Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1917-12-07
AMERICANS LEARN
TOlusE Big GUNS
Take to Heavy Artillery in France
With Avidity.
MEN need LITTLE PRACTICE
Most of the Heavy Gunners Are Men
of Long Experience-Greet Almost
as Comrades Monster French ~Weap-
ons They Are Grooming for Use
Against Germans.


tillery, which has been in training in
a rugged section of France for the
past two months, have come the men
Of the "heavies." They are veteran
gunners and many are familiar with
the big guns, at home and they greeted
almost as comrades the monster
French weapons which they are now
grooming for eventual use against the
Germans.
Some of the guns with which the
American artillerymen are training are
wonderful and ponderous examples OF
the French gunmakers' skill and dar.
Ing. They range from the modest but
marvelously effective "155" up to the
staggering 400" that hurls high ex.
plosive missile weighing just short OF
a ton. The zoos are more potent than
the "Big Berthas" ever were In their
days of great destructiveness.
Mortars Like Giant Frogs
In caliber the guns range from the
short, squat mortars, which sit upon
their launches like giant frogs, VI
through the various members Of the
howitzer family to the truly sinister
naval rifles with their long, tapering
barrels.
The Americans are delighted with
their French weapons and are busy
studying. every detail and adapting
themselves to the use of French mate
rial. Most of the heavy gunners are
men of long experience and do not
need much actual firing practice be-
fore taking their place in line against
the enemy. They have been g little
surprised to find that with the big
land guns used here speed Is not a
great factor. These heavy weapons
are used for destructive purposes ana
there is no special need for haste when
dealing with concrete dugouts and 9TH
er enemy defenses that cannot run
away. Accuracy is the great goal OF
all heavy gunners.
Asked If his men would not find II
difficult to shoot without direct obser-
walton, the general commanding the
heavy artillery contingent replied:
'We will have direct observation
here. The only difference will be that
the observer instead Of standing be-
side the gun will be sitting aloft in an
airplane. You can depend on it that
each shot we fire at the enemy Will
be watched and recorded"
The wireless branch of the heavy
artillery service is one of great impor-
lance. At schools already established
radio pupils are being specially trained
In communication with airplanes ana
observation balloons.
Graduate Work for Officers.
Scores Of reserve officers from
Plattsburg and other training camps
ire completing their technical educa-
ton in the artillery schools here.
These officers, individually selected for
the artillery service because of their
education in higher mathematics and
engineering, are proving great joy to
their commanders and instructors. 1t
Is predicted that all will make splen-
lid officers in active service.
The American gunners have been
much interested in the big 240s, which
are hauled by caterpillar tractors, but
the real pets with the gunners from
overseas are those aristocrats among
"the heavies," which command special
railroad cars. Some Of these rulers OF
the cannon world are so important and
so valuable that an entire artillery
train is devoted to them. These trains
are strengthening affairs In their ian
tastic war paint, resembling at DIS
lance a mammoth rattlesnake. Even
the engines are included in the camou-
fage and may resemble anything from
q brick house to giant hedgehog.
The French sense of humor cannot
be suppressed by three years and more
of war. French officers have named
one of the largest guns turned over TO
the Americans "Moustique," which
means mosquito.
at is a compliment to any of your
artillerymen who may have come from
New Jersey" said the French COM
mandant, who said he had spent ten
years on the eastern coast of the Unit
ed States.
The French guns, although large
and apparently unwieldly, are bal
anced easily, one man being able to ele-
vate and defect a weapon weighing 90
tons or more.
AL AcKA pI RnEpc MAY nI neE