Western Carolina Democrat and French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1913-1915, 1915-09-02
AICH 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 lt
Is Difficult to Say Just Where One
Ends and the Other Begins.

10 Difficult to Say Just Where One
Ends and the other Begins.
There is no sharp and distinct un-
Outstanding on the part Of the average
person as to the difference or distinc-
ton between the field gun, the siege
gun, the howitZer and the mortar. 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 layman to tell
Just where the gun ends and the how
ftzer begins, or where the howitzer
ends and the mortar begins.
Considered in q 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 high velocity and
relatively fat trajectory, which
means that the shot passing from the
gun to the target did not rise high
above the earth or above 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 it's angle Of fall was not steep.
1t would go through a stone wall. or
perhaps smash it, or would go deep
into dirt embankment, but it was not
easy to put shot inside narrow deep
trench, or to plant shot so close be-
hind an embankment as to kill men
sheltered there. ~-@A'"---1-~-r-----.
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
I 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,
1t was found that the weight Of the
gun in relation to the weight of the
projectiIe could be diminished. thus in
creasing it's mobility or the facility
with which it could be moved from
| place to place. 7z2@ss''-sszesT'TT'T''--
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-
jectile, thus increasing its efficiency
This type of gun, though not in the
narrow and technical sense 'gun. is
ordnance and an element of artillery
and was given the specific name how
| itzer."
The mortar was a gun that could
1 give n1SuGE III DlC anu a h4OAS
plunging fire than a howitzer. 1t was
very short piece Of ordnance. fired
from a platform and held down by
ropes. Forts and mortar boats used i
for getting a high angle of fire and 6
more plunging fire with lager shell
than could be had using howitzer
The range used to be obtained by vary
ing the power charge. At this da!
mortars weighing at least four tons
fitted with an elevating device ant
: range scale and with recoil and counte
recoil or recuperator devices, are haul
ed around on wheels, set down on
platform also carried on wheels, AM
producing vertical fire with high ex
plosive shell weighing, $50 pounds witt
or without delay action fuse.
The field gun for the purpose of fiji
ing over ridges. getting at troops o.
the reverse slope of ridges or acros
hills, giving to shrapnel the prope
slope of fall for effective Distribution
and keeping the load light on tn
. | horses has veered away from the gu
as developed in ship and fortress al
tillery and in the direction of the how
itzer-like properties. Field guns hav
had their trails split that the breec
may be further depressed, thus givin
them a higher angle of fire designe
for use against air craft, and in effec
ing useful compromise between pow
er and mobility the trajectory of shot
from this gun is high and the slope c
? fall quite steep.
Guns of high power-high powde
p pressure. high velocity and long rang
; have been built. to give vertical fiji
or nearly vertical elevation again:
aeroplanes or dirigfbles.
So. as announced. it is not an cas-
question to decide just where gul
e howitzer and mortar divide. -Wasl
ington Star.