Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-12-24
DEVELOP MORE EFFECTIVE
CORPS ARTILLERY FOR ARMY
Fourth of Series on Postwar Ordnance Development
Showing Strides Being Made by United States
Since Signing of Armisticc.

ever. Is entirely different. Tho
French mechanism is Il complication
OF hciical gears ON tho handwhceI
shaft and bcv.l gears on the worm
smart boltcd to the under eide Of
the cradle yielding a range of elc-
walton OF only y TO th.rty-fivc de-
green Cone turn of tho handwhce,
accomplishing S.a mills of clevatiu,D
whereas. tho cicvating mechanism
on tn NV Amrican earring cosists
"l pair of bvcl gears at the end
OF the handwhccl shaft. Il worm and
w"rhl"hccl. differently attached. and
Ei'idin; "a range OF elevation of from
u To siHty-iiNc degrees: one turn of
III" handwhccl representing nv. mills
OF elevation.
Ih'rc is quick return mechanism
on ia" right at rear OF the carriage.
Ghich ls operated by one man who
uhiocks the cradle from the cleyat :
ing arc aud through the gears ON
1t brings the cradle to the loading
stop eleven degrccsJ. y lower stop
can be set IL desired for firing by
tripping. The brcoch hr.ag mechan-
ISM IS automatically locked when tho
cradle Is unlocked Sighting lis no,
disturbed by loading operations
AFTER the piece is loaded the cradle.
when brought down. automatically
locks itself to tho cIecteinE arc.
whiic at tho same time the brccch
HfihE mechanism liz unlocked
Spring EquIIIbrRtor Control.
fcc"il when firing at high angles
IN controlled by spring cquilib-
rator mounted on top. For example.
with the French carriage IL ~ ncccs
Sary TO begin digging the recoil nit
1T twenty degrees elevation, with
Il required pit depth Of twcnty-four
lhchest At thirty-hvc degrees cle-
Eauoh; whereas. with tho now Amer
lean chrriaSe. mounting either tho
1920 model c!elt-inch howitzer or
inc 1870 model lSJ- millrnetcr gun. tho
pit is not begun until forty degrees
elevation Is reached. while the maxi.
mum depth OF pit required at sixty
hFe degrees elevation is only fifteen
inches
Whereas. the French carriage IS
equipped with two hydraulic lacks
and "a metal lifting beam to prcparc
tho piece for action. which require
considerable time to manipulate; the
american carriage has pair o.
screw jacks built in tho axle The
't'Hls on both carriages arc very
similar transport wagon Is pro-
Eided with the American carriage
transported. with tha exception mar
tho American body is made in one
casting. the carriage linbcrs arc tho
same. The wheels on tho American
carriage timber. owcvcr. are each zoo
pounds Lighter than those used O,
inc q. l.. l.. timber. Tho same ljch,.
'r wheels are used on our trans.
port wagons.
The new American i55-m!limc,cr
gun has range OF 5000 ward,
hi8 miles,. as compared WIN >
range OF ouly 1900 yards GOI
mii"s). for the French l55 intimate
t. T. +. Tho French gun has q
length Of IS calibcrs. the new Amer.
lcan gun lcngth Of ..5 caIihers
Tho maximum elevation on IN.
frcnch carriage is thirty-nve dc.
Erors. and on the American car.
rag" sixty-hvc degrees. Tho com
hin"d weigh, OF sun. carriage ,rd
timber for tho French material :,
$500 pounds. as against "A combincd
weight Of only $500 pounds for
the American material.
New OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES On,
ihe specifications of tho W,s;cr,a,,