Ellsworth American., 1915-10-27
FOR COAST pEFE nee.
Uncle Sam VIII Place Giant Guns in
All Big Forts.

Uncle sam VIII Flace Giant Guns In
All Big Forts.
The placing of giant guns OF fourteen
inch and sixteen-inch calibres in all the
principal fcrtincstions Of the United
States, is one OF the defensive improve
nents contemplated by the artillery ex-
perts of the army, made necessary by the
development and use of higher calibred
guns by other nations, notably in the
European nAvies, where guns of the If
teen-inch type are now being placed on
the battleships Of the superdreadnough
types, of which the famous Queen Eliza
beth OF the British navy is an example.
At the present time the largest guns on
any OF the coast Notifications OF the
United States proper are OF the twelve
inch type. There is one sixteeninch
gun at Panama and fourteen-inch guns
have been authorized for Manila bay.
The new fourteen-inch gun fires a pro-
iectile weighing about 1000 pounds, and
uses powder charge OF about 430 pounds.
But it is the big sixteen-inch gun which
the American officers have developed that
is the real wonder OF the service. A sec
ond gun of this type is due at the proving
grounds on Sandy Hook shortly and will
be under test by the end OF the present
year. 1t is fifty feet long, weighs about
2s2 900 pounds and fires a projectile weighs
ing 2,4Oo pounds, with charge of $40
pounds OF smokeless powder. The pro-
jectile is about five and q half feet long.
The gun cost si5o,ooo.
In line with the proposition to increase
the armament of the coast defenses by the
addition Of guns Of the fourteen-inch and
sixteen-inch types, is the proposition to
add siege artillery units to the permanent
organization OF the field artillery arm of
the regular army. One Of the problems
being studied by the artillery is how to
make the great twelve-inch mortars, that
form so important part in the American
scheme Of defense, mobile, making possi-
BILE their quick transportation from one
place to anot her in the event of trouble.
Major General Leonard Wood, now
commanding the Eastern department Of
the ar on Governors island, when chief
of the general staif in Washington, real
ized the import ance otsiege artillery as
unit Of the artillery arm OF the United
States army. So it was that General
Wood issued instructions to General
Weaver, the chief of the coast artillery, to
take up the question OF an effective siege
artillery for the army, and, for purposes
of instruction, organization and training,
TO organize battalion of seige artillery
men, to devote their entire time to the
study of the problem. The battalion was
organized, but the experiment did not
meet with the success hoped for, and
General Weaver reported that siege artil-
lery should be a unit OF the field, and not
OF the coast artillery arm.
General Weaver's report on the siege
artillery problem is included in his
annual report as chief of coast artillery,
which has jsst been mailed to the various
army. In the first paragraph Of that re-
port General Weaver states "that the
organization OF the land forces should
provide clearly and definitely for an ade-
quste siege artillery force'.
The report continues: "At least one
regimental unit Of siege artillery should
be provided for and kept fully equipped
at all times, in order to keep abreast of
the possibilities of siege artillery service
in its highest degree OF efficiency as
practiced in the most recent campaigns
and as followed in the training and in
struction Of first-class foreign military
organizations.
10 hall hot
vice lends itself particularly to the con-
ditions and opportunities, in SO far as
time and means are concerned, of the
personnel of the organized militia. 1t is
believed that it is better adapted to the
conditions which obtain among the state
forces, and promises a more satisfactory
measure of war efficiency than either field
or coast artillery.
1t would be a comparatively easy matter
to supply the armories OF militia organiza-
tions with a full complement of service
siege artillery equipment. The gunnery
features Of the training, the mechanical
maneuvres connected Herewith, and the
fire-control features could all be carried
on with the service equipment in the ar
mofiSs VI suSh OiEahi1atAohSs 1uc hClu
duties, including all phases OF trench and
sap work and field Notifications, could be
executed in the immediate vicinity OF the
respective homes of militia siege artillery
organizations or in connection with the
summer man9uvres.
1t is, therefore, recommended that the
question OF the policy of the war depart
ment in regard to siege artillery and its
proper position in the organization of the
land forces be taken up with view to
definite settlement thereof, especially in
connection with the pending scheme for
the organization OF the land forces.
In order, however, that the work now
being undertaken in accordance with the
instructions OF the chief of staff, of organ
izing battalion Of siege artillery com
posed Of seven-inch howitzers, may be
conducted in such way as to produce