The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1918-09-12
,sitions. Then the gans have

tured positions Then the gans have
to be moved up across shell-detroyed
territory, the wheels often sinking up
10 The hub In Rlucy, sticky mud Those
OF larger caliber have to be slowly
snaked along, foot BY foot, by huge
tractors and caterp.r engines, and
new concrete cmpactmeniS must be
constructed It is a giant task but
somehow or other the artilleryman
gets away with IT,
The French "scyeniy.iiye" Is the
finest gun OF its caliber IN this war.
1t fires a shell 299 inches in di.
ameter One strong point in favor OF
the twenty-five is that it does not
have TO be relaycd, the feeoi being so
adjusted that it throws the GIN back
into its original firing position II
pushed. the French "scyenty-five" can
fire thirty shots per minute II is
amusing to witness a battery Of these
guns in action. TO the layman it is
coniuslon--irench soldiers run around
carrying shells in their arms like
babies, eolliding with each other and
begging each others pardon. You
marvel at IT, for in spite Of all this
seeming confusion, the old gun is
rapidly splitting fire and pong, pong
pongng away. The "seyenty-iive" Is
the French artllerymans sweetheart
have seen a Frenchman go up to a
"seventy-iiye," throw his arms around
the gun, and kiss il several times
grooming 10 II as IL il were his child
and crying "Viye Ia France" He looks
upon this gun as the savior Of France.
The Fiftsen-Inch Howitrer.
Flitecn.inch howitzeS must be fired
from sound proof dugout'; in fact the
conclusion IS 50 great that tiles and
plaster on the roof Il nearby blIets
are loosened and fall after each dis
charge The gun is generally located
IN a wood and Immediately after it
has been fired, for yards and yards
around, the trees bend and wave as il a
cyclone were passing II Is quite a
shock 10 a soldier, peacefully vending
his way down a road TO hear sudden
IT, fifty or sxiy-yards TO his right or
left, the 81 or l5-ineh howi,,er open
up. The eoneussion is horrible. In
fact, the soldier often thinks al Ger
man shell has registered a direct hit
upon his steel helmet.
Shrapne Is perhaps the most com
monty used word in this war. You hear
II everywhere, you read i, everywhere
but how many really know what il is'
Even on the western front, il you
should ask a soldier who is not an
artileyrnAn, TO describe shrapnel, hi,
description would be vague and IN
convincing To the drai,man. no doubt
"Shrapnel" looms ~ like some mons
trouS giant, ready TO gobble him ur
As soon as he lands in France Forget
H. Shrapnels bark is worse than II,
bite.
| have gone down a road in rear oI
the front line which was being shelled
with shrapnel In several instances
'hrapnel balls kicked up the dust a few
feet from me, but | came through with.
out a scratch. II .ou will realize thai
you only occupy a very small place and
that shrapnel has the remainder o
France in which to scatter itself, Il viii
be comparatively easy TO figure out tn,
chance Of being hit.
Shrapnel is she'll loaded with small
steel or iron balls about the size OF |
marble, imbedded in rosir II carries
time fuse and bursting charge Thi
time fuse Is set" before placing IN,
she'll in the breeeh OF the gun, and cal
be timed so tha, the she'll will explod
over the desired spot, presuming. Q
course, that the range Is correct
Upon firing, the empty she'll case !
lef, in the breeeh OF the gun. just as !
shot gun. The complete shrapne
time fuse, etc, make rapid revolution
(caused by the rifling oi the gum, an
travel at a high rate Of velocity. Tn
flash from the fuse igni,es the powde
in the pocket and the diaphragm |
driven forward, separating the powde
pocket from the part containing IN
shrapnel balls. This separates the fus
body from the end OF the she'll cssin
while the forward end OF the she
! casing !, greatly arrested. On leayin
the casing the diaphragm plow