The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1918-10-31
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GUN BEATS big BERTHA"
NAVAL GUN EXCEEDS GERMAN
LONG DISTANCE CANNON.
Used on Western Front.-ln Point
of Destructive Force They Are
Incompatible to Hun Weapon.

Incomparable to Hun Weapon.
Washington, Oct. 25.-Details OF
the achievement of the navy depart
ment in making available for use on
the Western front of the great naval
guns, which press dispatches have
reported to be hammering the Ger
man railway centers back of the
serre-Oise front, we're made public
tonight by Secretary Daniels.
The naval guns, which have been
in operation since September l6,
originally were intended for new bat
tie cruisers, but a change in the de-
sign of the vessels left the guns un-
available for that use. Rear Ad-
miral Earle, chief, navy bureau of
ordnance, then recommended that the
guns be sent to the Western front
and he was directed to proceed with
the design and construction.
Manned by Navy Men.
The guns are manned and operated
by officers and men of the United
States navy, under the command of
Rear Admiral Plunkett, formerly dl-
rector of the Office of gunnery exer-
cises and engineering performance.
The first party of officers and men to
handle the guns arrived in France
June g.; the first shipment of material
left this country June 20 and the en-
tire organization was completed and
ready to move to the battle front in
France late in August.
The guns are said to throw heav-
ier projectile and have greater. muz-
zle velocity than any weapon ever
placed on a mobile land mounting.
The weight of the explosive used with
each projectile is many times greater
than that used in the freak German
long-range guns, and in point of their
destructive force they are incom-
parable. =.
y Requires Whole Train:
The organization to man one gun
requires an entire train, including
the gun car. itself, ammunition cars,
a crane car and construction, sand.
) timber, kitchen, fuel, workshop
berthing and staff radio cars.
Many of. the cars were especially
manufactured by the Standard Steel
Car Company, and the locomotives
eighty-three-ton types, with four
pair of drivers, were built by the
Baldwin Locomotive Works. One
car is a complete machine shop
equipped. with forge, lathes, grinders
and drill presses. The gun car as
\ well as the ammunition cars are
heavily armored, 1900 square feet OF
plate being required.
The gun car is convertible into q
form of pit foundation to permit fire
at high angles of elevation, and il
was said the entire process of plac
ing the gun in that position and re-
soring it to complete mobility re-
quires only a few minutes. Under
test, on it's steel car mounting, the
gun has shown accuracy of fire al
longer ranges than ever before pos
sible with guns of such great caliber
Direction of the fire upon any targe
is made possible simply by shifting
the position of the gun mount on th'
tracks.
Record for Speed.
Plans for the gun mountings a.
well as for the trains were worked
out at the naval gun factory in Wash
ington within thirty days and con
tracts were let January 25. The frs
gun was completed in April and test
were held at the army provin.
grounds at-Sandy Hook, N. j., tn
only field large enough, in the pres
ence of army and navy officials an
representatives of the Allied govern
ments.
The training of the men to operat
the big guns was of most intensiv
nature. The gun crews, who are com
posed of officers from the regular ma
val forces and the naval reserves, an
of men taken from the most part fror
the Great Lakes training station
were employed as inspectors at tn
plants manufacturing the guns. Thi
training, combined with experience i
hadling heavy projectiles and powe
charges at the naval proving grount
Secretary Daniels said, made possibl
the obtaining Of thoroughly eficien
force.
Details of the construction of tn
guns and the part they have playe
in the victories on the Western from