The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1920-11-15
ARTILLERY PRACTICE
NEAR SAN ANTONIO
Two Fine Artillery Regiments Want
Over Twelve Hundred
Recruits

There's chance to shoot shrapnel
out in the bush"-this is the word that
always makes your field artillery
mans heart rejoice, if he is dyed in
the wool. In military highbrow ver-
nacular-target practice.
The two regiments of French 75's
belonging to the famous Second divis-
icn, now stationed at Camp Travis,
near San Antonio, Texas-the 18th
and 18th Field Artillery, are on the
alert. It's "heads up" with them. The
entire recruiting service of the coun-
try has been ordered to hurry up men
for this division. The artillery are
now awaiting orders for their tour Of
duty at Leon Springs. where Uncle
Sam has one of the finest target
ranges in the United States.
SITS fgger and shoot; then squint
your eyes and watch for the burst!n
Major General p. G. Harris, the adj
jutant general of the army. has sent
out a telegraphic call for 1868 field
artillerymen to recruit these two regi-
ments up TO full strength. December
10th is the last day, and when they
get their men comes the word Lets
goI"
That means to the camp at the
springs, where wild flowers and butt
terfiies greet the straveler from the
frozeE North-outdoor life is at its
best in the winter months around San
Antonio.
The new range has been built by
military experts. Targets of every
description, simulated and real, catch
the aTtilleryman's binoculars; machine
gun nests, mimic field gun batteries;
pasteboard soldiers marching up and
down, and prone sharpshooters draw
ing a bead from concrete redoubts.
But best of all for your artillery reg
.ular, they are going to blow off some
Of the large surplus of ammunition
left over from war.
And in shooting every man is taught
TO master his 70, the gun that won
the war, 50 the artilleryman says
Expert instructors give lectures or
this splendid piece, coupled with fre.
quent practice in dismantling and re
assembling its mechanism, smooth as
oil. This gun never fails. Tt functions
as long as it holds together.
But this is only the beginning. The
artilleryman goes on and gets the
hang of highly precise optical inAtru.
ments-" scissors" telescopes, range
finders, goniometers, telescope com.
passes, and field glasses. He learns
to fit up telephones in hurry, anG
must be- prepared to jump in witf
radio when necessary, as well as Il
send and receive messages between
aeroplanes. wigwag stations and tele
graph centers.
m But the real fun comes when thu
artilleryman gets chance at target.
he cannot see with his glasses. Fl,
does his fighting with the use of air
planes, which spot the shots. Handling
the fire of concealed rs from the ail
is about as exciting job as a soldie
can tackle.
The fighting equipment of field ar
tiilery troops includes not only thei
guns, but machine guns and auto
matte rifles are also used for the de
Tense of the gun crews, and in addi
tion all the men but the cooks carr,
the automatic pistol. I'm every regi
ment of the field artillery there ar
six batteries. designated by lette
from A to F. Each battery is divid
ed into four gun crews, a detail O
cooks and battery commander
special detail, which includes the va
rlous specialists, scouts, instrumen
operators, communication experts
etc. There is also a headquarter
company which does the same thinl
for the regiment that the batter
commanders detail does for the bat
terry.
Each regiment has also a suppl
company made up of teamsters, chauf
fers and various experts of militar
equipment and supply A special de
tail is provided for each of the bat
talon commanders also. From thi.
IL will be seen that field artiller
regiment is made up-from command
ing officer down-of men highly train
ed in some technical speciality, Thes