Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1915-05-12
Long-Distance Gunnery


THE new sun which Germany brought into for
the first time April % against Dunkrk threw
its missiles from twenty-one to twenty-three
mles. establishing record the greatest long-range
firing ever known in actual warfare.
pr. Franz Erich Junge, German naval conAtruc-
tor who has been in America for some time con
sultine engineer for German and American industrial
concerns. said last week In discussing some Of the
features which have aroused the attention OF
perts, that he did believe the limit Of long
firing had by any means been reached. He also ex-
planned several things about the mechanism Of Ger
manys latest long-distsnce gun which clear up
OF the erroneous ideas about It.
This latest German gun. which has been tried
out against Dunkirk for the frat time" said Dr.
Junge, lis OF the ffty-centneter type about
which much has been heard but little definite In
formation generally known. The radical difference
between this and other long-dissDce guns lies in the
impellng power, which Is derived from a highly
plosve gas mixture. thereby doing away with enor-
nous charges OF powder and reducing to consider
able degree the cost OF operating. This mixture 10
prepared by compreRsins air to very high pressure
and injectins oil into It at the proper time. thus
obystng the use Of large charge OF powder for each
firing OF the gun Not only does reduce the initial
cost but 1t facilitates the working OF the gun.
The construction OF the modern gun Is based upon
the same lines the construction Of the internal conn
bustion engine, 80 much that even the designers
OF internal combustion engines become designers Of
large guns The big gun Is practically a cylinder
with piston in H. but with this difference from tile
Also like the engine guns must be cooled by water
and OIL
Another important feature Of this latest gun and
one which has not been generally appreciated that
It 10 possible 10 proectes OF different caliber
For long-distance firing a small projectile is use1
while for attacking forresses shorter range the
large fifty-centinneter calber projecle be
This is managed by the use Of different cylinders
Let us say that the nfty-centimeter gun IL built for
firing missiles OF three different evident
that projectlle OF about twelve-inch caIiber was
tfark Iirt
the present state Of gun-firng ability that is the
largest sized projecte which can reasonably be fired
for such long distance The heavier weight Of the
larger proiectiles makes carrying distance Of twer-
ty-three miles impossible now"
The ability OF this so-called Dunkirk gun to use
different sized cylinders readily explains OF the
confused views which have prevailed about this in
strument OF destruction. The ordnance experts at
Washington. In discussing the twenty -threeIle feat
few days ago. were OF the opinion. and rightly
that gun Of no greater calber than twelve inches
could have been used successfully in the attack on
Dunkirk, stating that 1t would be impossible to attain
distance OF from twenty-one to twentythree miles
with the fifty-centimeter projecte. equal to 1876
inches. Dr. Junge's explanation that a twelve-nch
cylinder may be slipped into the gun shows how
missile Of that ealiber may be fired from gun con.
structed TO fire missile of nearly twenty inches.
IL Is OF interest 70 note, as cbntrasted with the
twentythree- carrying ability Of the new German
gun. that the American army experts have made
elaborate computations OF what might be
by the latest American twelve-inch coast defense gum
and II has been shown that when fired at an angle OF
IS degrees such gun has range Of IS 900 yards or
over thirty-one miles.
mo actual limit be placed on the long-ranse
firing possibility Of big guns added DIT Jdnge with
more powerful explosive force behind the proectIe
1t would naturally carry further This Is what has
given the new German gun the ability or successful
long-ranse firing"
DR.. Junge asked IL he thought successful long
range firing could be accomplished for distances OF
fifty 10 one hundred miles.
why may II not be possible. in the wars of the
future II there are any. he said ito air torpe-
does FOR such distanoes9 Experiments have been un
der way for some time in German factories in the
construction OF air torpedoes. Like the torpedoes
shot from the submarine they all possess propeilinR
force of their set In motion soon as they are
shot into the air Let suppose this may be possi
PIE and then place an aeropane Zeppelin equipped
with strong wireless electric plant above the line of
flight Of these destroying air torpedoes
We have already demonstrated the ability Of r,id-
ing boats by means Of electric waves and why not
the flight Of these huge air torpedoes he guided with
accuracy to their striking point 100 miles or more
distant? We are just beginning appreciate the ro
markable possibilities in the electric waves upon
other bodies and that Is point future scientific
development which will be one OF the hertaRes ~ ~,