Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-04-23
(By an Ordnance onicer.)

Napoleon started on his career as
an artillerist in a time when 1t was
thought that every decisive military
i engagement must be decided by the
bayonet. He said that the most i'm
portant element in the success Of any
and support Of its artillery ~ /,
In looking over his marvellous mill
tary career, the student finds that the
dominating factor in his success was
the superiority of his artillery and the
excellence OF the French artillerist.
The Germans in their preparations for
this war followed in his footsteps.
Their marvellous heavy ordnance is
one Of the greatest surprises of the
present struggle.
Today the two dominating factors
in the struggle for world supremacy
are still the bayonet and heavy Artil-
lery. Without the support Of either
success is impossible. FL
Biz guns play a. major part in de-
Gliding battles. now as in the day Of
Napoleon. For this reason it is inter-
esting to know something about the
different kinds Of big. gun being made
for our army in France.
Artillery may be divided into two
claases-mobile artillery, which in
cludes all guns used in the field. and
seacoast artillery. which is used in
~fortihcataons on fixed mounts.
It 10 the mobile artillery which we
are vitality interested in at the pres
French front This mobile artillery is
divided into three distinct types
guns, howitzers and mortars.
The first Of these are long-range
rifles distinguished by high muzzle
velocity and long barrels otAfrom 80
to SO calibers: that is to say, the
length OF barrel ranges from thirty
to fifty times the diameter Of the
bore, giving a mi of from 5000 to
$4,000 yards with a low angle of fire.
These guns are classified as wheel
mounts, 'antiaircraft, ltruck n1ounts),
emplacement mounts and railway
mounts. The wheel mounts are sub
divided as pack artillery -lnountain
guns transported on pack mules);
neld guns, drawn by horse teams and
attached to rumbles; motorized field
guns; tractor-drawn guns OF large
caliber; and the so-called horse artil-
lery. drawn by horses, with, all can
noneers mounted. for fast field work
in support of cavalry.
The wheel-mount guns include the
famous French IS (3-inch) and THE
4.7-inch guns, which have created
such havoc among their German OPP
ponents and which have been re-
sponsible for breaking down the
greatest military ofehsivea Of the
Germans in the past three years. The
~ are Of greater range and caliber
but OF practically the same type as
the rs nm.
Next in order. according to size,
the 5-inch and the s-inch size
coast guns. such AZ our armies have
iwith-drawn from the Notifications and
mounted on improvised wheel mounts,
for use as mobile artillery.
The second class are the antiatr-
craft runs, for which purpose lbs
and AIS sre provided. mounted on a
carriage which will allow anSseieya-
ltion Of about 81 degrees and q ira
ysrse of $50 degrees, set up IN q
motor truck.
Emplacenent mounts are large.
|caliber guns that are partially mo-
bile. They are taken apart and moved
around in sections In. tractors az
needed, and set up In concrete em-
placements. They are, mor strictly
speaking, siege guns.
The TsiiwaystSpnnt runs are con-
verteds reacoast and. naval iong-range
They have q mount consisting OF a
Especially designed carriage on Q rail.
way cor and they : operated. due
Ito their extreme range and accuracy,
far ba1k from the front lines over the
heAdssof u M troops.
This covers the, hrst class OF mobile
artillery-the long-ranEe rifles. Next
lin order come the howitzers.
HOWttncrs.
The hoNltxer ~ distinguished from
the pihs by low mu--1e velocity,
ranging from 1,2N9 10 1900 feet per
fscond, and = short barrel. approx
naately siehtssn, ttInas the caliber Of
ansle are Of from 1900 70 $4,000