Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1917-11-20
AMERICANS LEARN
I0lusE Big GUNS
Take to Heavy Artillery in France
With Avidity.
MEN need LITTLE PRACTICE
Most OF the Heavy cunners Are Men
Of Long Experienee-creet Almost
~ Comrades Monster French Weap.
n They Are Grooming for Use
Against Germans.

Not far behind the American field ar
t1llery. which has been in training In
Il rugged section OF France for the
past two months. have come the men
~ 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 artilleryinen are training are
wonderful and ponderous examples or
the French gunmakers' skill and dar-
ing. They range from the modest hui
marvelou>ly effective 'il5' mp 10 IN"
staggering ZOO thar hurIS u high ex-
pIoSive missile weighing just short OF
y ton. The zoos nre more potent than
the Big Rerthas'' eve were in their
days of great deStructiveness.
Mortars Like Giant Frogs
III caliber tho guns range from he
short. squat mortarS. which sit upon
thcIr launches Ike giant frogs. M
through the various members az the
hnwifzcr family 70 the truly sinister
naval rifles With their long. tapering
barrels.
The Americans are delighted with
their French weapons aud are busy
studying every detail and adapting
themselves rn the use ~ French mate
rial. Most ~ The heavy CunnerS sre
men ~ long experience and u" not
need much actual firing practice be-
fore taking their place IN line against
the enemy. They have been y little
surprised Ia find that with the big
land guns used here speed j. not a
great factor. These heavy weapons
are used for destructive purposes and
there is M special need for haste when
dealing with concrete dugout> and 9TH
or enemy defenses that cannot run
away. Accuracy II the great goal OF
al heavy gunners.
Asked If his men would not find IL
difficult 10 shoot without direct ohSer-
Nation. the general commanding the
heavy artillery contingent replied:
I've will have direct observation
here. The only difference will be TINT
the observer. instead Of standing be-
side the gun viii be sitting nloft In an
airplane. You can depend on IL that
each shot we fire ut the enemy Will
be watched and recorded"
The wireless branch OF the heavy
artillery service II n Of great impor-
lance. AT schools already established
radio pupils are being specially trained
IN communication with nirplanes and
observation balloons.
Graduate Work for Officers.
Scores OF reserve officers from
Plattsburg and other training camps
are 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 a great joy 10
their commanders and instructors. Ii
Is predicted that all will make splen-
did officers In active service.
The American gunners have been
much interested I'm the big 240s. which
are hauled by caterpillar tractors. hut
the real pets with the gunnerS from
overseas are those aristocrats mon
'the h~eayics." which command special
railroad cars. Some Of these rulers Of
the cnnnnn world are 30 important and
- valuable that IN entire artillery
train Is devoted IN them. These trains
are strengthening affairs In their fan
ta>tic war paint. resembling NJ n dis
lance n mammoth rattlcSnake. Even
the engines arc Included IN tho camru-
ilagc and may resemble anything from
q brick house ~ y giant hedgehog.
The French sense ~ humor cannot
hc suppressed hy three years and more
~ war. French officers have named
ono ~ the largest guns turned over r.
the Americans "NouStiQue." which
means mosquito.
1T is n compliment to any ~ your
Artillrryfnrn who may have come from
New JerSrv.' said the French com
Ian,ant. who said hc had spent ter
years IN he eastern coast NJ the Unit
"A States.
The French guns. although large
ami apparently unnleldly. are bal
anccd easily. one man being able "a cle
vnte and defect n weapon weighing x
tons Or more.