Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1915-03-20
HEAVIEST NAVAL
GUNS FOR SHIPS
sfXTEgN-tScH RIFLES FOR BAT
Tiers PROPOSED FOR TIE
UNITED STATES.
Gigantic Wespe1 Has Given Preef %
EHele,sy &c Delight % Ore
nance Experts.


naval bm may Be armed win 1s-ineh
Fiass. che hsavisst naval guns ever
designed
VALE tentative plans for tho uow
SHIPS contemplate vessels similar ir
general design % the $4,000 tons
giants % che California class now
building. details % arnamcnt and en-
sine equipment are being Eiveu IN
usual affeuti1n b. navy designers and
ths results obtained from the i5-inch
main batteries % the newes, British
and German battieships are being
closely watched
Already che zee fsiuch navy gun
has been subjected % tests az the
iud.au Hoad proving ground. and while
details % ifa construction and per
Torrance are closely Euhrfcd. q o.
tnovu that the EiEantic weapon has
given proof % De efficiency which de-
lighted navy ordnance experts. tn"
gun vas built ar fhe American naval
gun factorv and has been uudcrE1,uE
trsrs FOR several months
Guns weigh 81 Tons
some idea % the probable size %
tho new American gun may bo gath
cred from tho fact that each o. the
sseht i5-irch guns OF the British bat
tioship Queen Elizabeth weighs ef
tons. uhuC similar rifles designed in
the Erspp works for German battle
ships iaid down this year each weigh
more than 80 tone. The If-iurh rifles
% thc b1JticshirF New YORK and Texas
for The I've new American dread
uouEhtE now under construction.
weigh 90 2 tons each. and % GA certain
that tfc now iflrch weapon weighs
more than Too tons without its mount
ins.
Rrurp euziucers have designated
tc-iuch gun which fires q u-ofcct'le
Weighing COG, pounds against the Del
so pound mass ~ steel huricd hy th"
iS-iuch rifles adopted FOR the German
navy and fhr 1870 pound prolecfIies
poured iuto Turkish fortresrcH 90 the
by the British hattieship
Queen Elizabeth. None o. the German
or British vessels % the first line
carry any Weapon exactly similar fo
fls American ff-turh gun. Jump hav-
iuE been made last year from rhe
standard Ieiuch rife o. the i--.nch
type
Tho N~w YORK Texas. Nevada and
Oklahoma each carry sen lf-inch guns.
EaIe the Pennsylvania California.
idaho and 1ilEsiss.pp. each win carry
n. placed three % a turret- These
throw profectiies weighing
8 800 pounds az "a fhe case With the
f-iEca guns Gca.Eued for che four
japanese baffIrships estimated f1- la
1919
with enc Increase la sire. tae lie
1f ffr sun iE shortened hv erosion.
Goo f1 tar beat generated dy the rN-
a,5s.aa OF t1s huge charge df powder
necessary f1 tlri nearly con 90 meta.
g miles taaf tr said f1 fr tlr range
~ che American fElGel weapon. The .
s,fIus % thF sun burns cat under thr .
1iasr. Drops % melted steel are siF-
dfr ia che bore after each shoe. and .
10 's Faif chat frr 'fr ~ tire Quser .
..i.ra srta'E fr-.a.g weapons .a Toes
han 100 Farfs each After That tfs
-un fs 60 i1arrlrarr ar r1 be virtually
iFrfess
Navy sur t~s.srr-e aavr overcome .
rae obstacle somewhat 10 ls said.
Fitr the new American fF.iHrH sun. F..
lgt t6s life OF che gun .a Ffu far boz
1e thar ~ che Iflr~h
Tire Eruup works. before fhr oa;-
freak 90 'tr present vHr announced Z
hat gr1-rss OF steel ard powder
rsnrfartgrr had been evolved sta. /
decreased srusf0us bat the factory le I
ruGerst1od 90 have refused 90 c1g-
Facs Co supply q large number of
,rrat guns Under guarantee 90 $50
grrds ace1racs-srr life.
% placing aboard th~ Queen EI.r-
both che f--iuea weapon designed Tor
..r class. British nav omeiais are
20 have depended upou a
heap process % rriinine. perfected Y
.v their gnEiurrrs. fo OFFSET the short
.fr o. fh~ gun. 20 that boz true. 60 is u
r5babi~ that tho Queen Elizabeth
01u may - compelled tu return %
.rEiand and have new guns placed
board NJ che steady pounding az che
.artian~iies forts exhaust her main
artery d
10 has been sueecsted thar ieiuch
Hsna could be- substituted for the IA
1ch batteries % the American battle {
hips uov uudrr construction. placing 4,
hem tWo 20 a turrcf instead % three
nd giving the ships ciEht guns each 8
astsad % - Navy officer say. how
yer. that ere cost % such an hitera-
lon would hs very Ercaf q q could
. made az all They also hold TIA; !
be- American ft-inch gun e the equal
2 che British or German is-inch Tor
u practical purposes 10
Score More t+its
Win any target IN plain view. :; & J
aid the American gun has equal
suEc and nearly equal penetration. A.,
10 difference heins more than coun- /.
srbaiAncc4 81 tho larger number Of D
nas carried Thus. IN action sga;ns;
sch a chip a. the Queen Elizabeth.
10 Pennsylvania would have twelve
sfaeh guns against eight is-iach and
o'ild have - per cent greater oppor-
inity for scoring hifs. For Indirect c
~. such ss the WORK IN which the 4
st.E~, e-ffraNash FNa~aa lr fha Mar a.