Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1920-1927, 1922-06-08
'CALIBER BOARD"
FINDS ARTILLERY
STILL LACKS IDEAL

| WASHINGTON. June THE Amcrl.
| can army come out Of the war with
vast amount ot artillery but sim
| lacks the ideal types OF guns ana
hOwlt2ers which a careful postwar
study by army experts indicated 10
be the most desirable On the basis
of the repor, ol the "calhcr board,
which made this study In 1915 how
ever existing artillery equipment has
been apportionrd among the troops
to approximate as nearly az possible
indcal conditions
one striking fact was developed hy
the "calibcr board study Despite
the enormous increase in the amount
Of artillery used 10y the coutcndng
armies the board concluded that
the principles ot the use OF field ar
tillery continued unchanged
Although the French coined the
saving during the war that "Ihc ar.
tilery conqucrs, the infantry occu
pics tho ground" postwar studies do
not confirm this in American military
opinion which holds that the infantry
armed with rifle and hayOnct is the
main line OF the army and all others
arms designed merely 10 aid the adj
vance of the foot troops.
As 10 the increased use of artillery
during the war Sir Douglas Hatg
British commander noted in after
the war reports that while the pro.
portion of British artillery person.
mel engaged in the battle Of the som
mo was about 81 per cent OF the in /
fautry. il reached So per cent in the F.
Battle of Yprcs in 1917. In the 1916 7
struggle British guns hurled l'OoO .
tons of shell I'm single day and in
1917 they poured $4,000 tons in the .
German positions in tho same time .
The calibcr board found that for
the purpose Of American field opera
tions there should be six types of .
weapons. q light weight gun and
howtzer to accompany infantry di.
visions, a medium weight pair for
corps use and a heavy team for each /
field army The board found that
for divisional use gun OF about s.
inch Calber firing missiles OF man
killing characteristics" wcighina not,
more than 20 pounds and with a max.
imum range Of $4,000 yards, was
ideal" hut that the American and
French 75's while not exactly iiIi'ne
requirements, formed a practical sub
stitutc. The army artillery as well
as the National Guard field batteries
are now equipped with these weap'
ons supplemented by some American
3.inch guns
As mate for this field gun, the
board recommended a lo5 nm. woap.
on with range Of 10000 yards and
rrotpctiles Of 30 to 80 pounds That
tyne does not exist in the army today
although the l55 nm. howitzor sug.
gested as a substitute is included and |
was for time mated with the light
felt gun 1t is regarded as too heavy !
for divisional use however. and has
been eliminated from divisional bat
cries
The lack of a light howitzer is due
TO the fact that the American army
adopted French artillery equipment
m the war and the French never were
able to turn their attention to this {
weapons production in the stress OF
other work. Tho British army is
equipped with a 105 nm. howitzer to
support infantry operations.
For medium batteries attached to
any corps. the caliber board recon.
nended Al to ; inch guns with range
If $4,000 wards to bring hostile bat
terry positions under fire. The eT-
sting IL guns of old model with one 4
regiment armed with British 5-inch
weapons make up this element OF
The present American artillery
strength. the guns being mated with {
he 10000 yard range l5j nm how
tier.
For the heavy field artillery hand.
ed by units of the Field army, the
board selected a 155 nm gun with
% 900 yard range and an 8inch how
tier firing $4,000 yards. Equipment
approximately this is made available
by using British design rowi,2"rs
which are on hand
It is pointed out that under present
national defense plans, most of tho
a tillprV for a ma iOr mobilization