The sun., 1916-08-17

when we reached an aviation centre.
whence six cscadrilles. each compris-
ing ten OF the fastest type OF a%eroplane.
keep the French front cree from German
aerial visitors. Each e~scadrille had n
distinctive mark painted on the ma
chimes side. One had the white stork.
the emblem Of Alsace. This ~escadrille
has q record OF thirty-nine German ma
chimes brought down. Another had a
flaming red torch.
Such signs are not merely
for when tho observation station sees "A
French machine wing a German and send
II to earth II Is able often to report the
sign borne by the victor. thus maxim;
It easy to give credit where credit Is
due. Many noted ae'onauts are attached
to the centre We visited.
IL was shutdown as We arrived there.
The aeronauts came flying home in rapid
succession. many treatin; their visitors
10 the sigh, Of some pretty looping be-
fore alighting. TIL regulations forbade
us talking with n Of them but their
captain. whose pride in his young experts
we undisguised.
The French big guns have names Of
their own. one huge l5s. incher We In
spected bore the nam OF the Humming
Bird, and other broad wasted monsters
were labelled Desiree. Julie md other
girls rames One was named the Gen.
Eumbert. after the Frerch Senator b
fought tooth and nall for more guns
and more ammunition for the army.
Hummiry Bird required a gun crew OF
twenty-four to operate her. she can
fire a round every three minutes. n
once fired twice in wv minutes and
three-auarterS. As the cost % frir,
mounts TO $4,000 for a single sho; we
had to be satisfied 10 see a huge shell
weighinc a ton placed in position to he
fired and then returned to the munition
car. The operation was performed easily
and swiftly by four men.
A smaller. older sister, Of twelve inch
calibre. whose name is colibre. a syn
onym for Humm!ng Bird. has fred
,wenty-three shots in seventy-fve min
utes. each in accordance with directions
wirelessed by nm aviator above the Ger
nan lines to his post. then sent hy ,ele-
phone TO the gun com rander Her shell
weighs a triie-a third OF a ton.
secrets of Huge Guns.
Nothing definite could be learned as
TO how long one Of these guns can stand
the terrific shock Of discharge. Theory
shortens II to 500 shots. but theory
III tHC -
to 1000 shots, whereas In practice many
have been fred 10000 times without be-
Ing used ~.
Hitherto I have said nothing about
the military operations, hut In fact our
party was not permitted to witness any.
! To reach the scene Of the fighting Of the
first OF July We were provided with steel
helmets TO protect us from shrapnel nd
masks TO protect us from gas. and all
took seats in me automobi!e-One rather
than three. no that less dust should be
raised n attract the German gunners.
We were within 2h miles of the active
front easy shell range.
A cynic aInoitg us suggested that these
precautions were adopted to give the
correspondents the real feeling OF near
ness to the danger zorc, but later q
shell burs; $50 wards away and a non
Commissioned officer hurried up to eN'
plain that there was danger In remain
ing longer SO near the front. az tbs
! Germans were beginning their usra
Smelling OF the ground to the rear. 1h''
was 20 prevent food and other supplies
reaching the men In the trenches. w
were very glad our heads were covered
by the comfortable steel helmets.