The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-07-25

derfully contrived vehicles known as battery wagons, though they look less like wagons than anything else. They are equipped with a complete black smith shop, carpenters tools and an outfit for making and repairing har- ness. They also contain extra parts for the guns and the battery fire con trol system, consisting of telescopes. telephones and signal flags.
 The battery Is divided into sections each of which has it's special duties to perform. Each section consists of a corporal and II men, five men to each gun section and six to each caisson section. The whole Is under the com rsand of sergeant.
 Something About the Guns
 The gun itself is magnificent weapon. It is known officially as the threeinch field piece, model of 1902 To one unfamiliar with gunnery it seems a fearful and wonderful con- trivanoe The barrel Is 72 inches long and weighs 825 pounds. It is of three >inch calibre, that Is, it fires a projec- tile that many inches in diameter. It's extreme range is something over four 1li1es. The sights are capable of being adjusted from 100 to 65Oo yards. The sun Is mounted upon a recoil mech anism by means of which the force of the "kick' instead of causing the en- tire gun to run backwards, as was the case with the old muzzle loaders, is expended in forcing the barrel back, leaving the carriage undisturbed The reccil forces the breech back about 45 inches, and a powerful spring allows it to return gently to it's place. This all lows the gun to be fired any numb CT of times without changing the sights, for the barrel always returns to the exact place.
 
 Is a breechloader firing fixed ammuni- ton. That is, the charge Is put up In cartridge like ordinary rifle ammu- milton, and the gun is loaded in about the same manner. The day when the gunner rammed in the load from the ruzzle while bullets whistled about his ears is gone. Today the gunner sits on little seat arranged at the side of the gun. crouching behind a steel shield which Is raised between the wheels. gunner sits on each side of the gun, one to manage the sight ing mechanism and the other to sec to the elevation. The projectile Is brought from the Timber, its fuse set al the proper distance, and the gun loaded without a man exposing himself above the shield for second.
 Use High Explosive Shrapnel
 The ammunition used in the United State field gun is high explosive shrapnel which to the layman looks | like a gigantic rifle cartridge. The weight of the pro1ectile Is 15 pounds | and 1t is about 20 inches In length. l. contains 262 round lead balls. each one | half-inch in diameter. The shell l by most ingenious device can bs made to burst at any distance from tn, gun or 1t can be set to burst on i'm | pact. So successful has shrapne proved to be that it is now used ex clusively in our army. Against masset troops 1t Is especially destructive. B, causing the shells to burst above column of men, the scores of lead ball gro forced downward and forward ove an area of more than 100 yards. Tn, | effect of several guns firing at ono. can we'll be imagined.
 There is device on the end of eacl pro1ectile which looks more like tn, dial on a combination safe than any thing else. It Is graduated and mum
 bered into small spaces, each of whicl represents given number of seconds This Is the time fuse, by means O. which the shell can be made to burs at any distance, by turning this dial tt the desired number and 'setting 1t there. Thus the fuse can be set SC that the shell will burst in giver number of seconds. it having been fig, ured that it will travel a certain mum
 Der of yards in that time. But as tn, speed of the projectile constantly de crcases with the distance travelled, th' spaces on the fuse dial are of irregular width. Thus at 300 yards the shell il travelling faster than it will at 400.
 But it is the sights that are mos
 puzzling to the layman. To one fla r,'!iar only with small arms. the sight