Bisbee daily review., 1917-12-02
Jerusalem
VALUE OF ARTILLERY
seen BY GERMANS

FRENCH FRONT. - The entente
armies have not been alone in recog-
nizing the greater value of artillry
as compared with infantry in the meth
cd of warfare in operation on all the
European fronts since the cessation
of the war of movement at the end of
1914.
A glance at the strength of the Ger
man field artillery branch at the open
ing of hostilities shows that it then
consisted of 642 batteries. At present
it is composed of 1000 batteries at
least. AS the batteries now contain
only four pieces instead of six as at
the beginning OF the war, the calcu-
lation of the power of the artillery in
the field must be based on the num-
Der of guns rather than that of bat
teries. Whereas in 1914 the German
army possessed only 3,S62 field guns.
it now disposes of 5000 if the mini
mum figure of 1000 batteries with
which it was furnished at the end of
1916 is taken as the basis of calcula-
ton.
These field artillery batteries are
d lNO htnQS"tIOSC al Dntu
with 77-centimetre cannon (the g.
inch) and those armed with light 4
inch fiel dhoWitZers. The German g.
inch cannon has been much improved
and its range greatly increased since
1914.
AS to the German heavy artillery,
the increase in the number of pieces
has been even greater in proportion
than that of the field artillery. In
peace-time the German Empire had
organized "a regiments of heavy artil-
lery. Each regiment was composed
Of two battalions and four batteries,
and each battery was armed with four
guns, thus totalling 76S heavy guns.
AS soon as the army had been mobi-
lized in 1914, the German military au-
thorities established new heavy artil-
lery formations. Son each artillery
regiment of the regular army had at
tached to it reserve regiment con-
sisting of four batteries of skilled gun
ners also a battalion of four batteries
of landwehr. or second reservists, and,
finally. a battalion of four batteries
formed from among the third reserv-
lists or landstrum. When the arsenals
AMI shell factories later had reached
higher level of production of guns
and ammunition further batteries were
formed from among the men of the
ErsatZ reserve. Since the first year
of the war large numbers of the re-
cruits of the younger classes which
have been called out for service have
been sent to the artillery branch. By
the end of 1916 the number of heavy
batteries had been multiplied more
than five times and in the course of
1917 further additions have been made
to the total.
OF the German big guns. 25 per cent
are long-range cannon and the remain
ing rs per cent howitzers. The most
numerous of their long-range guns are
4-inch. 415-inch, 5-inch and 6-inch; but
they possess also batteries of S.7inch,
9.7-inch, 11-inch and 15-inch long-range
guns, although these are very few in
number. Their howitZers are for the
most part of 6-inch calibre; but besides
these they have in line batteries of IL
inch and 17-inch howitzers.
Germany had not developed any lik-
ing for mountain guns before this war,
but she has been forced to change her
views by the developments OF the fight
ing, in the Vosges for instance. and
now has 20 batteries OF mountain
guns. six pieces of 3-inch calibre rapid
fire to battery, and also has formed
several batteries of 4-inch mountain
howitzers.
Trench artillery as well has been
development of this war, and the
German army is now well provided
with weapons of various kinds for use
In the advanced lines. Its trench NOR
tars range in calibre from 3 inches to
10 inches. Finally, the small trench
cannon of 1h-inch. 2. inch and 211-
inch calibre have become very num-
erous in all sectors of the line.