The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1915-12-23
NEW PROGRAM FOR
COAST DEFENSE
Plans As Outlined BY The War
Department.
16-lNCH GUNS IN ALL FORTS
Scheme Also Calls For Sem.Moble
Howitzers, Anti-Aireraft Guns
and Big Ammunition Sup
ply-Fort at Cape Henry.

Washington.-A new program for
tho improvement of coast defenses and
the mobile artillery OF the United
States to their maximum military eff
cheney at a cost of s10O,0OO,OO0 has
been completed by the War Depart.
ment.
The plan was developed after thor
ough survey of the present defenses.
The program has been laid before the
Appropriations Committee OF the
House for use in the preparation Of
the Notifications appropriation bill.
The program calls for as its chief
feature:
The exclusive use Of the 16-inch guns
in all new coast defenses. develop.
ment OF a semi-mobile 16-inch How
itzer to be transported by railroad or
by motor tractors, and to be the great.
est arm of modern times, and the ac
emulation of reserve ammunition
that will allow each gun in the coast
defenses as many rounds as may be
fired during the life Of the gun.
For Mounting 12-lnch Guns.
The immediate mounting of sixty.
four 12-inch guns, now held as re-
serve, on new carriages that viii give
them an increased range that will al
low them to stand of any modern bat.
tleship has been decided on. These
guns are to be mounted at once to
guard frst.class cities while the 16.
inch gun plan is being carried out.
The plan contemplates an expendi
ture of more than s96,OO0.000 over
period of four or five years. OF this
amount about $71,O0O,OO0 would be
spent on defenses in the United States
proper, 81, 100000 on defenses in the
insular possessions and nearly S14,
100000 on defenses for the Panama
Canal.
A material factor in the increased
money demand is the new plan to build
up an ammunition reserve. Hereto.
fore the coast defenses have been pro
vided with ammunition on the theo
retical basis Of two hours continuous
firing, and about S46,O00,0O0 Of the
total expenditures on the program will
go to furnishing the guns all the am.
munition they can shoot This in
crease is explained by the increased
volume Of fire at the command OF
modern warships.
The War Department is now at
work developing three new artillery
arms which are embraced in the new
plan. They are the semi.mobile 16
inch .howitzers and approximately IL.
inch howitzers for use of the mobile
artillery and the anti-aircraft guns.
The 16-inch howltzers are designed
to be shipped by railroad or by motor
truck and to be fired from specially
built emplacements or from special
railroad cars Where railroad lines
run along the sea coast II is planned
to run from the main track series Of
curved spurs from which the big guns
could fire at any seaward angle in
line with the track. In this the tre-
mendous recoil Of the big guns could
be taken up not only by recoil springs.
but by allowing the car to roll back,
ward under the force Of the explosion.
The War Department is now expert
menting along these lines.
A new fortihcation is planned at
Cape Henry to guard the entrance TO
Chesapeake Bay and II will be started
at once, according to the program. 1t
will mount four 16-lnch guns and eight
l6.inch mortars.