The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1917-07-08

cult terrain.
The two front wheels are the
drivers, bolted solid to the shafts,
directly coupled to a slow-running
electric motor armature. And this,
by tht way, is the much discussed
electrical drive, adopted in our latest
monster battle cruisers, now being
constructed. From this it becomes
apparent how that land battleship is
propelled overland in q simple and
practical manner. The steering is
equally simple.
Hugs wheels. such as described
above, will easily ride over the widest
trenches. Ordinary shell holes will be
negotiated as easily as a cart wheel
runs over a hole in the street due to
a missing cobblestone. Rivers will be
forded easily, if there is a fair ap
proach. Even steep banks will be ne
gotiated by running the craft diagon-
ally through the stream. Low hills
will prove no obstacle at all, while
sleeper ones can be climbed by run
ming the ship in a zig-zag line.
There will be less wear and tear
and less shocks, too, when running
over land than when fording a tenn
pestuous sea. The reason is that
these hugs wheels, just on account of
their size, are rather elastic. They
give" a good deal. Then too, the
earth as rule, is more or less soft
Thus we get double spring action.
Also due to the enormous width of
the wheels-distributi the weight
over a wide area-they will not sink
into the sofest earth more than few
inches. This may seem surprising,
but a simple calculation which any
engineer may make in a few seconds,
will prove the statement correct.
1t goes without saying that in or
der to carry the enormous strain, the
ship must be strengthened by good
deal of cross-truss steel work. Other
wise the shaft would rip clear
through the decks. This truss work,
however, should not prove over diff
cult. No new power plant is requir-
ed. The old one is, of course, utilized,
the ship burning coal the same as
if it were on the ocean.
In referring to the 'land-ship," Mr..
Gernsback says:
From a military standpoint, this
monster engine of destruction proves
rather interesting. But let US see
I oifsa t1ihe saRinlyyh when tht Oregon"
through the French fields. SIfaa Uis
Glory" flying from both masts, and
! blowing toward the German trenches.
No more thrilling or awesome pic
ture could be imagined. Of course,
long ere our battleship has reached
the first trenches, the enemy aero
planes have reported it, and the Gore
! gon" receives a war welcome from
the heavy enemy guns. But this is
| just what we want. After finding
the range of the enemy's guns, our
battleships 10inch guns can either
silence the enemy or otherwise rEn
| towards the German battery and
crush it by simply running over It
There is no escape for them, for we
have the advantage of quick mobility
| 1.-THE ships runs from Is to IS miles
| per hour) against the slow mobility
! of the enemy guns, which cannot be
| moved quickly. After annihilating
| these, the land monster runs amuck
destroying ammunition dumps, and
raising general havoc behind the
lines. Small guns and machine guns
prove of little use against our armor-
| ed battleships, and even if, as is tC
| be expected, enemy shells find thell
mark. thy cannot "sink" US or STOP
US. For the engines as we'll as al
| other vital parts are protected BY
heavy armor. The wheels themselves
| will not be put out of running order
easily, because they are not solid. Inc
shells, even if they do hit, will hardly
destroy the entire wheel. Beyond rip
ping out a few steel beams, no grea'
! damage will be done.
The Oregon" now runs over anc
parallel the trenches, the battleshlp';
we'll protected machines guns EN-
placed low down in the holds, firing
away continuously. The result is tina
the enemy must give way. 1t severa
battleships are used simultaneous.
in a grand attack, there is no ques
ton that the enemy must fall bacl
over a wide area.
"And it will be impossible for tn
enemy to board the swiftly moving
vessel. Even if forced to stand still
its machine guns and other gun
would ward off all close attacks.
There remains the aeroplane
dropping bombs into the snip. IN
answer here would be anti-airplan
guns. installed already on every mod
ern war ship. Besides our own air
planes would protect the ship b
beating off the enemy filters.
Every war brings out a host Q
fantastic as we'll as ridiculous ne'
inventions which are supposed to ar
l initiate the enemy Most of thes
wildcat schemes are of course as in
| practical as they are fantastic.
when | propose to run battleship
over land, am fully aware of tn
ridicule l will be subject to. l al
also aware of all the objections tina
will be cited against the fantastic
appearing plan. Nevertheless, in
sist that the idea is not half as i'm
practical as it may appear at frs
And at any rate l believe have foun