Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-29
ARMY'S ABERDEEN
DISPLAY OCT. 10
Day and Night Program Will
Include Firing of Modern
War Weapons.

Before leading engineers and indus
trial executives of the United States,
who in case of war would become the
| Nations munitions makers, day-and-
night program of massed firing by the
mightiest weapons and most modern
battle equipment yet developed by the
Army will be staged at Aberdeen prov
ing ground, in Maryland, october 10.
on the occasion of the eleventh annual
meeting of the Army Ordnance Asso-
| citation.
Plans for the spectacle, now nearing
completion under Maj. Gen. Clarence
G.. Williams, chief of ordnance. U. S.
| A., at Washington, contemplate the dis
play IN action of virtually every i'm
portant development in Army ordnance
material since the World War, including
the latest mechanical fighting equip
ment, anti-aircraft artillery, bombs and
| bombing planes and chemical warfare
implements.
To Use Real Projectiles.
Five thousand members of the Army
Ordance Association and affiliated
| technical and engineering societies are
| expected to witness the demonstration.
Cabinet officials, naval and military
officers of high rank and observers from
most of the armies of the world will be
present. For the first time delegates
of the National Aeronautic Association
and the National Metal Trades Asso-
citation will attend an C.Irlance firing
| program.
Ranging from the largest type gun In
use in this country, a giant SeacoaSt
rifle capable of hurting ton of steel a
distance of 80 miles, down to Spiteful
little machine guns of the most i'm
proved design for anti-aircraft use,
weapons which have been perfected by
the Army to repel invasion from air,
| land or sea, will be exhibited during the
display. Full-strength service charges
of explosives and actual battlefield
, projectiles are to be used.
Crack Units to Participate.
Cooperating with the Ordnance De-
partment throughout the program will
be crack demonstration units Of the
Field Artillery, Coast Artillery, Infan-
try, Signal Corps, Chemical Warfare
Service and the Air Corps. These are
to be ordered from various Army posts
in the East and South.
Opening with a realistic exhibition of
the Army's new 50-caliber machine gun
and 37-mm. automatic cannon in the
morning, the program will run con-
tinuously throughout the day and into
the night, ending with batteries Of late
type anti-aircraft guns and searchiights
tracking down airplaneS and attempt
ing to riddle the sleeve targets which
the aircraft Will tow across the sky.
New Equipment to Be Shown.
Giant strides the Army has made
during last year in the DEVELOPMENT
of mechanical field equipment, anti
aircraft artillery and aerial warfare will
get their first public demonstration In
special exhibitions. Though no details
have been announced. Gen. Williams
has indicated that a model mechanical
force will be shown in action. complete
with tanks. armored vans and troop
carrying croSS-country vehicles.
For the Air Corps demonstration, In
which aerial acrobatics and combat
maneuvers will be performed by Army
flyers, bombing planes and pursuit
ships will be sent from Langley Field,
Va. and Selfridge Field, Mich, re-
spectively.
Coast defense guns will be fired I'M
der battle conditions. The largest type,
16-inch, with range Of 80 miles, will
send its 2,100-pound projectile out into
Chesapeake Bay. A 14-inch railway
gun, using $50 pounds of powder, will
hurl 1860 pounds of steel shell dis
lance of Is miles.
Field Artillery to Use New ISIS.
Batteries of field artillery demon
strating the new 75-millimeter gun re-
Gently adopted as standard for the
Army are to be seen in action. Other
artillery pieces that will be fired are a
| 75-millimeter Infantry mortar, which
| can be taken apart and carried into
the field by hand; an improved 105-
millimeter howitZer, and self-pro-
PEELED 155-millimeter gun with trav-
cling speed of 10 miles an hour.
Under variety OF simulated war
conditions, smoke screens, recent war
gases and explosives of terrific
strength will be tested. Bombs ranging
from tiny devices for special uses to
giant eggs" earth rending In their
| tremendous force, will be exploded.
new smokeless and flashlesS powder
which is also moisture proof, will be
exhibited by firing a 75-millimeter held
piece.
Tanks to Cut Loose.
One of the most stirring spectacles
of the day will be presented when
tanks, each carrying q crew OF IL mer
and armed with two Six-pounderS anc
five machine guns, shuttle across ths
terrain WIN all WedpOlS AuulS' EA
impressive array OF other new tanks
capable of high speed and great striking
power will take part. The Christie
tank, although not adopted by The
Army, will hurtle through space at 81
miles an hour.
Explaining the purpose Of the elab'
crate showing of Army ordnance ma
terial, Gen. Williams has stressed thu
vital need Of close cooperation be-
tween the Government and technica
and industrial leaders OF the country
America has no peacetime industry To-
ordnance production other than rev
manufacturing arsenals, he pointed out
The Army Ordnance Association
with 30 per cent Of its membership
composed of civilian engineers and ex
ecutives, seeks to keep alive tntereS
In the art of ordnance design.
In the interests OF industrial pre-
paredness, Gen. Williams declared. TIT
regular armament tests at Aberdeen
PROVING Ground are held whenever pos
sible in the presence of civilian engi
neers. and ali demonstrations to be helt
at the Army Ordnance Association
meeting are thus TO be considered reg,
ularly conducted ordnance tests af1t
within the oficial test allowances.