The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1915-10-09

ton in which the foe is advancing AS yet none
of the weapons has been pointed, nor, if mortars
to be used, even been loaded
The plotters marks upon his paper fifth point
ahead and in line with the four other dots This
is his predicted point where the enemy vessel
should be minute later. In this interval OF
time it is necessary for the in the plotting
to do a number of things necessary to make
it possible for the weapons to score hit The
mere range is not enough to know Let us as
that the foe is to. be attacked by means of
mortars and that the projectiles are to scar
thousands of feet into the air upon their long
flight that may take the better part of two
minutes before pIunging upon the vulnerable
decks of the hostile dreadnaught.
It is needfuI to know how long the shells will
be in the air at that range: how far the target
will move during the fight of the missiles; how
much the path of the projectiIes will be infiu-
enced by drift due to their own rotation and the
effect of the prevailing wind; the exact powder
charge that will be needed to propeI the shells
this being determined by the range and the state
of the atmosphere: and finally, how much ahead
the mortars must be aimed in order to allow for
these factors. These complications are due to
the method of indirect fire employed, and in this
particular the mortars not accurate the
big rifles and, therefore. more difficult to
handle in order to insure good results. The final
point set in the plotting room is No and two
minutes further along than No .. the predicted
point the latter being verified by the angles
given by the observers at the spotter stations
when the vessel is duly reported at the proper
moment
All of this has taken longer to describe than
actual performance calls for, because the error
factors which have been just mentioned tabu-
lated and quickly worked out graphically by
means of cunningly devised apparatus 1t must
be evident that in interval of four minutes
a big ship 10000 10000 yards of would not get
measurably closer. and the proper range is
found and the mortars loaded the shifting range
is quickly verified and the guns set accordingly
The in the towers and those in the plot
ting room are at work all the while. At definite
intervals the instructions sent by telephone
from the plotting to each battery or mortar
pit, and lest these vocal directions be misunder
stood the figures and orders are visibIy repro
duced For this work the telautograph is en-
ployed, and thus words and numbers in writing
check the telephone calls
AS has been said there are four mortars in
each pit, and general thing there are four
of these pits at each defense station. In other
words, a salvo of 16 high explosive shells can
be launched by indirect fire at a foe. If but
two of these hit the enemy she would either be
destroyed gravely damaged because none of
her decks would be able to withstand such an
assault In practice the performances of such
battery have been splendid AS a matter OF rec
ord, one mortar company has fired as many as
ten shots in minutes 49 seconds and in that in
terVaI made six hits, while another company has
scored eight times OF ten shots during
span OF 8 minutes % seconds These mortar
proJectiles weigh from 500 to 1000 pounds and
are charged with from 80 to so pounds of high
explosive.
differs in some particulars. The time of fight
OF the shot is far shorter than in the case of the
mortar shell, the powder charge is not varied to
suit different ranges and the state of the atmos-
phere is not a deciding factor Therefore cor |
rect1ons are more easily made for the rife when |
1t does IRE, is pointed right at it's target The |
principal concern of the battery commander is |
to know the range. and this is telephoned and |
reproduced by the telautograph at the firing sta |
tions.
The battery commander also follows the enemy
snip with telescope range finder that ennplovs
snort vertical instead of horizontal base This
serves as check and at each gun there is a teIe-
scopic sight which is functioned independent of
the Weapon-the operator looking over the nara
pet and following continually the moving quarry
By swinging his telescope horizontally he causee |
the lateral angle to be indicated at the gun Sta |
ton below, and there the trainer swings the !
weapon in unison and the elevator raises tba |
muzzie agreeably to instructions from the rance |
finders
When the rifles have been loaded and the mn |
ment for action arrives these great war dogs |
rise upon their steel launches and thrust tbejr |
muzzles above the heavy parapets of concrete |
instantly there is thunderous boom-the speed
ing proJectiles are their nur1erous rnieeior /
BEFORE the thin veil of smoke has been svvent
ASIDE the guns have sunk behind cover and hut |
for the momentary flashing of their muzzles tboa |
Is nothing to show the spoilers on the tosti,e |
craft "nere the attacking guns lie