The state herald., 1915-10-08

tion in which the foe is advancing AZ yet none
OF the weapons has been pointed, nor " mortars
to be used even been loaded.
The potters marks upon his paper NTH point
ahead and In line with the four other dots. This
is his predicted point" where the enemy vessel
should be a minute later In this interval OF
time II is necessary for the men In the plotting
to do a number OF things necessary to make
il possible for the weapons TO score hit Inc
mere range is not enough TO know. Let us as
sumo that the foe is to be attacked by means OF
mortars and that the projectiles arc 10 soar
thousands of feet into the air upon their long
hight that may take the better part OF TWO
minutes before punging upon the Vulnerable
decks of the hostile dreadnaught
It is needful to know how long the shells will
be In the air at that range: how far the target
will move during the flight OF the missiles how
much the path of the projecties will be iniiu-
enced by drift due to their own rotation and the
effect OF the prevailing wind; the exact powder
charge that will be needed to propel 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 accurate as the
big rifles and. therefore. are more iificult 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 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 tabu
lated and are quickly worked out graphically by
means OF cunningly devised apparatus. u must
be evident that in an interval OF four minutes
n biz ship H. 600 10000 yards on would not get
measurabiy 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 are at work all the while. Al definite
intervals the Instructions sent by telephone
IRON the plotting room to each batterr or mortar
pit and lest these vocal directions b. misunder
stood the figures and orders are vihbly repro
duced For this work the telautograph Is EN-
pioyed, and thus words and numbers in writing
check the telephone calls
As has been said there four mortars In
each pit. and Ms n general thing there four
OF these pits At each defense station. In other
words. u salyo OF iG high explosive shells can
be launched by Indirect lire at foe II but
two OF these hit the enemy she would either he
destroyed or sravely damaged because none OF
her decks would be able to withstand such an
assault In practice the performances OF such a
battery have been splendid. As matter oi rec.
ord. one mortar company has fired many as
ten shots In minutes 80 seconds and In that In.
tcrval made six hits. while another company has
scored eight times out OF ten shots during q
span OF 2 minutes rs seconds These mortar
projecties weigh from 500 to 1000 pounds and
are charged with from 80 to so pounds OF high
explosive
For the disappearing guns the modus operaudi
diners In some particulars The time of fight
Of the shot IN far shorter than In the OF the
mortar shell. the powder charge is not varied TO
suit different ranges. and the state OF the atmos.
phcre II not a deciding factor. Therefore, cor.
rectons are more easily made for the rias when
II does nre II pointed right at itn target The
principal concern OF the battery commander Ia
10 know the range. and this Is telophoned and
reproduced by the telnutogrRph at the firing sta.
tions
. The battery commander also follows the enemy
ship with tclesoopic range finder that employr
a short vertical instead OF n horizontal base. This
serves n check aud at each gun there ls a t.le.
scopic sight which IN funetoned independent OF
tho wcapon-thc operator looking over the para.
pet nnd following continually tn. moving quarry
BY swinging his telescope horizontally he causes
the lateral angle to be Indicated Mt tn. run STA
tion below and there the trainer swings IN.
weapon In unison and the elevator raises IN.
mnkkic agrceably to Instructions from the range.
finders
When the rifles have been loaded and IN. mo
mont for action arrives these great war dog.
rise upon their steel haunchos and thrust their
muyylcs above the heavy parnpeta OF ronetate
Instantly there In n thundcroUa boom-tho speed
ing pfoieciilou are ON their murdcrouE mlaalon
Before the thin veil Of smoke has been swop,
aside the guns have sunk behind cover and bu,
for the momor,afy naHhing OF their musalea there
is nothing to show the apottcrs On the hostile
efnii where the attacking guns lie.