The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-03-18
GREATEST NAVAL
 GUNS EVER WILL
 60 ON NEW SHIPS
Monster Engines of Destruction Tested in Anticipation Of
 Use On Floating Giants.

34SC OM 4OdGAAfy UAdAtlS.
 Waahfngton March 1s4The two bntxleships provided for in the cur rent naval bill may be armed with 16-tnch rifles, the heaviest naval guns ever designed.
 While tentative plans for the new ships contemplated vessels similar in design to the 32 1000 tons giants of the California class now building, details of arnaIleut ana engine equi ip1nent are being given unusual attention by fained from the 15-inch main batter les of the newest British and German. battlesh4ps are being closely watched.
 tAlready the nsw e-inch navy gun has been S1bpected to tests at the Indian Head proving ground and while details of it's construction and performance are closely guarded. it Is known that the gigantic weapon has given proof of its efnciency which deiisnted navy ordinances experts The gun wias built at the American naval gun factory and has been undergoing 4eats for several months.
 Some idea of the probable size of the new Anerfcan gun may be gath- cred from the fact that each of the 16-inokz guns Of the British battleshfp Queen Elazabeth weighs ninety six toms while similar rifles deyiened in
 
 ahtpg lnld down this: year weigh more rides of the bat1lesEips New r ork and TsedEMs for the five new American dE-pasduAugats now under construction vre1&h 6s.s tons each and it is certain that the new 1e-inch weapon weighs more than 100 tons without it's mount tns1.
 Krurp engineers have designed . l6-inch gun which fires a pro5ectile weighing 2so2S pounds against the Is pound naass of steel hurled by the Is-1z1SA r1fIes adopted for the Ger man Iisspx and the 1.7 go pound pro Jeet11s poured Into the Turkish for treases of the DardaneIies by the British batt1eship Queen Elizabeth None of the German or British vessels actly similar to the American inch Eun. q lump having been made last year from the standard 12-inch rife. to the 16-incf1 type.
 The New York. Texas Nevada and Oklahoma each carry ten 14-incfl guns while the Pennsyf yfvan1a. Ca1i-s forn1a Idaho and Mississippi each will carry twelve. placed three to a. turTet. These weapons throw jroJec- tfIes weighing 400 pounds as is the case with the 4-inch guns designed for the four Japanese beLttleships es-9 tinaated for in 1914.
 With the incr ease in size. the life of tfe gun is shortened by erisionss due to the heat generated by the ex-s plosion of the hpge charge of powder necessary to hlrE nearly a ton of metal fifteen miles that is said to be the range of the American 16-lnch weap- onl The rifiing Of the gun burns cut under the blastS Drops of mel steel are visible in the bore ofter C; shot and it is said that She life of the Queen Elizabeth's f5-fneh weapon is less than 100 shots each. After that the gun is so unaceurate as to be wir- tualIy useless.
 Navy gun designers have overcome the obstacle somewhat. it is said, with the new American 16 6-inch gun. but the life Of the gun is still far below that of the 1 4-Incla.
 The Krupp works. before the out break of he present war, an nnounced that proress of steel and powder has been evolved that decfeases erosipns but the factory IS trast supply large number of guns sI1a5l CT gaarslltee of 259. fgfuiaa aaetracs fire lire
 fsa fs fsIacin ng abbard the Queen Eliza beth She 5-fsseE eapon designed for hs class axItissh s1aLvx officiaIs n sessa sss45 sn9ocsss of Tseiiping, per- sfsctee U sti1ezt agiheers to offset the. short life Of Che gum If thai be true 1t is probabIe the Queen Fllizabeth. soon mas be compelled to return to Fsr@la nd and have new guns placed asoard If the sst ead pou1adin q the 3sardaneIles forts exhaust her ma in hatters
 With the iii plain view, it is said he Azaaerican gun has equal fnge and near IN equal penetrations ftsa difference being nloFe than conn ,tsrhafaneed 4zs he larger ntInlDer of
 1ifs carrsed nus, in action against sssEh . ssfD as t1as Qlcen Eizab beths the Pennsyl lva n 2 VOL d have twelve 54 inch guns against eight 15-inch greater opuortRlllzay for securing hits. For IildIreet fire such as the work in ilich the Queen Elizabeth shared in fine Dardane1Ies the e1 5-inch gun s greater range would be i'm nportant::, 9t Is not i5elieHcd 1t would be as facto4 in a purely naval battle
 During the present war, big gun naval engagenaerfs have been fought 4K sof from seven to ten miles, eet stance for either 12 or 14 inch guns
 As matter of fact it has been pointed out that the German S-inch guns olstssaHged larger British guns leraase Of the hisl1ea' gun elevation provided by German engineers Ger man naval g1liss rule, have a Ir1ax iT,lta4n. elevation of thirty degrees against fifteen degrees aboard Brit ish and American ships. That is another prob1ern upon. which ATneTi- can designers arc concentrating att tent9pn in DIann ing new ships.
 4s4N19ARD OIL DINING