Milford chronicle., 1915-10-08
HIGH POWER Guns
Long Range Weapons That Are
Used In Land Warfare.
TYPES OF HEAVY ORDNANCE.
Field and Siege Guns, Howitzers and
Mortars Are Very Much Akin, and It
Is Difficult to Say Just Where One
Ends and the other Begins.

There is 70 sharp and distinct un-
derstanding on the part of the average
person as to the difference or distinc-
tiOn between the field gun. the siege
gun, the hOwitzer and the msrtar. The
precise line of distinction or mark of
distinction between these classes of
weapons might be difficult even for an
ordnance technician to define. 1t Is
certainly difficult for a layman to tell
just where the gun ends and the how
itzer begins, or where the hOwitzer
ends and the mortar begins.
| Considered in a broad and general
way, the special purpose of the gun
was and is to destroy other guns in
march or in position, to destroy troops
in the open and to batter down objects
behind which troops find shelter. The
projectile of the gun by high powder
pressure was given a high velocity and
relatively fiat trajectory, which
means that the shot passing from the
gun TO the target did not rise high
above the earth or above a line joining
gun and target To withstand the
powder pressure required for this work
the gun was heavy in relation to the
weight of the projectile. From the
fact that the shot Travelled IN a path
relatively of slight curve. its slope Of
fall or its angle Of fall was not steep.
1t would go through a stone wall, or
perhaps smash it, or would 90 deep
into dirt embankment, but it was not
easy to put shot inside narrow deep
trench, or to plant a shot so close be-
hind an embankment as to kill men
sheltered there.
The shot from the gun was good at
penetration, but ineffective in search
ing the rear Of cover. To accomplish |
that purpose another style of gun was
devised. The pressure per square inch |
of powder chamber was decreased, the |
angle of elevation of the gun was in
creased, the angle of departure of the |
shot VISA greatly increased and the |
shot after reaching the summit of its |
path fell so steeply that if the range
were known and the practice good the |
shot would land in a trench or fall so
close behind an embankment or para
pet that men would find no shelter
there.
This being possible by reduction Of
powder pressure per square inch of
chamber surface and consequent re-
ductiOn in the speed of the projectile,
it was found that the weight Of the
gun in relaiSrn to the weight of the
projectile could be diminished, thus in
creasing its mobility or the facility
with which it could be moved from
place to place.
1t was found that the barrel of this
gun could be very much shortened,
thus effecting a saving in weight. But
In making the changes in this gun
instead of absolutely decreasing its .
weight the gunmakers enlarged its
bore and increased the size of its pro-
iectile, thus increasing its efficiency.
This type of gun, though not in the
narrow and technical sense a "gun," is
ordnance and an element of artillery
md was given the specific name ''how-
tier"
The mortar was a gun that could
i've higher angle of fire and a more
,lunging fire than a howitzer. 1t was
very short piece of ordnance, fred
rom a platform and held down by
Opes. Forts and mortar boats used it
or getting a high. angle of fire and a
lore plunging fire with larger shell
han could be had using a howitzer.
he range used to be obtained by vary
lg the power charge. At this day
lOrtars weighing at least four tons,
tied with an elevating device and
inge scale and with recoil and counter
scoil OF recuperator devices, are haul
/ around on wheels, set down on
latform also carried on wheels, and
vertical fire with high ex-
osive shell weighing 250 pounds with
: without a delay action fuse.
The field gun for the purpose Of fir
e over ridges, getting at troops on
le reverse slope of ridges or across
lis, giving to shrapnel the proper
ope of fall for effective distribution
I'd keeping the load light on the
,rses has veered away from the gun
developed in ship and fortress ar
lery and in the direction of the how
zer-like properties. Field guns have
ID their trails split that the breech
ay be further depressed, thus giving
EN- a higher angle of fire designed
r use against air craft, and in effect
g a useful compromise between pow
and mobility the trajectory OF shots
om this gun is high and the slope Of
Il quite steep.
1uns of high power-high powder
essure, high velocity and long range
nave been built to give vertical fire
nearly vertical elevation against
roplanes or dirigibles.
20, as announced, it is not an easy
estion to decide just where gun,
witzer and mortar divide. - Wash
yton Star