The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1919-03-07
SEE
BIG GUNS TESTED

ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND,
Nd, March with cotton stuRod IN
their ears and airpIanes and observa-
ton balloons overhead. msmbeFs e
the Philadelphia Engineers Clu3 re-
Gently saw some Of the BRO LIANT
achievements OF the ordnance ID
Hent under the Impetus Of warts
treme demands.
The demonstrations were madf
on the proving ground. The vi
club had been invited by the &C
ment as the most representative
of Philadelphia engineers.
The plugging OF their earSs - ffr
cotton permitted the guests 70
quite close at the time OF hrinf
larseT guns, and they could ob
the results OF the shooting. In
case OF the biggest cannon the shells
could plainly be seen as they sped On
their way through the sky.
May BE Last shOwing.
In what Is perhaps the last general
demonstration before the gradLat cssr-
tailment OF the activities az this prov
ing ground nearly every, type Of gun
and ammunition employed BY the
United states In the war was tested
for the benefit OF the visitors
The Government has It's largest
proving ground here. Achievements
in American ordnance developmsnt
were revealed which wiz rank our
own experts on a par with the more
experienced ordnance specialists Of
Europe.
There were guns fired OF the largest
size and Of the most modern tschnl-
cal Improvement Ammunition OF 4
hitherto unknown penetrative and ex-
plosive force was used. All OF the
details were not permitted to be made
public
Among the tests which were espeef.
ally impressive was that OF the tive
forty-ive Schneider model hoWItser.
the most modern and hlgh-poWered
howitZer which the war has brought
out. 1t Is the most difficult piece o.
artillery this country constructsd
during the war. Il throws q ass
pound pdojectile an expected range
of 1900 yards, compared to a similar
British range Of $4,000 or 10000
Another was an eisht-inch hOWttzer
of British design built solely In the
steel plant. II was used By
our coast artillery in France. Il
weighs ten tons and has a range OF
1o,5O0 yards, Its pro1ectile could BE-
plainly seen.
show various Guns.
A three-inch anti-aircraft gun fired
ten shots in twenty-nfne seconds.
Three contrasting types OF the famous
seventy five were demonstrated, those
of the French. British, and American
design. The range OF the Americas
gun exceeded the French by $3.50
yards. The prOjectile travelled 0,Too
yards.
In the tests excess pressure was
used. Shrapnel and high EXPLOSIVES
shells were used. A small thirty-seVen
gun fired explosive bullets.
This gun was adapted to the tanks
Several high-powered rifles were
shown also. The hundred and fifty
five howitzer revealed great mobility
and a range Of 1900 yards. Il - used
as a weapon to eounter-attack other
batteries and the enemy's lines Of com
munication. 1t is not used against
personnel
Many. other interesting tests we're
shown. The guests enjoyed luncheon
in the large mess hall, which was fill
ed to its full capacity OF 500. Imras-
diately afterward they continued their
tour.
Especial interest was taken in the
fuse tests
The fuse is used to cause the shrap-
mel to function at a certain distanSs
from the muzzle of the gun One fuse
was tested which igniated at fifty feet
from the muzzIe. In actual combat
this would result in the bursting oe
the shrapneI at that distance. II %
employed to repeI an enemy about 10
take a battery. The French were able S
to effect a canister at no less than 200
feet.
In a seventy-five miIlimeter gun
the bursting shrapnel is equivalent
to 260 men firing at point blank
forty-five ealiber automatic reVolyers.
One could. Of course. hear the WIKI
and the bang OF the shells in the
weird sort of broken chorus
The Method FOLLOWED.
The general method followed ia
this test shooting il as follows: The
gun is aimed at a certain field at .
particular distance away. In the
field are men protected by bomb
proof shelters who make a diagram
OF the hits. They go out and dix
up the shells which are imbedded IN
the ground. This is a very dangerous
part of the work. The men are called
In the testing of the fuses men are
stationed in towers with stop
watches. They record the time be-
tween the firing OF the load and the
igniting OF the fuse.
AS each gun was reached Capt
Alvin Schaller explained to the
groups the test to be made and the
and characteristics OF the