The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1918-12-18
HUGE AMERICAN
CANNON ARE PUT
THROUGH PAGES


WASHINGTON, Dec, ls.-Faced by
a program Of producing 1000 guns Of
all calibers per month without dis
turhing the flow Of ans to the allied
nations or the navy's prior right, the
ordnance bureau OF the war DEPART
mcut had achieved an output of about
500 guns a month when the armistice
ended hosttities BY June Of next year
production would have been in fun
swing.
The facts were revealed by Assistant
Secretary CTowell, director of NUM-
tons, in a personally conducted trip to
tho new proving ground at Aberdeen,
Md, where ali types of guns were
demonstrated for Crowells party and
AmcriCan-huilt tanks and tractors were
put through their PAGES.
Crowell said the United States had
looked upon the allies as the first line
Of defense when this country entered
the war, and formulated its munitton
plans so as not to interfere with the
sun and ammunition contracts for
France and Great Britain. Many
American gun forginEs and completed
guns have been poured across to Great
Britain and shipments to the French
armies had reached a total OF 1000 guns
a month.
The needs Of the navy as the second
defense line also gave it priority and
the shipping board came next in the
llSl lol steer anu 'NlNNi ''lhhA'NA''~N
needed to carry out the huge program
mapned out for the American army
itself. This placed the American ord
Il program fourth on the list, with
the necessity Of building from the
ground un. as every existing facility for
u manufacture was in use
A striking feature Of what was ac-
complished. 1t was shown by officers
at the proving ground, was the tact
that in the 1875 nm, howitzer program
an output had been reached that eX-
ceeded the estimated needs OF. the
American forcea, even on the basis OF
4. 200. 900 men in France, and 500 how
tiers were sold to France as excess
The demonstration covered all the
trench warfare weapons and the fleld
artillery. including tho siX-tnch guns
taken from American coast defense"
and many of which reached the front
as field guns before the war ended.
II took In, also. the first public demon
stration OF the giant guns mounted on
railway carriages. solid ranks Of seven
inch. 14-inch and 16-iuCh weapons
hurIinr proiectiles over the range.
Try Big Howitzer.
Among the guns fired were a 1s-lnch
mortar and a 16-inch howtt2er. Rotn
were mounted on specially designed
we're fired and which could he moved
quickly to another post. evadtng return
fire. A li-inch rifle OF extreme range
and power. also railway mounted, ana
so designed that the recotl is taken up
in the backward movement OF the whole
massive carriage along the tracks, also
was fired. 1t Ia purely an american
OUTPUT and is the first of the great
mobile sea coast batteries to be added
to the defcnses OF the country.
Tho tank demonstrated was the
three-ton, two-nan type. Of American
l,,trp nrnlnrtipO pf 100 a dlY or
these swift machine-gun armed land
ships was almost ready 70 start when
the war came to an end. Early IN
spring 1t would have been reached.
su]pplementlng the siX,ton tank program
upon which the United states was
working jointly with the British in de-
sign and manufacture. Crowell said
that 5000 of the big tanks were in
process of manufacture in the United
States alone.
were built in the United States and
shipped to England for assembly. In
this way they reached the front with
British or American crews.
A whole fleet of American artillery
tractors also was demonstrated, as
were two new types Of guns devel-
opcd In this country One was an IS
inch howit2cr mounted on a tractor
which plowed over rough ground or
through heavy woods, knocking down
trees as 1t went. The gun was fired
| with the tractor engine sttll running
| and 30 seconds later the machine was
off for another location, An American
gun OF rs nm. caliber, the present
standard American light field gun.
mounted on a two and a half-ton trac-
tor, showed n speed over soft, broken
ground Of eight or ten miles an hour.
with these two guns alone at tho
front, tho artillery could have outdis-
tanced the infantry in an advance
through any country. Backed up by
the cargo carriers" tractors equipped
| with motor truck bodies, a steady flow
| Of ammunition was assured.
Big Reserve Stock.
Crowell showed that the United States
has on hand now an stock of
reserve ammunition for all the army's
standard guns. For the 75s alone more
than IS. 600, 900 rounds are on hand, and
This would be doubled before the con
templated reserve Is completed. II is
planned to keep % per cent Of these
loaded.
When the great German drive started
last March 1t was disclosed France had
GA. OOO, 600 rounds for her 75s In reserve,
when the armiStiCe was signed her re-
serve stock had been reduced to Ia
nor. 900 rounds. 4 call was made by
the French on the United States for
$500, 900 rounds for these guns Il month.
In October the United States delivered
1000. 900 rounds in France, and had
another 1000, 900 waiting at the docks,
the monthly output on this side hav-
ing reached 1880, 600 with steadily in
: creasing flow,