MODERN GUNNERY.

Evening Post, Volume LVI, Issue 156, 30 December 1898, Page 4

MODERN GUNNERY.

From a recent cable message we learn that the French Artillery ia being supplied with the new gun that has been so much discussed in European military circles. It is said to be the most effective weapon of its kind yet invented, and to be capable of firing 20 rounds a minute. In common with all other branches of applied Science, the art of gunnery baa made enormous strides during the latte.v half of the present century, and there is reason to believe that the French have out - distanced their competitors in the manufacture of destructive cannon. Although thews and sinews must still play a large part in warfare their former preeminence is now subordinated to the thinking brain and the trained hand. Scientific weapons and disciplined skill can easily overmatch dauntless personal courage like that of the Soudanese Dervishes, or countless numbers like those China could bring up to the shambles during her war, with Japan. Continental nations are fully alive to the value of their artillery armaments, and it is open to question whether the British War Office has not begun to lag behind in the race. The French have long been contemplating the general issue of their new gun, arid experts, are ready to say that with it their, artillery will easily prove the finest in tire world. Extent of range and rapidity of fire are essential to success in the battles of to-day, and if in these two points the French guns can show a marked superiority France will prove a more formidable antagonist than ever. The number of rounds per minute attributed to the latest gun is exactly double the number fired by the famous Montigny mitrailleuse adopted by the French Army during the campaign of 1870. Much was expected of the mitrailleuse, which consisted of 37 rifle barrels permanently enclosed in an iron cylinder. Reloading took five seconds and ten discharges could ba fired in a minute. The

effective range was about 1000 yards. These guns were manufactured secretly in France prior to 1870, and on the outbreak of the war they were substituted for the field guns up to then used by the artillery. Formed into batteries of ten pieces' they were expected to ktiep off both infantry and artillery. As a matter of fact they proved a failure, mainly, it is believed, because the men had received no instruction in wbrking them. This time the French are not waiting for the outbreak of war to issue their new weapons, and a- bitter enemy df the country might be- tempted to hurry on a conflict he felt to be, inevitable lest time should fight on the side of the French gunner. It is a singular commentary on the Tsar's disarmament " encyclical ' thq,t Russia's ally should just now be giving a great increase to its fighting capacity.