Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1919-02-28
AMERICAS ANSWER TO GER
MANY.

1t was fourteen-inch American
naval rifle with ii range of thirty
miles, that silenced the freakish Ger
man big Bertha" which was she'll
ing Paris. 1t was these giant rifles
that caused such establishment. in
dlEnation. and terror among the Ger
mans around Metz The mixed emo
tons of the Germans found an outlet
IN thei newspapers, but little has
been told about the guns.
In thes last days of the war the
United States had ut work on tn front
SIX guns, intended primarily to cut
Germany's railroad communications.
Their work surpassed anything ac
compiished OH either side up to that
time. These fourteen-inch rifles were
sent over by the United States navy.
unde rthc command of Rear Admiral
Charles p. Plunkett. No detailed sto-
ry has yet been given out by the navy
OF what was accomplished pending
the preparation by Admiral Plunkett
of an account of the guns operations
but some of the facts trnnspired at
recent meeting of the House Com
mlttec on Naval Affairs in Washing
ton.
AT the time of the armistice guns
of this type had been placed in posi-
ton to cut the German communica-
lions with Metz and to isolate that
fortress. Forty-four guns were sent
over IN various states of manufac-
ture; six were in action when the
lighting ceased. The first gun was
sent to challenge the Germans seven
ty-tow mile Big Bertha in the Bots
de Corbie, north of Compiegne, which
was firing on Paris. The day the
American gun was placed in posi-
ton Bertha withdrew, and that was
tn elast heard of her.
Thsi was in the early part fAu-
gust. Bertha was freak. The Unit
ed States weapon was real gun,
driving 1,400 pound projectile for
distance of thirty miles. There was
nothing like it nthe allied side, and
French ordnance officers went long
distance to look at it in wonder. At
the French proving grounds, before
the gun was taken into the fight,
land the United States naval Off
GERS who had never seen the gun in
action on land were wondering what
the result would be-, three of the
shells fell within 100 yards of one
another, the fourth 300 yards away
all on direct line.
The guns were mounted on special
~ built railway cars. No. l battery
was placed at scissors to fire Oh the
railroad entering Laon from the north
and cast anu west. Battery No. 2
was placed at Fontenoy-Amblcny for
firing on large ammunition dump,
which it destroyed. This battery was
then moved to Charny north of YER
dun Another gun was placed en- the
Nancy-Luneville sector. Other rail
road points brought within range by
these guns were Montmedy, Louppy,
Reboiville, and Longuyon."
"The principal value of the guns is
in the destruction of railroad yards"
said Admiral Plunkett, "and the roll
ing stock therein; interruption of
railroad traffic and general disorgani-
cation of the enemy transportation
system. When they strike they do
not make very big hole in the earth.
They only go down about five or six
feet, but the pieces of the shell fly
about mile, and the augmentation
is excellent. They break up in piec-
es about the size of your two fists"
"Did you fire at any Notifications
at all?"
"None at ALL"
"You had your eye on Metz when
| left there said representative Fred
Britten Of Illinois.