The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1922-06-09
ARMY LACKS IDEAL
TYPES OF ARTILLERY
American Experts Cling to Policy
That Infantry Is PrineI.
pal Department,

Washington, June S.--The Amer.
lean army came out OF the war with
vast amount Of artillery but still
lacks the ideal types of guns ana
howitzers which careful postwar
study by army experts indicated to be
the most desirable On the basis OF
the report Of the "caliber board"
which made this study in 1918, how
ever, existing artillery equipment has
been apportioned among the troops
to approximate as nearly as possible
ideal conditions.
One striking fact was developed by
the "caliber board" study. Dispute
the enormous increase in the amount
OF artillery used by the contending
armies, the board concluded that "the
principles OF the use OF field artillery
continued unchanged.
Although the French coined the
saying during the war that 1.-THE ar.
tlllery conquers; the infantry occL.
pies the ground postwar studies do
not confirm this in American military
opinion which holds that the infantry
armed with rifle and bayonet is the
main line OF the army and all others
arms designed merely to aid the ad-
vance OF the foot troops
AS to the increased use of artillery
during the war, Sir Douglas Haig.
British commander, noted in after the
war reports that while the proportion
OF British artillery personnel engaged
in the battle of the Somme was about
30 percent OF the infantry, 1t reached
80 percent in the Battle Of Ypres In
1917. In the 1916 struggle British
gums hurled 1900 tons of she'll in a
single day and in 1917 they poured
$4,000 tons in the German positions
In the same time.
The CALDER board found that for
the purpose of American field opera.
lions there should be six types of
weapons, light weight gun and how.
itZer to accompany infantry divisions
medium weight pair for corps use
and heavy team for each field army.
The board found that for divisional
use, gun of about 3.inch caliber
iiIing missiles of man killing char.
acteristlcs' weighing not more than
~ pounds and with maximum
range OF $4,000 yards, was ideal
fr' tlat the American and French
'5s while not exactely filling require
ments, formed a practical substitute.
the army artillery as we'll as the
National Guard field batteries are
now equipped with these weapons
supplemented by some American s.
inch guns.
AS a mate for this field gun. the
board recommended l05 mn. weap.
on with range of 10000 yards and
proIeet!.cs of 30 to S5 pounds. That
type does NOT'exist in the army to-
day althroug the LOB nm. howitzer
suggested os a substitute is included
ana was for a time mated with the
light field gun II is regarded as too
heavy for divisional use. however.
sind has been eliminated from divis.
onal batteries.
The lack of a light howitzer is due
ito the TACT that the American army
adopted French artillery equipment
in the war and the French never we're
able to turn their attention to this
weapons production in the stress Of
other work. The British army is
equipped with los nm. howitzer to
support infantry operations.
| For medium batteries attached to
army corps, the caliber board recon-
mended Al to inch guns with range
of $4,000 yards to bring hostile bat.
terry positions under fire. Tie exist
ing a. guns of old model, with one
regiment armed with British 5-inch
weapons make up this element OF the
present American artillery strength.
the guns being mated with the 10000
yard range 1855 nm. howitzer
For the heavy field artillery hand
led by units OF the Field and army,
the board selected $50 nm. gun with
$4,000 yard range and an S.inch how.
itSer firing $4,000 yards. Equipment
approximating this is made available
by using British.design .howitzers
which are on hand
II Is pointed out that under present
national defense plans, most OF the
artillery for major mobilization
must come from the National Guard
which includes 1872 gun batteries
armed with 75's; SO .howltzer batter.
les equipped with 155 nm. weapons
and Is gun batteries armed with 1856
nm, rifles