The Washington herald., 1915-03-22
OPPOSED To new
l6.lNCH GUNS
Ordnance Experts Say They
Are Unwieldly and Not
More Efficient.
WOULD INVOLVE RISKS
Tests al Indian Had Hoxeyer Seem
Tests al Indian Head. However. Seem
to Be of Favorable Character.
Would Cost Fortune

SIxtcrn-inch guns. planned for tho
class of super-Drcadnaughts now being
designed, are not wanted by ordnance
experts. who claim that N-lnch guns
now In use oil the largest ships. are
just efficient and not SO unwieldy.
The next class Of super-Dreadnaughts
will be equipped with the monster l6-
inch rifles, which cost more than sloo.Vs
each and weleSh nInety-four tons.
In a much discussed movement to check
the increase in the SIZE of the guns. the
ordnance specialists say that with the
H-inCh guns il is possible TO hit any
bjeCt within sight of the SunnsrS.
\ plan to increase the range of tn"
giant Dreadnaught rifles is opposed be-
cause the guns Will have to lie raised
at an angle Of thirty degrees. and the
proJcctiles will have to he lighter than
those used when the ordinary life Of
fifteen degrees obtains
Void Involve Risk.
With three fourtceninch guns in a
turret. when a bToadside is fired. there
~ "A decided list. IL would be lmpOS-
sibIe. with the heavier guns. to iir"
a broadSide from three SIXtcen-lnCh
guns without a decided risk. The Penn
sylvania. which is of the last class
Of Drcadnoughts-she was recently
carry twelve fourteen
inch guns in three turrets.
Ordnance officers at the naval prov
ing grounds, at Indian Head. Md, are
busy experimenting with a new type
Of gun, one inch greater in caliber
than that Of the guns on British super
of the Queen Elizabeth
class. The gun is said to have proved
a success, and there is every reason to
believe that the main armament of the
newly authorized superdreadnought
will consist of twelve slNteen-inch
guns. mounted three to turret. two
Of which turrets will be forward and
two aft, and all of them SO arranged
that all guns can be hred simultane-
ously in a brOadside to either the port
Or starboard.
Test. Appear Successful.
The tests of the gun. which are
still In progress. have been very eX-
haustive, and IL is said there is every
reason TO believe that the report TO
be made by the ordnance officers will
superdreadnOughts authorized by the
last Congress and also probably on the
superdreadnoughts California, Idaho,
recommend its installation on the two
super Dreadnoughts California. Idaho,
and Mississippi, which were author
Zed last year ms "Oulu mean u
complete division os super-Dread-
loughts. all mounting 16-inch guns.
The officer in charge at Indian
Head, under whose direction the tests
are being made, is Lieut.. Commander
J. +. Hellweg one of the navys best
lnown ordnance experts. His chief
are Lieut.. Command Thco-
tore \. KittinGer, Lieut.. Garrett J..
Schuyler and Lieut.. Howard NJ. Lam
nerS.
The new gun is said 10 be about
orty-eight feet long. which Is COM
yuted on the basis of three feet 10
ach inch of caliber. while the weight
# the projcctile would be about 1000
\ broadsde from u ship
mounting them would therefore total
welve tons. or about $4,000 pounds.
The projectiIe fired from the ships of
he Queen Elizabeth class weighs
700 pounds. The Queen Elizabeth
MOUNTS eight 15-inCh guns, and her
roadside therefore totals 1860
pounds. or about 10000 less than that
which would he fired from the new
american ships.