The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1918-09-20
ARTILLERY AND
A|R PLANES To
WIN THE WAC

Central ce-(Correspondence OF
The Associated Press).-Artillery and
airplanes are going TO be two Of the
decisive factors in winning the war,
according to the military experts, and
here at this little interior town car
be Seen what the ordnance branch of
the American army has built up in
the last four months to keep up the
steady flow Of artillery. arms, am
munition. machine guns, tanks and all
the material of combat, toward the
fighting front
1t Is one of the mammoth institu-
tons which has suddenly, sprung UP
with the coming OF the Americans and,
since April last, it has spread over an
area of several miles, with two enor-
NOUS gunshops, two similar shops for
tanks and gun tractors. two more tor
assembling and repairing artillery of
all kinds. another for machine guns.
rifles and small arms. with huge foun-
dries and FORCES for the casting. AlonA
with these are going up four great
warehouses for housing all kinds 81
ordnance material.
The bi government arsenal at Rock
Island, Mo, Is the only thing Of the
kind that compares in extent with this
plant. and yet it is 80 per cent COM
pleted after four months OF existence.
There are two stages in the steady
up-keep of the cannon and all kinds
of weapons going forward in the fight
ing lines. The first stage is in the
zone of the advance, along with the
army where a number OF ordnance
nro
requirements in the field, TO remount
crippled cannon and to get the guns
back into use with the least possible
delay. The shops move forward with
the troops, with machinery. tools, and
all the stock and parts to do quick
work.
Big Gums Life $50 Shots.
The larger stage of work, which is
not done in the face of the fighting,
comes back here to the big shops
equipped to do all kinds of extensive
ordnance work, such as the re-boring
or the heavy guns, the remounting of
the gun carriages and all classes OF ar
tillery work on a large scale.
In the heavy and constant artillery
actions now going On the big guns are
put to sereve test and there must be
re-tubing and re-rifling. The
bigger gun is the shorter IL its life
for effective shooting. The 12-inch
gun has life of $50 shots; the sea-
coast 14-inch gun, capable of shooting
Il miles, has life OF about $50 shots.
The smaller French rs is good for
some 10000 rounds. But when the
limit is reached the gun must come
back here to be made over. It's use
Is gun is in no way impaired, and |
With new cylinder in the barrel and |
new spiral rifling to keep the shell |
the gun is as good as new
While this big institution is keeping
lp the steady supply of guns. large and |
mall. in the fighting now going on,
let the main supply will sooner or
alter come from America when it's vast
productive resources ct in full opera
lon- There are cheering reports of
low this production is fast increasing.
particularly in machine, guns. But
zig guns and their mammoth tractors
annot be turned out in day and after
hat is the problen of shipping such
nWieldly monsters across the Allan
ic.
Guns Mostly French Pattern.
SO, for the present, at least, much
the vast supply Of guns, great and
mall. moving forward to the firing +
me is of French pattern or French
lake. The splendid artillery results
I Inc recent fighting tell how these
uns are operated In American bat-
cries And yet 1t is only fair to the | :
merlcan fighting force to recognizes
lat they are not yet fully equipped
ith their own arms, and that from
us time forward there will be a
leady increase of American metal
no american high explosives as we'll
) American airplanes in the crucial
aases of the conflict.
An imposing array Of all the types
big guns now in use is to be seen =
the shops here with 1000 gunmakers
ivancing them through all stages.
n one side are the monster pIns =
ounted on railway trucks with s-inch.
linen and 12-inch rifles and the |
Ice s-lnch and 90 howitzers drawn
tractors. Others forms OF this
'avy artillery are the 155 millimetre.
g 4.f-inch, 5-inch and 6-inch guns.
the flied guns of the famous French
pattern and the 155-millimetre how -
sers. They look double monstrous in
cir war paint, with fantastic camou-
ise smeafed over rifles and huge -
mored trucks.
ne smallest field piece in this vast
senal is the little French 37-milli- =
etfe, OF ohe-pounder which, under
hague convention, is the mini
an gun firing explosive shells. Even -
This WORKSHOP where the guns are
ing hurried forward to the front, one
serves tnat the same Hague conpen-
ncn the enemy ignores is being oh n
we'd by the allies ~