The Raymer enterprise., 1915-10-07

tion in which the foe is advancing. AS yet none
of the weapons has been pointed. nor. II mortars
are to be used even been loaded.
The plotters marks upon his paper fifth point
ahead and in line with the four other dots. Ihls
is his predicted point where the enemy vessel
should be a minute later. In this interval o:
time it is necessary for the men in the plotting
room to do number Of things necessary to make
II possible for the weapons to score hit The
mere range Is not enough TO know. Let US as
sumo that the foe is to be attacked by means OIL
mortars and that the proiectiles are tc soar
thousands of feet into the air upon their long
flight that may take the better part OF two
minutes before punging upon the vulnerable
decks OF the hostile dreadnaught.
1t is needful to know how long the shells Will
be in the AR at that range: how far the target
will move during the flight of the MISSILES how
much the path OF the projectiles will be inhu
enced by drift due to their own rotation and the
effect of the prevailing wind the exact powder
charge that will be needed 10 prope 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 are not so accurate as the
big rifles and. therefore. are more difficult to
handle in order to insure good results The final
point set in the plotting room is No. and two
minutes furber along than No 5, 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 are ;abu
aJ md nuic ed hv
means of cunningly devised apparatus 1t must
be evident that in an interval OF four minutes
a big ship IL 900 or 900 yards off would not get
measurably closer and once the proper range Is
found and the mortars loaded the shifting range
is quickly verified and the guns set accordingly.
The men in the towers and those in the plot
ting room at work all the while. At definite
intervals the instructions are sent by telephone
from the plotting room to each battery mortar
pit and lest these vocal directions be misunder.
stood the figures and orders are visibly 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 four mortars in
each pit. and a general thing there are four
OF these pits at each defense station. In other
words. salvo of G high explosive shells can
be launched by indirect fire at foe II but
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 matter OF rec.
ord, one mortar company has fired as many as
ten shots In minutes 40 seconds and In that In
terval made six hits. while another company has
scored eight times out OF ten shots during a
span OF minutes rs seconds. These mortar
proiectiles weigh from 500 TO 1000 pounds and
are charged with from 30 to 60 pounds OF high
explosive.
For the disappearing guns the modus operandi
differs In some particulars. The time OF flight
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 deciding factor. Therefore, cor.
rections are more easily made. for the rife; when
ii does fire. Is pointed right at its target The
principal concern Of the battery commander is
to know the range. and this is telephoned and
reproduced by the teautograph at the firing sta.
tons
The battery commander also follows the enemy
ship with telescope range finder that EMPLOYS
short vertical instead OF horizontal base. This
serves as check and at each gun there is tee.
scopic sigS which is functioned independent Of
the weapon-the operator looking over the para.
pet and following continually the moving quarry.
by swinging his telescope horizontally he causes
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 the
muzzle agreeably to instructions from the range.
finders
When the rifles have been loaded and the mo.
ment for action arrives these great war dogs
rise upon their steel launches and thrust their
muzzles above the heavy parapets of concrete
Instantly there is thunderous boom-the speed.
ing pro1ecties are on their murderous mission.
Before the thin veil of smoke has been swept
aside the guns have sunk behind cover. and hut
for the momentary flashing of their muzzles there
is nothing to show the spoilers on the hoste
craft where the attacking guns lie.