Evening star., 1924-10-05

II
tic demonstration of Americas latest
engines OF war at Aberdeen Proving
Ground last week revealed to hun
dreds OF assembled military and civil
experts surprising progress in the
science or producing material of bat =
tie.
Recent developments in big guns
motor transport. tanks. powder and
gases excited the .keepeSt interest OF
these Leaders in American invention
and production. who pledged them
selves anew to the ideal OF the Army
ordnance Association, to effect in
dustrial preparedness for war as our
strongest guarantee of pea re."
inc recently develon ii ".moke,aes
flashless -hygrosconfc powder"
making possible night firing with vir-
tually no evidence for the enemy at
tracted sharn interest from all con-
csrned, and was demonstrated in pie
turesque firlngs both during the day
and night demonstrations
The program. which lasted through
the day, Friday. under the auspices
OF the Army Ordnance Association.
observing its sixth annua! meeting
Was hlled with new demonstrations
even for veterans in tire Army or in
civilian life who have been attending
similar displays for Years
CroweU Rc-r!ccicJ.
Rencdi"t Crovcll. As stan; Secre-
Tar! tf War un.ie .;',"..dsnt wilson
during the World War. MIS- reelected
president Of tho Army Ordnance
Association du-ing the afternoon. 4;
- n'ectinA Jem%r abb for the en-
'tusiasiic pledges nf co-operatinn
from Sr""kerS representing iGe
variety "f fntcres :.
ton
the Ordnance Association whose r.eua-
bership comprises both military IA
civilian personnel; from the American
institute OF Chemical Engineers. IA.
institute of Makers OF Explosives
ana The National defense section of
the American Society of Mechanical
Engineers
In addition to these organizations
which we're officially participating. it
W+S understood th't through sCien-
fists. manufacturers and executives.
who were representing one OF the
listed ganizations. or phase OF
TO ernment activity co-operating.
many NOR" Of the scientific bodies
ere informally represented More
III II 500 were present
The program. which opened at 10
clock. VS. participated in by The
ordn rncc department. the Chemical
Warfare Service, the Field Artiller,
the Coast Artillery. the Air Service
and eliminated in a glorious display
At night of pyrotechnics.
Exhibition Gives Thrill.
There was a thrill to the first exhi-
bition of the day. as company of
the Glst Coast Artillery Corps troops
from Fort Monroe. Va. fired an anti
aircraft gun at a small target towed
by an airplane flying more than so
miles per hour. The gun, recently
mounted on trailer to provide mo-
bility. was fired several rounds the
results of which were conservatively
announced later in the day as fairly
successful"
At distance of 900 feet the
small sleeve target, only 5 feet in
diameter. was struck by two direct
hits from the shrapnel used in the
projectile. Twenty of the twenty-siX
shots were said to have been within
destructive range" of the target
High-power explosive was not used
in the test on account of the very evil
dent danger to the aviator towing the
target
Dropping of two demolition bombs
into Chesapeake Bay, firing Of two of
Uncle Sans largest guns and an air
craft demonstration at Phillips Field
occupied the rest of the morning with
the Air Service and Chemical Warfare
Service cooperating in a demonstra-
tion Of smoke screen laying by air
plane that provided one of the spec
tacles of the show.
The. big 16-inch gun, one of the
largest rifles in the world, which had
been mounted on Berbette carriage
and was being tested out prior to
being officially accepted. was fired one
round with sand-hlled projectile.
which. it WAS estimated. shrilled and
whis;led its way down Chesapeake
Bay more than 20 miles.
Sets Record in Size.
This elephantine member of Uncle
Sans gun family is the largest con-
structed for seacoast defense and is
SO powerful that with charge of
$50 pounds of powder projectile
weighing 2.340 pounds may be fired
over 81 miles, or nearly the distance
from Washington to Baltimore. Con-
cussion from firing the piece, esti-
mated to be twice as big as the Ger
man Big Bertha" which threw long
range shells into Paris. was terrific.
group picture was taken at the big
gun, with more than score Of per-
sons standing on the rife.
The gun is electrically operated
and provided with an air compressor
for operating the breech block and
blowing out residue powder after
firing.
Perhaps the newest development
displayed at the flying field. accord
ing to the Army experts. was laying
smoke barrage by lowfying air.
plane. with the new smoke-gas. tita-
mum tetrachloride. developed by the
Chemical Warfare Service. Dashing
across the field at an altitude Of a
dangerous few feet above the ground,
the pilot laid down an impenetrable
smoke screen with the gas. Smoke
may be used extensively as well as
defensively, it was pointed out, either
to poison enemy troops, or screen
friendly ones.
Various DemOnstrntions.
In the demonstration Of tanks, trac-
tors. motor gun carriages and cross
country vehicles. nothing attracted
more attention than the tank with
the stroboscope, whirling crown on
top of the tank to provide safety to
the observer while viewing the ter
rain. The stroboscope is provided
with a series of narrow Sits close
together. which whirl in rapid speed
around the head of the observer.