The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1916-11-07
Ias
NOVELTfESM1ho
BORDER USE !.
Army Adopts Motor.
cycle AmblIanees
=. and kiteh.e,neite :.
Ia AniLE

iuiFJl ~ = ~ S's' NDiIC tistr BE-. q
A, few weeks ago The Advertiser
published photographs Of a motorcycle
machine gun, with the ;emsnt that
the Indian Motorcycle Company had At.
tod up these rapid-Hre batteries and
that the war department was giving
them a thorough test. -, II
On Saturday night word was re-
coived from the mainland that the
tests had been completely satisfactory
md thai orders for a large number Of
the motorcycle mounts for machine
gins hid been place. by tle govern
mont. Already some of these guns arc
N the border, ready for whatever
mGrgency may arise. .. r.. -.
In addition, the government has or
lercd Red Cross motorcycle ambu-
lnnces and motorcycles fitted up MS rnu
milton carriers. q
The pictures herewith show the two
ewes; types Of equipment which were
adopted only after severe tests by high
army officers.
Motorcycle Ambulance ~ >,r
- The motorcycle ambulance, which
vas one Of the last to be Adopted, is
quippcd with stretcher-carrieT and
Of the double deck type, sceomno-
latiDg two persons each trip. RegulR-
ion stretchers are used, but they! are
tilted with special pedestals which set
INTO sections of the carrier frame,
where they are clamped to prevent
dipping.
The chassis on which the stretcher
frame is mounted has such features as
vanadium stdel springs, which absorb
n .hnn hn 10 In Fun
ton. Another feature Of the motor
cycle ambulance is that it 10 equipped
with n first aid cabinet, which 10 con
,tructed directly under the frame on
which the strctchers are attached, but
With opening on the side, thereby obvi'
ating the necessity Of raising the
stretcher to get into the cabinet, and
affords opportunity for attendants OF
the ambulance to give dressings right
IN n battlefield without delay, which
would ordinarily be oceasioned IL
patient had to be moved TO a hospital
in the rear Of the lines before dress
'ngs could be applied.
The first motorcycle ambulance sim
liar to the one pictured above was
, ried out with great success on the bat
tlrfclds of Europe several months ago,
and has been adopted by n number OF
the belligerent nations.
A Motorcycle Machine Gun
The motorcycle machine gun, Prev
Dusly pictured in The Advertiser, AFTER
severe tests and tryout at the business
mems training camp at Plattsburg, YVES
very favorablv commented on by MAJ
Cen. Leonard Wood, who witnessed tho
The location selected
for the experiment was three miles
weft of the camp. in a wild field Of the
meanest soil, sandy and full of stnmps'
MD possessing all other obstacles
which tend to make the operation Of
motorcycle extremely difficult. - -,
Under these trying conditions men
of the regular army put this machine
through the PAGES with sucn eacenSn.
results as to its practicaHhty tnst
they brought comments Of favor from
all rrmy officials present.
After traversing the rough piece Ioi
field above described at speed OF
over twenty miles an hour, and cross
ing a stream, the machine gun was set
for action and all this was accom-
plished in about onet third of the time
that the same maneuver could have
been accomplished with horses. The
machine gun is detachable from the
motorcycle and can be freely moved
about on it's rubber tired chassis so
as TO at once take advantage of the
hest firing position. The single motor
cycle thus freed of it's side load is then
free for despatch duty, or in case or
successful charge by an enemy the
gunners of the battery, three in mum,
Der may make good their escape. At
the finish of this test the men who
| participated in it were highly comPh-
mented by Major General Wood.
Ammunition Carrier and K1tchenette
From the picture above this con
trivance at first glance would suggest
An ordinary iron bound trunk attached
! to the side of a motorcycle, but what
il really is and contains is a complete
SURPRISE in the field of inventions.
This carrier holds many thousands Of
rounds of ammunition to supply the
motorcycle machine guns, and in addi-
ton contains a complete kitchenettp,
equipped with patent heat producing
elements which make il but mat
ter of few minutes after halt is
called TO prepare fairly substantial
meal Tor small uethchmeHti hhu IL
necessity demands a whole company
might be fed in this way.
The carrier and kitchenette Is also
detachable from the single motorcycle,
thus enabling the men to have the. uso
of the unhampered machine for the
transmission of dispatches in the field,
According to statement made by
the Indian Motorcycle Company, the
three new devices above described IRE
now a part of the equipment of the
regular army, and the machine gun
! and carrier and kitchenette have, al
ready been put in actual use along
the border, 1t il also understood that
an order has just been placed for
sixty.fve Indian motorcycles which
are to be used by the quartermaster Is
department in the field along the Mex
lean border. All these machines in.
! GLIDING those already in use are paint
! ed the olive drab color of the army,
and all ,tare fitted with pOwerPus
! engines. side car and tandem attach.
ments, Prest O-Lite outfit, and COrbin
II L.