The Fayette falcon. (Somerville, Tenn.) 190?-current, 1916-04-07


this kind has come to be one OF the
mainstays, perhaps the mainstay. OF
the armies OF the world.
Information recently has been forth
coming in Washington concerning the
development OF the artillery arm or
the service, and 1t is certain IL pres
paredness measures are enacted into
law that the increase in the artillery
will be much greater proportionately
than the increase in any other branch
OF the service. I
The engagement quickly resolved
itself into an artillery duel" The
words quoted appear In scores of dis
patches from the scenes OF the com
fiict in Europe II is an artillery
war largely. The word battery" ID
read by Americans probably I'VE tImeN
where the other words, regiment %
battalion, are read once.
There are batteries Of horse artiE
lery, batteries of light field artillery
mountain batteries, siege batteries
and sea coast batteries, although the
last named may be eliminated from
discussion because thus far, save foE,
some operations in the far East. and
short engagement on the Belgian
coast, they have cut little figure III
the fighting.
The great arm of the artillery serv4
ice is the light battery. for in IL lies
the chief artillery strength OF the
armies. The field guns of the Ameri4
can army as formed into batteries ana
as equipped for conflict are virtually
on the same basis as the light artii'
lery Of the other armies Of the world
When the field details OF the Ameri-
can artillery are known, the compost
ton of batteries, the allotment Of Ann@
munition, the complement OF can
noneers, caissons and other adjunctsN
II is possible to get definite informs
ton of the conditions in the armies
now fighting in Europe.
In virtually all the armies OF the
world there are four guns 20 q bat
terry, change from the days Of the
muEzle-loading feldplece, when there
were six and occasionally eight guns
to each battery. The breechioader.
with It's method of taking up the rs
coil and with the ease Of its manipular
ton, burns up ammunition at the rate
OF twenty-five shots a minute This
is something to be thought on. h
means that a shell with its dread
charge Of lyddite or other high explO-
sives leaves the muzzle of each piece
every two and half seconds or there
abouts.
They are firing today from the field
artillery twenty-five shots In the time
that 1t took to fire one In the old days.
but the havoc today Is not twenty-five
times as great, because soldiers have
been taught and forced to take 10
cover.
A United States standard light bat
terry of field artillery, and 1t will stand
as type, at war strength has q total
Of FIVE commissioned officers and 171
enlisted men. There are 60 drivers
and 65 cannoneers, four gunner cor.
porals and Is caissons, one store wag-
on and timber and four field wagons,
total Of liz draft wagons, IS saddle
horses and 16 mules, making 172 ami
mails.
The ammunition is the thing. There
are in the caisson body 20 rounds and
in the timber chest SO rounds, while I'm
the emergency tubes" ON each gum
there are four rounds. So that In each
gun section there are LOG rounds Of
fixed" or made ammunition I'm the
caisson, sc rounds in the gun timber
and four rounds in the ammunition
tubes on the gun carriage. In each OF
the four caisson sections there are 2la
rounds.
Thus with field battery OF light ar.
tillery there are 1,4S2 rounds on the is
ing line and on wheels close by under
cover. That figures out 35s shots to q
rife. With the ammunition train there
are, or should be, four wagons each
with 1o6 rounds, and at the advance
supply depot 1856 rounds, or 464 slsofs
rife. raising the ammunition supply
on the firing line. in the combat train
close at hand, in the ammunition train
on the road and at the advanced SUD
ply depot, to s2s rounds a gun.
No one knows definitely as pet jnss
what the military preparedness bin 40
1t finally passes congress will provids
for the artillery arm OF the service AZ
things seem today. there is an appear.
ance Of an increased strength In the
ranks of the undergraduates mem.
bers. II appearances are not doceitfui
1t seems likely therefore that a CON-
promise finally effected between the
house and senate members win make
for decrease rather than an Increase
in the appropriations for the supply a
men, weapons and ammunition.
Booklet on Park System.
The department Of the Interior.
Franklin X. Lane. secretary. has jusk
issued booklet entitled -Gilmpsee
of our National Parks" In a lss,
ter which has been issued VITA
the publication and written By ssephen
T. Mather, assistant to the secretary
of the interior, it Is said plainly THAI
the booklet has more Immediate