The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-07-25
s ARTILLERY IS
 CREDIT TO THE SERVICE
Something About the Guns and Equipment Avenue Which Can Be Seen at Any Time by Layman-Only
 Drawback is Shortage of Men
By HARVIE

ohsnics of the gun, and of It's intricate machinery, and he must be something of carpenter and a blacksmith and an electrician all in one. In short. he needs a lot of teaching before he is of any use whatever.
 The giving of this training is the aim and ardent desire of the officers of the local batteries, They have every thing In the way of guns and equip. ment that could be ina gined, but they ! aie in need of men. Like every other militia organization, they have enough men to get along with but none to spare. In case of a sudden call, re- ql ring each battery to be recruited up to war strength. there would be busy l times for the officers in teaching and training raw recruits. and months uld be spent getting ready to com mcnce,"
 Guns At Birmingham Armory The modern battery of field artil- lery is a fearful conglomeration of men and horses and harness and guns. As enc recruit expressed it. the main trou- ble with this branch of the service Is
 that there is too much stuff" to look
 after. visit to the armory of the To-
 cal batteries will verify this statement. The long rows of grim looking guns and caissons, ranged ready for service. tho harness and saddles hanging ready
 to hand beside each gun the thousand and one accessories that go to make up the modern battery are most con fusing to the visitor. The first ques- ton he asSs is. how do you take car c
 of all this? The answer lies in Ser gcants R. N. Davidson and R. H. John- sen. quartermasters and custodians Their entire time is occupied in look ing after things. in keeping harness
 and saddles in repair, in cleaning and i polishing and repairing equipments of all kinds
 The batteries are housed in large warehouse on Avenue B between Twen- tv-second and Twenty third streets The doors are always open and wis.,
 itors are more than welcome. To those , who may be interested, the custodians arc always ready to answer questions, foolish and otherwise, and to explain
 everything in and about the armory The battalion consists of Batteries A ana c of Birmingham and B of Mont gomery and is under the command of Maj. L. c. Dorrance, an artilleryman of years of experience, who has risen from the ranks as a private soldier in cid Battery D through the various
 grades to the ranking artillery office
 in the state. His staff consists of Captain and Adjutant Hartley A. Moon
 and First Lieutenant and Quartermas ter J. A. Luckie
 Battery A Is under the command of
 Capt. Frank Flynn. with First Iieuten- ant Walter l., Furman and Second Lieutenant Robert L. Pittman. Battery is commanded by Capt 1 John NJ. Fray, with First Lieutenants William z. Prtchard and Julian P. Smith, Second Lieutenants Morgan ard Field have recently been elected and are now awaiting examination in order to qualify.
 Battery B is commanded by Capt. Michel Screws.
 Each battery s entitled to a captain and two first and two second lieuten
 ants. There are seven sergeants and
 a stable and quartermaster sergeant to
 each battery, also 12 corporals. Each | of the batteries has a total enlisted l strength of about 130 men. l It Is when we begin to consider the equipment that we begin to be aston ished at the amount of stuff" Each
 gun has it's Timber and It's two caissons
 6nd each of these it's harness and sad ] dies and brides. making an endless amount of horse furniture. In addition l to this, 25 men in each battery must l be mounted. which calls for more l equipment. Each battery has two won