The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1915-12-24
NEW PROGRAM FOR
COAST DEFENSE
Plans As Outlined By The War
Department.
l6-INCH GUNS IN ALL FORTS
Scheme Also Calls For semi-MobIIe
Howitzers, Anti-Aircraft Guns
and Big Ammunition Sup
ply-Fort at Cape Henry.

Washington.-A new program for
the Improvement of coast defenses and
the mobile artillery Of the United
States to their maximum military eff
cheney at cost of $100,00O,0O0 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 &C
cumulation of reserve ammunition
that will allow each gun in the coast
defenses as many rounds as may be
fred during the life of the gun.
For Mounting t2-inch Guns.
The immediate mounting of sixty
four 12-inch guns, now held as re-
serve, on new carriages that will give
them an increased range that will al
low them to stand OFF, any modern bat
tleship has been decided on. These
guns are to be mounted at once to
guard frst-class cities while the It,
inch gun plan is being carried out.
The plan contemplates an expendi-
ture of more than $96,000,000 over a
period Of four or five years. OF this
amount about $71,000,000 would be
spent on defenses in the United States
proper, $11,O00,000 on defenses in the
insular possessions and nearly $14,-
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-
retieal basis of two hours continuous
firing, and about $46,000.0O0 Of the
to tai 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 Is
inch howitzers and approximately IL
inch howitzers for use of the mobile
artillery and the anti-aircraft guns.
The 16-inch howitzers are designed
to be shipped by railroad or by motor
truck and to be fred from specially
built emplacements or from special
railroad cars. Where railroad lines
run along the sea coast it 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 ire
mendous recoil of the big guns could
be taken up not only by recofl 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 fertilization is planned at
Cape Henry to guard the entrance to
Chesapeake Bay and it will be started
at once, according to the program. 1t
will mount four 16-inch guns and eight
16-inch mortars.