Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-09-14
AMERICAN ARTILLERY
TO Be FIRST At FRONT
Guns Already Booming in France
With French Officers Sitting in
Advisory Capacity.
NOT YET TRAINED ON ENEMY
Planned to Complete Training Of
Gunners Under Actual Battle Con-
ditions, With Their Weapons Di-
rected Against Enemy Trenches.
IBv Associated Prcss. ]


AMERICAN TRAINING CAMP IN
FRANCE. Wednesday. September IA
American guns are booming in France,
booming under the eyes of observation
balloons. with airplanes to trace each
shrapnel she'll. each missile OF high
explosive deStructivencss. Thus far
the guns have not been turned against
the enemy, but there is every likeli-
hood TINT the artillery will heat the
! infantry to the front. ,FSof it is planned
| to complete the intensive training of
| the gunners under actual battle con-
ditions, under the fire of German guns
and with their own weapons directed
against occupied German trenches in
various positions bthiEL the enemy
lines.
While tho plans of the American
commanders are unknown. 1t would
seem logical from a military stand
point that after the artillery has COM
plcted several weeks of training at tina
front. in connection with the French
infantry and supporting guns. the
greater part Of 1t would be withdrawn
for maneuvers With the gradually null
tiplyinS American infantry
The cooperation or artillery and In
fantry is so close under modern battle
tactics that it is essential they should
be trained to act together almost as
one unit. And just as the first con-
tingent OF American inhntry will de-
vote Itself largely through the fan
and winter to training other units as
they arrive so the first contingent OF
artillery will train the batteries. reri-
ments and brigades which will he
thrown into France before the spring
campaign of 1918 is likely to begin,
SECTION OF AMERICAN
ARTILLERY IN FRANCE
While 1t is not known here what
announcements may have been made
from Washington. the arrival OF a
large section of American field artII-
ierS In France has been kept a cara
i"hg guarded secret So far as Eurone
'S concerned. The announcement is
permitted now. on.y after the officers
ana men have progressed far in their
intensive training under general super-
vision OF Frances most exDert artil-
lerists
mere are no longer any French Of
hcers or poilus actually serving at tho
guns. the crews having bee, Amer;
cahiZed throughout AT tho obsaryo
ton posts. and in the schools NJ in
struction. French officers sit now on1,
IN an advisory character Through va.
rious reports received from traincd
observers. attaches and other con6den.
tial sources during the last three wears
tho American artillery officers NJ ,h.
regular army have been enabled ,o
Keep in fairly close touch with all th.
Sunnery development in the world war
sufficiently close. in any event 70
change many of their older pract;c.s
within the last twelve months wb,I.
AT the same time Keeping them abreast
inc more modern theories of the va.
rlous artillery schools What tbe
American artillery has now. and never
ilad before. is plenty OF shells. IL *
easily conceived what this means to
enthusiastic officers and men. who's,
batteries arc cXpending within two or
tfree weeks ten times the number of
sheiis formerly allotted to them for
| an entire year
MODERN TRAINING Is MAZE
OF TECHNICAL DETAILS
Modern artillery training is n maze
OF technical details, labvrintb or
mathematical problems, n neyer-c,d
ing series of intricate puzzles. in which
such elusive and subtle subjects nc
oricntation. trianGulation, defection
drift, elevation, celebration. metcrorol
ogy, range-firng and dozen other
branches OF optics and geometry and
the general application of the conceu
trated powers of destruction are In.
volvcd.
In beginning the fulfl!ment OF it's
contract with Washington. tho French
government has supplied .he American
artillery units with the ltest output.