Evening star., 1936-12-26
Bv Helen Elliott.

~ NE Of the most unusual and
1 unknown museums in the
world today is just big tin
~ building at the Government
Proving Ground, Aberdeen. Md. Here
YOU can see everything from the Big
Bertha, die Dicke Bertha" of SUM-
day supplement fame, to a 4.ooo-pound
experimental shell that has proved to
be a chestnut" as ordnance material
for the next war.
Strange to relate, you can't find
word of printed matter on the con-
tents of this museum because every
body is keeping pretty much under
his hat what the next war is going to
be fought WITH" according to Col. H.
H. Zornig, acting commander at the
proving ground. The so-called "skele-
tons" found here are mostly war
trophies from Germany, France. Italy,
England and Belgium, as well as
American attempts to develop i'm
proved ordnance material that was
not sufficiently improved to warrant
adoption, or which didn't work at all.
It is here the young ordnance officers
study machine guns, shells and tanks
used in the last war, because, as the
succinct Capt. David Van Syckle ex-
planned, THE chief value of mu-
scum like this is to keep people from
inventing chestnuts."
One of the first things that attract
uyhA
huge building, hanked on either side
by 150-millimeter German guns,
brought back from an unknown bat
tlefield, is a 1900 model Gatling gun,
used in the Spanish-American War.
1t represents the earliest type OF ma
chine gun. It used q projectile that
came out all in one chunk. designed
to burst after it was fired, whereas
modern projectiies burst into a mil
lion splinters before they come out Of
the machine gun, and it is these
infinitesimal steel splinters that cause
the casualties.
THE Preister grenade thrower was
pointed out as an interesting
item by the colonel, Mr.. Preister hav-
ing been q German minister Of the
gospel. The barrel of the gun is in
side the grenade thrower, and it has
an iron shell containing lots of ex-
plosive and stabilizing fins to keep |
the particles head on. You put the |
fuse in one or both ends to set the |
charge of. In the case of larger |
shells both ends are set of.
We turned up an aisle containing |
shells of all sizes and from all nations. |
They ranged from II to 1000 pounds,
and were painted yellow for the United |
States, blue for France and red for |
Germany. The British bombs had q
little blunter noses than the others
which was the only difference we could
notice. Innocent Of the ways Of war
fare. we inquired If the bombs of one |
country were any better than those of |
another.
"You never talk about the other |
fellows stuff" explained the colonel. |
Its like talking about religion"
The 4.00o-pound bomber has not |
however, and large bombing plane |
would be able to carry only one of |
them. The 2,000-pound bombs were
the largest used during the World |
War. Most shells range from 500 to |
1,100 pounds. Many small bombs,
weighing from 18 to IS pounds. were
used in the last war to destroy troops,
while the large ones were used to
destroy bridges, railroads. buildings
and waterworks. The 2,000-pound
bombs will probably be used In the
next war; the 4,000-pound ones prob
ably will not. according to Col. zor-
mig. That probably" Is a very Of
ficial word. 1t Is dif1cult to predict
Just what will be used In another
war.
THE huge German tractors in one
end of the museum are so big
that they seem unreal of of Holly
wood movie lot. The reason they are
so big Is that the Germans, not hav-
ing any rubber during the war, had
to build solid wheels and tires. That
fact may come as revelation to many
of this generation who were 6, or 10
years old when the war was fought.
To give you an idea of the tractors
size, the rear wheels are to feet in
the front wheels being 3 to
feet in diameter. They were built
about 1914 and weigh from IA to 20
tons.
The French tractors are much
for the main reason that the
French had rubber. One French
model of steam engine tractor. made
in Bordeaux, requires coal shoveler.
who stands on the small running
board and shovels in coal.
That's the kind to have on a cold
day." the colonel remarked.
The French had higher speed mo-
tors than the Germans, who were
burning benzol. There is postwar
type of tractor here. too, with rods
that run from stem to stern. It was
built to run over rough ground, but
here were too many little pieces In
It. so the type was never put on q
basis.
There is one very interesting old
German tank. full of shell holes.
Tanks were first built during the war.
Md no country knew very much |