Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1918-04-16
YOUR SHARE IS FAIR

guns of the battery step back fifty
yards firing three to four rounds pei
minute. AS the infantry moves back
the artillery moves up.
In the defensive barrage, the guns
in the field artillery are set on a
point beyond our own infantry SO
that if the enemy charges, the artil-
lery will meet that charge with the
Barrage fire. These guns are at times
when not active, left in that position
to defend and stop the opposing in
fantry from coming, and the first man
noticing anything out of the ordinary
happening from the opposing side,
shoots the guns, which have been left
| in place as described above in case
of an attack.
Lieut.. Craven told of an interest
ing observation trip to the trenches
near Fort Sill. The six-inch howitzer
guns and the mortar gluns were set
to play on the trenches, which were
five thousand yards away, and the in
| fantry was sent out to observe the
effect on the trenches. The observers
were stationed behind a knoll, about
flour hundred yards from the trenches.
In very short length of time seven
hundred shots had been fired by
American gunners, and the trenches
were an awful sight, all demolished
and destroyed, giving the officers an
excellent opportunity to witness what
American guns actually can do in a
short period.
The shells intended for loss of peo-
pie, explode on the surface of the
ground and spread. The shells fired
for loss of material explode after
shells are in ground three or four
feet. Another shell which is used
for this purpose is fired and after
landing in the ground six or eight
feet, it turns upward and then ex-
plodes. These shells are powerful
destroyers and just tear up the ground.
Out OF the seven hundred shells fired
at the trenches, as described above,
there were very few that did not des-
troy as they were intended for.
On the return trip from the trench
es to the camp, the American officers
got into huge trucks, and on their
way met three infantry regiments on
their way to repair the trenches that
night for further use
After finishing the school at Fort
Sill, the officers have two more
schools similar to this one, to go
through in France, before they are
finally posted on every thing along
the shooting and firing line, and ready
to go into the regular firing line.
II in any of these schools an officer
falls down, he is sent into some other
branch of the service. Other courses
taken up at Fort Sill are the musketry
course and artillery observers course.
The School of Fire has three regi-
ments of field artillery, five hundred
enlisted men and twelve hundred
officers at school.
Lieut.. Craven told of the amusing
feeling which the coast artillery and
field artillery have for each other.
He also stated that the men at Fort
Sill reckon their time in that place by
eggs. Each is given two eggs for
breakfast and if one has Is days to
serve the time is 80 eggs.
In this school every state in the
union is represented, and in the bar
racks, where Lieut.. Craven is located
there are -forty-seven colonels, and
most of them from different states.
Lieut.. Craven departed for Wau-
kesha Saturday morning, where he
will remain for a week, and expects
to depart again for Fort Sill next
Saturday, to finish his course in the
School of Fire.
He was formerly resident of Wau-
sau, having been graduated from our
High school in 1905 and attended Car
roll college later, also being graduate
of that school. For two years he was
instructor of chemistry in the Wiscon-
sin College of Physicians and Surg
cons. From this place of learning
he went to California and entered
into the U. S. service.
During his stay in Wausau, he was
a guest at the home of Mr.. and Mrs.
Walter Alexander.