The New York Times Current History of the European War, Vol 1, Issue 4, January 23, 1915Various
History
The New York Times Current History of the European War, Vol 1, Issue 4, January 23, 1915
Various
World War, 1914-1918
The artillery has up to now played so great a part in the war that a few
general remarks descriptive of the methods of its employment by the
enemy are justified. Their field artillery armament consists of
15-pounder quick-fire guns for horse and field batteries of divisions
and there are, in addition, with each corps three to six batteries of
4.3-inch field howitzers and about two batteries of 5.9-inch howitzers.
With an army there are some 8.2-inch heavy howitzers.
The accuracy of their fire is apt at first to cause some alarm, more
especially as the guns are usually well concealed and the position and
the direction from which the fire is proceeding are difficult of
detection. But accurate as is their shooting, the German gunners have on
the whole had little luck, and during the past three weeks an
astonishingly small proportion of the number of shells fired by them
have been really effective.
Quite the most striking feature of their handling of the artillery is
the speed with which they concentrate the fire upon any selected point.
They dispense to a great extent with the method of ranging known by us
as bracketing, especially when acting on the defensive, and direct their
fire by means of squared maps and the telephone. Thus, when the target
is found, its position on the map is telephoned to such batteries as it
is desired to employ against that particular square.
In addition to the guns employed to fire on the targets as they are
picked up, others are told off to watch particular roads, and to deal
with any of the enemy using them.
Both for the location of targets and the communication of the effect of
the fire, reliance is placed on observation from aeroplanes and balloons
and on information supplied by special observers and secret agents, who
are sent out ahead or left behind in the enemy's lines to communicate by
telephone or signal. These observers have been found in haystacks,
barns, and other buildings well in advance of the German lines.
Balloons of the so-called sausage pattern remain up in the air for long
periods for the purpose of discovering targets, and until our aviators
made their influence felt by chasing all hostile aeroplanes on sight the
latter were continually hovering over our troops in order to register
their positions and to note where the headquarters, reserves, gun teams,
&c., were located.
If suitable targets are discovered the airman drops a smoke ball
directly over it or lets fall some strips of tinsel, which glitter in
the sun as they slowly descend to the earth. The range to the target is
apparently ascertained by those near the guns by a large telemeter, or
other range finder, which is kept trained on the aeroplane, so that when
the signal is made the distance to the target vertically below is at
once obtained. A few rounds are then fired, and the result is signalled
back by the aviator according to some prearranged code.
VII.
*A Fight in the Clouds.*
[Dated Oct. 13.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account