extreme size. Brtain'
6 in. howitzer used on a field car
riage, has won the admiration of 1T
allies and the respect of its enemies
The same is true Of the French 6.2O
in. piece, while Frances favorit,
20" in. gun, has been used will
very telling effect. France has on
other field gun, a 100 in. weapon
which is large edition OF the "75.