Evening star., 1921-10-08
ORDNANCE STAGES
AUTOMATIC CIRCUS
Tanks and Gun Carriages
Hold Three-Ring Affair, &,
Thrilling Spectators.

ABERDEEN PROVING GROUNDS,
Nd, October s.-A mechanical cir
Gus" is one of the latest developments
OF the Army ordnance department.
which Is supposed to devote it's at
tention solely to grfmmer activities.
The first show Of the "automatic
menagerie" was staged here yester-
day in connection with the tests of
the new 16-inch rifle and other ord
nance material.
Tanks. tractors. self-propeIIed gun
! mounts and trucks performes IN !.
lateral three-ringed circus Grea,
elephantfne tanks waddled and plowed
their way through and over obstacles.
| smaller tanks and gun carriages
dashed rapidly up hill and down dale.
while a baby" tank cut all manner
of clownish capers to the delight of
the crowd One member of the cir
Gus. a very fast gun carriage, rushed
at twenty miles an hour straight at
the crowds which lined the field, only
to turn abruptly on it's iron heels
and charge madly down the field
like a crazy iron bull.
Typifying 1.-The Diving Venus" an
amphibious gun carriage slid slowly
on the other side in no wise ar
fected by it's bath. Turning about. it
abruptly plunged back at full speed
and climbed out, carrying half the
five feet of water out of the tank
with IT. Capt. h. L. Holmes-Brown.
for the moment the ring master
barked an order and every one Of
his mechanical performers formed III
line for grand parade around the
ring before returning to the metallic
tents for the night, closing the uniQu"
performance
Eventual elimination of the disap-
pearing carriage. for more than a dec
ade an outstanding feature of Amer
can coast defenses, was forecast by
Army experts today as result of tn"
test of the sixteen-inch. fifty-caiib. =
| rifle mounted on "barbette" carriagc.
New Mount Superior.
| While weather conditions in love-
, Chesapeake bay prevented carrying
out complete tests, military and civil
| ian technicians who observed the,
! trials were agreed that the elements
| Of increased range and augment Il
| protection for the gunservers mad"
| the new mount far superior to tha-
now extensively used. The barbett'
mount permits a maximum elevati"u
| of the piece to sixty-five degrees, III
| heavy steel shield and apron al til r
same time affording material protec-
| tion to the crew from aerial bombel
and observers.
With a heavy haze reported over til .
| bay. officers in charge of the prograH'
decided to postpone the tests t.
range since the 2,300-pound projectil
would have been sent into waters
| commonly traversed by shipping craf1
With an elevation far short of HI"
| maximum. however. the new gun
planted one of the steel shells NOR
I, than twenty miles away.
| AS soon AS more complete tests can
! be had, II was said, Army officials arr
/ tract for fourteen of the new rifle
| These would be installed at strategI"
| points along the coast, and, in case %
! battery constructions, would be wide
/ ly separated so that offensive attaci.
| from sea or air would have to be con
I Centrated on one at q time.
=: The tests were witnessed by ahou'
| 500 members of the Army Ordnanc.
(; Association. members of civilian en-
| gineering and automotive societivs
! and official observers from the Nar
| and Navy departments.
Flashes. Gunpowder.
! Flashless gunpowder, used ppblici:'
| for the first time last night. drew q
| hearty round of applause even froNi
/; the conservative scientists presen'.
| Following the firing of five rounds L.
| service powder, which illuminated III"
fash, only dull. coppery glo.
| showed from the first discharge d
| fiashless powder. Even this last-d
scarcely a second, and. experts SAID.
| would defy detection from enemy oil
servers. Attempts to photograph )
! were fruitless. the light being insui
| ficient to act upon the plate of
camera. The sound of the explosios
was appreciably diminished. bein&
! estimated at only 60 per cent of tha
caused by the service charge.
; Brig. Gen. William Mitchell. as
| sistant chief of the Army air service
flew down from New York to wituess
the tests, arriving in the midst of tn
trials of heavy aerial bombs.