Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-05-31
.TORPEDOPLANE LIKELY
TO PLAY PART IN WAR
Wondrous Gems to Come and Devices
Which May Dcmolish Cities
at Distance.
GERMANY SPRINGS SURPRISE
Shell Projected by Elcttro-Magnet-
ism Po>sibility-Big Increase In
Range of Cannon Since Nelson's
Day.
ny pI:RcINAL uISIAM.

RI y
When the victory led the British
fleet into action Al Trafalgar she did
not fire a single gun until she lay
within ten Yards OF tho stern OF the
Freuc, Bucoutaure When Beatty
picked up the German cruiser squadron
on the pocger Bank in january, 1919
he opencd IRE from his leading ship
upon the tail end of their line at 20.OoO
Nards-elcNcn ana a half miles. To-
day the Germans arc ninSing shells
into Paris from gun which is at
least serenty-hve miles distant ana
whose maximum range Is estimated by
experts at nncty-four miles 65,i4O
yards.
So far. at all events there IS nothing
a, all striking about the new German
wear pom except its range. Its calioer
is but s.J inches. as conparcd--a mong
some Of krupps productions-with
l5-inch naval guns. l6-inch fortress
guns and l7.7-inch howit2crs, and its
she'll has to be 50 thick prcsuma bly,
to withstand the violence Of tho shock
with which it Is propelled from the gun
that il is able TO carry but very small
burster in comparison with it's size. II
is the burstcr or high explosive charge
the shell contains that is the principal
factor in its ucStructivcncss, for the
heavier this is the greater Will be the
number OF pieces into which the shell!
Will burst.
Projected by Eicctro-MnEnetism.
There is no good reason, so far as We
can tell at the moment. why the Ger
mans should not do with a far heavier
gun what they are now doing with
relatively small one Assuming they
have discovered a propelling power OF
unusual energy, the rest is simply
matter OF building gun strong
enough to withstand the explosion of
the necessary charge. On tho other
hand. il is quite possible that there is
no charge at all. y few years ago
Was circulaTized by an inventor who
claimed TO have discovered a method
of discharS!nS proJeCtilcs at enormous
speeds and over terrific distances toy
means of electro magnetism, and one
of the most curious features OF the
whole thing was that the shell never
touched the sides OF the bore while
travelling down the gun. being held
suspended in a perfectly central posi-
ton. and so escaping all friction OK
cept with the atmosphere
Apart from wireless. II is extra
ordinary what an insignificant part
electricity has played 50 far in war.
but the Germans do not seem 10 have
adopted this idea. for the usual copper
driving bands to engage the riaing
of the gun and give the she'll a rotary
moremcntl have been found on the
iariS fragments.
There Is no doubt this German
weapon is one of the biggest mechsni-
cal surprises OF the war. and il is not
OF the least Use for experts" here to
raise their eyebrows and say it Is quite
simple and there is really nothing
startling about il. II one side has
artillery that can command a range OF
ninety miles. while the other can cover
no more than the usual ten or there
the one with the shorter reach may be
in for very uncomfortable time 1t
is true that only one OF these ninety
milerS has been reported but there is
no obvious reason why that number
should not be rapidly increased when
me enemy is satisfied with his expert
mental work.
What We have Ions looked tor--Sut
what few people will he particularly
ANXIOUS TO scc--is development along
The lines promised long ago by N!kola
Tesla, who was going To invent cor
mad invented, forget which, system
by which wireless electrical waves
could be used for the destruction OF
cities, fleets and armies a; enormous
distances. Only a year or two before
the war an ltalian--one Sienor ulivi-
startled the world by exploding miras
and other contrivapces at a distance
apparently by means OF ultra violent
rays OF ms sym discovery. unfor-
tunately for .h!G- however. some ON.
discovered that his mines were So con-
structed as TO explode OF their own ,c.
cord after selected interval. and
Clivi dropped on; OF history
Inc wireless control OF aircraft is A
thing many OF US have seen demo-,
strated on a small scale. an "sjr.hjm,.
being nav!Eated and manruyered ro,,na
large hall. and various ohisr,s
caused to drop from it merely by press-
ing buttons OH The stage. one can
conceive the possibility OF aircraft OF
TINS character being sen, 10 S-on a.