THE MOST POWERFUL GUN IN THE WORLD.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7236, 24 October 1901, Page 2

THE MOST POWERFUL GUN IN THE WORLD.

♦ AN AMERICAN CANNON. Undoubtedly, the most spectacular feature ia connection with the new 16-inch United States coast defence gun is ita encrv mous range, which is estimated at twentyone miles, or, to be exact, 20.978 miles. This theoretical range has been calculated by Major James M. Ingalls, Fifth United States School for Officers at Fort Monroe, Virginia. A firing table for the gun prepared by Major Ingalls, shows that the above range is obtainable with a muzzle velocity of 2300 ft per second, with the necessary angle of elevation of the piece. The trajectory of the projectile shows that in ranging to 20.978 miles the shell would reach the maximum elevation of 30,516 ft. This is enormously greater than the maximum range hitherto obtained by any other gun, which at present stamds to the credit of a Krupp 9.45 in gun, fired on the Meppen range in the presence of the ' Emperor of Germany in 1892. The measured range was found to be 22,120 yards, or, roughly speaking, 12£ miles. The greatest height reached by the Krupp shell in its flight was 21,456 ft, and the time occupied between the firing of the gun and the striking of the projectile was 70.2 sec. It was pointed out that had this gun been placed at Pre St Didier, in the Alpi', elevated to 44deg, and fired, its shell would have ranged 8956.8 ft higher than Monti Blanc, and its fall would have been in tie neighbourhood of Chamounix, on the other side of the range. This performance, great as it was, becomes positively insignificant compared with the capabilities of the newUnited States army gun. With the extreme height of trajectory of 30,516 ft, or over 5% miles, the projectile would, in its flight, rise higher than the combined heights of Mont Blanc and Pike's Peak, measuring respectively 15,779 ft and 14,083 ft. The total length of <th& gro is 49ft 3in. The diameter of the rear portion of the gun is 60in, while ;the forward part gradually diminishes to 28in afc the muzzle. The length of the main bore is 37ft 4_,-in-. The cylindrical part of + he powder chambsr is 90.7 in long, with a diameter of 18.9 in. The weight of the gun is*. 126 tons.