Modem Warfare

Progress, Volume VI, Issue 12, 2 October 1911, Page 831

Modem Warfare

Guns Mounted on Motor Cars Our German Correspondent It is an irony of fate that, just now when the armies are equipped with the most modern weapons against the usual targets of the earth, a new enemy appears in the air against whom these weapons are powerless. They are too slow in motion and use; indeed, compared with Hying machines, one might say they are antiquated. As the heavy masses of artillery are unable to meet the increased requirements of the times, a new weapon has to take up the struggle against the hostile spy, a weapon to which the open country presents no difficulties and which can make changes of location with ease, (Inns mounted on motor cars will have even more cause for existence when the guns of the field artillery are more adapted for taking up the flight in the air, than they are to-day, for in speed and readiness for action they will always be superior. In time of mobilisation, and when the army is in full action, they will be able to go far beyond the outskirts to keep off the dangerous approach of this aerial enemy and prevent its doing any damage. To accomplish this, not only speed, but also facility of attendance, rapid and sure aiming, high ballistic efficiency and effective ammunition, ore required. The “Rheinische Metallwaren-uud Maschinenfabrik, ” Dusseldorf, have constructed their 6.5 cm. gun mounted on a motor-car to meet these requirements.

_ The Gun (Pig. Without considering the car for the present, the gun itself by its light weight favours speed, Despite the high speed of exit of 93.8 mt., the gun and carriage weigh only 846 kg.

The barrel is constructed according to the Ehrhardt pressing method and has no mantle. It is so well journalled in the pivot-fork that the trunnion can be turned back without its being necessary to balance a spring. As a result, the vertical and lateral adjusting machines work with equal facility for all heights.

The calibre of 6.5 em. is particularly well-suited for a gun of this nature. Shrapnel shells "and a uniform shot of strong action may be used, and abundant ammunition may be taken along. The firm also builds guns for the same purpose of larger calibre, up to 10.5 cm. Those of the size of the present field-guns

present the advantage of the ordinary ammunition being available for use. By lengthening the barrel of a field-gun, the same speed of exit of 93.8 m. of the 6.5 cm. gun may be attained. In this manner,

the time of its flight is reduced and its range increased. It is absolutely essential that the attendance of the gun be simple, in order that its effectiveness against its unsteady target may be as great as possible. The Ehrhardt sliding-crank lock, therefore, is arranged automatically. Tt opens, closes

and fires by itself. By disconnecting the. automatic device, one can use a contrivance on the left and right for firing by hand. The gun layer has to level the gun at the target and to follow it in the vertical and lateral directions. As compared with other systems, the aiming lias been considerably simplified and accelerated. There are no calculations to be made, nor is even a simple shot-table necessary. A simple optical distance-gauge indicates the distances to the target. It is arranged on the toppiece, so that, when operating the vertical and lateral aiming-wheel, the position of the top-piece changes automatically as the angle of the field increases. There is a tempering-plate connected to the top-piece, a pointer on it automatically indicating the proper burning-time for each elevation and distance. The form of the gun-carriage (Fig. 1) and the fact that the gun-layer, as may be seen in Fig. 2, can always look into the ocular from the side, without changing his seat, make aiming even simpler. By a peculiar arrangement of the pivotfork, it is possible, after assuming the firing position, to eliminate any inclined position of the gun for any lateral direction and in the whole periphery. The upper part of the carriage rotates on ball-bearings of the lower part; hence, it follows the worm-gear with great ease. The fine lateral directions are effected by the worm-gear. By disconnecting this gear by a lever, the aimer seated on the upper part of the gun-carriage can easily make modifications of the lateral direc-

tion in the whole periphery, by pushing himself off with his feet on the platform of the motor car. These arrangements on the barrel and carriage make it possible to give the rapid fire of 30 shots a min.

The Ammunition.—A gun for dealing with balloons requires a uniform shot more than any other gun, since it may often be far from the troops and the ammunition stores. If furnished with different kinds of shot, it may spend one, without the other being as effective against the target. It must, consequently, be equipped with a shot available for any target. The Ehrhardt-Van Essen brisanz shrapnel, as shown in Fig. 5 meets these requirements, by uniting in itself the action of the shrapnel and the brisanz grenade; and, in addition, good power of observation. Fired at an exit-speed of 670 m. a second, it covers the distance to the target at such a velocity that the latter cannot have materially changed its position in the mean time. At the point of exploding, the shrapnel throws its balls and the grenade containing the brisanz charge, forwards. A retardation so regulates the ignitionflame, that it detonates 100 to 150 m. from the spot where the shot explodes, provided the striking-igniter is not set in action beforehand by the shot striking the target. Hence, the shot controls a space of several hundred meters' depth and 300 to 400 meters' breadth, with balls and pieces of shell. This space may be instantly increased in depth, by quickly giving to five successive shots an increased burning length of 100 m. and above, by means of the adjusting key. The gun can also make use of the smoke shrapnel and balloon grenade. The head of the former, which at the point of explosion flies forward with the balls, contains only a burning layer. From the point of explosion, it evolves a plain strip of smoke. The grenade is charged with brisanz explosive, but also has a burning layer in a bottom chamber. It develops a strip of smoke 250 m. before and beyond the distance at which the burning igniter has been adjusted. Both shots make it impossible for the gun to he located, by not developing smoke from the beginning. The burning layer, however, occupies a sufficiently large space in the shot, as to be fully utilised in the

action of the brisanz shrapnel. If the grenade does not strike its target, it vanishes in the air, without doing any damage to troops on the ground. The Motor Car. —The motor car is built on the principle of the four-wheel

drive. It carries considerable amniunition, works its way across even difficult country with speed and steadiness, and affords a safe rest for the shot. The 50-60 h.p. gasoline motor works with 4 cylinders and develops a maximum speed of 60km. an hour. As a rule, even a lower speed would suffice for aeroplanes which move much more quickly, since one can usually drive towards a free view upwards. It will often be valuable to pursue the Hying machine, particularly in bad weather or when it has suffered injury. The idea must always be to keep it constantly under fire. As the motor power is applied to both front and hind

wheels, the car can cover very difficult territory, 20 per cent, gradients and deeplying ground offer no impediment whatever. The wheels are extra wide (Fig. 1 and 2), and are furnished with rubber tires and fluted steel tires, preventing the car from sinking into soft, and skidding on smooth, ground. There is a gasoline supply of 250 to 500 litres, generally carried in a tank under the back seat. The car is provided with the most modern

cooling and oiling arrangements, so that it can easily cover a distance of 250 to 500 kilometres. This capacity has been thoroughly tested, the car carrying 6 men and 140 shells, weighing 6080kgs. As may be seen in Fig. 2, the shells are in separate receptacles under the front and back seats, and may be extracted without any trouble. The platform of the car, to which the pivot-jack of the gun is screwed, may be widened by letting down the sides of the car. It can be made perfectly stable for the shot. The platform is connected rigidly to the hindaxle by two male-screws. When shooting to a lower elevation, it is stiffened against the ground by two props that can be turned down, with broad foot-plates. In this manner, there is no possibility of vibration, irrespective of how much the

gun is levelled to the side, as in Fig. 2. The sensitive parts of the car —the motor and ammunition —may be protected from bullets and pieces of shell by armour. If desired, also the back rests may be fitted with armour-plates to be raised. Armour-plates for protecting the men and the gun are not furnished, for the loss in speed owing to the greater weight cannot be counter-balanced by the greater safety. Speed is often a greater protection than armourage; and, finally, this gun, whose enemy is in the air and can do it no damage, can take care of itself against the weapons of the field-troops even better than field artillery. This car, with its gun, affords so many advantages from a standpoint of tactics and stratagem, that armies will not be

able to dispense with it in the fight with aeroplanes arid airships. Fig. 4 shows the effect of 3 shots on an aeroplane. It is in the midst of a hail of bullets and pieces of shell, bringing it down to earth. The maximum range of the shot for the igniter reaches up to 7000 m., for the striking shot up to 11,000 m. Thus, at this respectable distance, the flying-machine is either destroyed or forced to return. There is no

need of smoke to follow the flight of the shot, since both the shrapnel and the grenade partly indicate the point at which they explode, by very clear clouds of smoke. A further advantage of the brisanz shrapnel is that it can perform full service against the troops of the field, and the gun for destroying balloons can reach them whether they are in open order or concealed. For the latter case, there is a field-angle water-level arranged on the sight, making possible indirect aiming as with field guns.