The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-03-05
WONDERFUL WEAPON, /
SAYS FRENCH OFFICER
Describes the as" Gun, Which He Re-
CARDS as the Most Successful ALI
Round Piece Of Artillery
Now in Use.

Boulogne, France, March 5.-A French
artillery officer, who has been at the
front from the beginning OF the war,
has sent to the newspapers an account
of the French "75" gun, which he re-
CARDS as the most successful all-round
piece of artillery in use by any army.
"The feature in which the gun has
most conspeuously established its supe-
riority," he writes, sis in the rapidity OF
its fire. This to some extent depends
upon the division of the labor among
the gunners, but even more upon the
mechanical properties OF the gun. The
designer has so arranged it that no mat
ter how the weapon is pointed, the force
OF recoil passes through the exact CEN
ter of the besche or anchor. In the Ger
man gun, the force il directed not at
the point Of the beche, but at a point TO
right or left Of it, with the result thar
the gund tends to be slowed around and
has to be continually aimed afresh,
"A great virtue of the French rs IS
the extent to which it resists deteriora-
ton. If YOU examine a French shell
that has been fred at the end of the
past six months of hard fighting, you
will find evidence that the guns ritling
is almost as good and efficient as at the
beginning of the war. This comes as a
surprise to many people, who have heard
of the rapidity with which naval guns
deteriorate. but the conditions are, OF
course. different. as the velocities need
cd in naval work make an enormously
greater demand upon the naval gun.
"A great deal has been written about
the deadhness OF the French shell Gre
and the relative ineficiency of that Of
the Germans. Assuming that the shells
of both guns explode, the French she'll
will have the advantage for the follow
ing reasons. The German she'll hits the
ground and digs hole. BY the nature
OF things-as the fragments OF shell
must hv. roughly, straight nothing VIII
he hit that is below line extended out
IN diagonal direction from the sides Of
the hole dug by the shell. In other
words. il Is possible 10 be lying on the
ground quite close TO the spot where
i she'll has burst aud 10 be untouched
horse has 10 be a yard or so farther
away. but even be soon gets out Of the
zone Of fire.
with the French she'll Il is differ
emit. The French shell Is constructed 10
ficochet. IL strikes the ground ami
bounces. only exploding when Il i in the
ar as the result Of the bounce. The
explosion occurs when the shell IL Oft
the ground. and there il no hole surface
TO protect a possible victim.
"Our experience i'm the present war
seems 20 show also that the French
shrapnol bullet il more efficient than
the German. The bullets Of the 20
shrapnel she'll weigh II grams islight-
" less than half an ouncel. whereas
the similar German bullet weighs only
nine grams. Experience seems 20 show
that = bullet Of al least n grams is
necessary to stop a man advancing. The
effect of the bullet b Of course cnor
monslv increased BY the high velocity
81 the French she'll Bullets of our ~
shrapnel strike AT a velocity 81 0smc-
tprs 3 SECOND. whereas those Of the cor
responding German gun travel a. 90 me-
fers. The energy 81 the two bullets D.
n fact mathcmatimlly about three 30
une in favor Of the French.
aFrom one gpneral point 81 view. The
German artillery has long stood con
frmned m our cyes. In Germany there
has been for years q divorce between
the affflervuien and the men Who make
the guns Every improvement with THE
Germans fna had 30 originate from
hfurps. and there has thus been DIE
astrors hiatus hftween theory and prar
tiae. With 81 Il is different. our ar-
f7HerF has made he own gun. We have
aaeerfaf improvements from every guar
80 ard have paid err men not in cash
rswaFH hut W promotion ~ recurui-
sss4