The Robesonian., 1917-10-22
MEN OF THE "HEAVIEs"
cuns With Which American Ar
tillerymen Are Training in
France.


Wednesday, Oct. 1o-(By the Asso-
ciated Press)-Not far behind the
American, field artillery which has
been in training in rugged section
of France for the past two months,
have come the men Of the "heavles".
They are veteran gunners and many
are familiar with the big guns at
home and they greeted almost as COM
rades the monster French weapons
which they are now grooming Tor
eventual use against the Germans.
Some of the guns with which the
American artillerymen are training
are wonderful and ponderous exam
pies of the French gun makers skill
and daring. They range from the
modest but marvelously effective
"155" up to the staggering "4O0'
that hurls high explosive missile
weighing just short Of ton. The
400s are more potent than the big
! Berthas ever were in their days OF
great destructiveness.
In calibre, the guns range from the
short, squat mortars, which sit upon
their haunches like giant frogs up
through the various members Of the
Howitzer family to the truly sinister
naval rifles with their long tapering
barrels. The Americans are delight
| ed with their French weapons and
are busy studying every detail and
adapting themselves to the use Of
French material. Most of the heavy
gunners are men of long experience
and do not need much actual firing
practice before taking their place in
line against the enemy. They have
been a little surprised to find that
with the big land guns used here,
speed is not great factor. These
! heavy weapons are used for destruc-
tive purposes and there is no special
need for haste when dealing with
concrete dug outs and other enemy
defenses that cannot run away. Ac-
curacy is the great goal of all heavy
gunners.
Asked if his men would not find it
difficult to shoot without direct OBJ
servation, the general commanding
the heavy artillery contingent repli-
ed:
eve will have direct observation
here The only difference will be that
the observer instead of standing be-
side his gun, will be sitting aloft in
an airplane. You can depend upon
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 i'm
portance. At schools already estab-
lished radio pupils are being special
ly trained in communication with the
airplanes and obsbervation balloons.
Scores Of reserve officers from
Plattsburg and other training camps
are completing their technical edu-
cation in the artillery schools here.
These officers, individually selected
for the artillery service because of
their education in high mathematics
and engineering, are proving a great
joy to their commanders and instruc-
tors. It is predicted that all will make
splendid 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 artil-
j lery train is devoted to them. These
trains are strange looking affairs in
their fantastic war paint, resembling
at distance a mamoth rattle snake
Even the engines are included in the
camouflage and may resemble any
thing from brick house to a giant
hedge hog. The French sense of hui
NOR cannot be suppressed by three
years and more of war. French off
GERS have named one of the largest
guns turned over to the Americans
"moustique," which means mosquito
cit is compliment to any of you1
artillery men who may have come
from New jersey" said the French
commandant who said he had spen
ten years on the eastern coast Of th'
United States.
The French guns, although larg,
and apparently unWieldy, are balanced
easily, one man being able to elevat
and deflect weapon weighing fit,
tons or more.
GENERAL NEWS ITEMS
The Charleston News and Courie
tells Of Sea Island cotton stalk 2
feet high with 400 bolls on exhibition
at the office of cotton firm there