“ Erratic shots means poor adjustments of equipment or poor training of the gun crew. Pleas that worn material or lost motion, or defective ammunition are the causes of erratic shooting are largely excuses for ignorance, laziness, and lack of proper instruction. Worn materiel requires more makeshifts, takes longer to lay and more careful watching, so that fire cannot be so rapid, but except for wear in the bore of the gun it is possible to do almost as accurate shooting with worn materiel, especially if the new materiel has not been thoroughly worked in. ”

“ The 5-ton artillery tractor, Model 1917, is a self-propelled road vehicle of the “Track laying” type; that is, the power is transmitted to the ground through a flexible endless chain which acts as a track and is composed of steel links and shoes cast integral and connected by hardened steelpins. The advantage of this type of tractor as compared with the usual type of wheel tractor or truck, is its ability, due to very low unit ground pressure, to negotiate very soft and uneven surfaces, impassable to the usual type of self-propelled vehicle except under the most extreme difficulties. ”

“ While differing in mechanical features, the field guns of the different European countries are practically of the same type and, though constant effort is being made to improve details, they can be stated as generally satisfactory to their own governments and not liable to any radical changes. The general type of field gun, while capable of fulfilling most of the division artillery missions, must be supplemented by a proper howitzer. There are many instances where the terrain or the lay of the land offers such protection to the infantry that the field gun cannot bring an effective fire. ”

“ You may have stood behind a battery firing and noticed how one or two guns jump violently in recoil, while others would hardly disturb the proverbial glass of water on top of the wheel, although all guns of equal service. ”

“ Chief of Section.—Must teach his men to have pride in the gun they serve, and the reputation of the section. He shows each member how the accuracy of firing is dependent on him, and that one man may ruin the best efforts of all the others. He must keep his materiel as clean as when it left [Pg 367] the makers hand, every part functioning properly, every screw and nut tightened, no burred nuts or bolts, or missing split pins. He helps each member to take a pride in keeping the part for which he is responsible as clean as a new pin and in perfect condition. ”

“ Slow and sleepy motions of one man will kill all the snap and energy of every other member of the crew. Do not, however, confuse speed of performing any given motion with hurry in execution of detail. For example, the gunner must move with snap and energy in getting his eye back to the sight and his hand on the traversing handwheel after the piece is fired, but he must never be hurried in getting the vertical wire exactly on the aiming point, or in making the ordered changes in the deflection setting. Stop watches should not be used. ”

“ In taking up the study of materiel, the Field Artillery student should know something of the history and development of ordnance and the reasons for the various changes which have taken place from time to time.
The sole use of a gun is to throw a projectile. The earliest projectile was a stone thrown by the hand and arm of man—either in an attack upon an enemy or upon a beast that was being hunted for food. ”

“ The artillery assigned to a field army should be of such mobility, power, variety and number as to insure the success of its purpose and to enable this success to be gained with the minimum of casualties. The latter point must receive careful consideration in studies of organization, for without adequate artillery preparation and support the successes of the most gallant infantry can in a series of actions become little more than pyrrhic victories. ”

“ The chief use of low or progressive explosives is as a propelling charge in guns and for blasting where it is desired to exert a pushing effect rather than a blow. High explosives are used when it is desired to exert a high pressure and shatter the container, as in a shell, mine, etc. This class is not satisfactory as a propelling charge for the reason that its rapidity of action is so great that the pressure exerted would burst the gun before the projectile could start. ”

“ The outbreak of the late war saw all modern armies largely equipped with guns resembling the French “75” in a long-run recoil mechanism, weight of projectile and weight of carriage, etc. The fact that the largest number of horses which could best be handled to maneuver the light guns—about 6—could not pull over a long period a gun or caisson with its limber if the weight was more than about 4500 pounds, resulted in the practical standardization of light guns in all armies. ”

“ As nitrogen is also a necessary ingredient in the various fertilizers, the result to the world of a commercial process for speeding up the cycle of changes through which nitrogen passes in its life giving mission from free nitrogen in the air to its various compounds in the nitrogeneous animal and vegetable tissues is almost limitless and as usual war has been the incentive to speed up a process which will result in incalculable value to mankind. ”

“ The board is of the opinion that, except as to perfection of details, the limit of carriage design, as expressed by the most modern type of box-trail and split-trail carriages, has been reached; and feels that with the advent of motor transportation the tendency will be toward a gun mounted on a self propelling carriage and expressing the desires of the field artillery with respect to maximum horizontal and vertical arcs of fire. ”

“ Laying in direction is accomplished by traversing the piece on the axle. The trail spade is fixed and the axle is straight and rigid so that in the movement of the gun to the right and left on the axle both wheels must turn—one to the front and one to the rear. The device for laying for direction is composed of a threaded axle, which is prevented from rotating by a spur and a sliding nut which is contained in a box fixed on the left flask of the gun. ”

“ The retardation caused by forcing the oil in the piston rod out through the small clearance between the buffer and bore of the piston rod eases the return to battery without jar to the gun, which has been forced back by the counter recoil springs.
The physical law that action and reaction are equal has a peculiar emphasis when applied to the firing of a piece of high powered artillery. The force exerted to throw a heavy projectile 7 miles or more from the muzzle of the gun is toward the breech of the weapon in its recoil. ”

“ Consequently when we apply a sudden and tremendous force to the base of a projectile by means of the expansive force of exploding powder gases, there will be set up in the metal a resistance to this force in which every particle of the projectile will resist by an amount proportional to the mass of particles beyond the point of application of the force to itself. The actual force will be proportional to the weight and acceleration produced by the applied force in the projectile. ”

“ In designing the brake, the effect of the counter recoil system, angle of fire, length of recoil, friction and pressure within the cylinder must all be considered. In howitzers which are designed to be fired at high angles of elevation, the recoil must be shortened to prevent the breech striking the ground, a condition successfully met. Since the pressure due to recoil is ultimately led into the ground through the trail and spade, consideration must be given to the problem of the moment of inertia about the trailspade. ”

“ Reducing the height of wheel reduces the weight and road clearance, lowers the center of gravity and increases the firing stability; but it also reduces the angle of gun elevation unless the trail is shortened. Firing stability in general is increased by adding to the weight of the gun, lengthening the recoil, slinging the gun as low as possible and lengthening the trail. The less the height of the wheel exceeds four feet the better, despite the poor draft feature, which is compensated for to some extent by a reduction in weight and turning radius. ”

“ The consensus of opinion of all artillery officers—French, English and American—is that the 75-mm gun, or approximately this caliber, firing a 15-pound projectile or a projectile of approximately this weight, and having a range of not less than 11,000 yards, is a satisfactory weapon at the present time for use with the division artillery. The projectile in question, whether a shrapnel or a high explosive shell, satisfies adequately the criterion of man-killing. ”

“ Every member of the crew must know his duties so well as to make his motion automatic; the direction to turn the various handwheels, milled heads, and gears to obtain the desired result, and he must always do these things in the same way. The effect of small differences in laying may be graphically shown the gun crew by firing sub-caliber ammunition at a small arms steel target which rings a bell when a bull’s-eye is made. ”

“ Every precaution should be taken to locate the trouble when an engine shows a lack of power as it may be caused from the valve not seating properly, carbon in the cylinders, overheated engine, lack of lubrication, or the governor connection sticking. If lack of lubrication is causing the trouble it will soon lead to mechanical trouble such as scoring the cylinder walls or burning out the bearings. An engine will often give an apparent indication of a lack of power due to the brakes dragging or the clutch slipping. ”

“ Remedies are tire shrinking and soaking in water over night, followed by a thorough and careful application of linseed oil. Fast travel, as when the piece is coupled to a truck, must be avoided if the life of the carriage is to be assured.
According to the French drill of the gun squads, in going into action, the piece is first unlimbered and the trail is then laid on the ground, and the cannoneers change posts to the extent of the gunner going to his position by his sight; while the remaining cannoneers lift the trail again and set the spade. ”

“ The angle of site mechanism is operated by turning handwheel, the movement of which is transmitted through the shafts and gears to the angle of site worm meshing with the rocker. Movement of the rocker is transmitted directly through the elevating worm, elevating arc, and spring cylinder to the gun, and through the rocker arms to the elevating mechanism, gun, cradle, and sights. The elevating mechanism moves only gun and cradle through movement of handwheel shafts, and the elevating worm inside the rocker, which meshes with the elevating arc. ”

“ The low muzzle velocity of howitzers admits of their almost continuous use in harassing fire and allows the use of a projectile double the weight of that of a field gun. Such a howitzer renders excellent service in wire cutting and is a useful projector of gas shells. To insure the mobility required of all divisional artillery the weight of the howitzer and carriage should not exceed that of the field gun, or about 4,500 pounds. ”

“ The body of the sight is rotated by the leveling worm engaging the worm segment cut on the under side of the body. The outer end of the worm is provided with a knurled hand wheel by means of which the leveling mechanism is operated. The leveling stop, secured to bracket, engages slot in the body, thus limiting the angular motion of the body in either direction. The rear end of the cylindrical part of the bracket is split and provided with a leveling clamp by means of which the body may be locked in position after it has been leveled. ”

“ When the aiming point is in rear the candidate will be allowed an assistant who, from a position in front of the axle, signals to a man at the end of the trail to move it, if necessary, so as to bring the aiming point within the field of view of the sight. When the aiming point is in front, an assistant at the end of the trail is allowed. ”

“ A piece is out of action when recoil mechanism is not operating properly and will almost certainly be damaged seriously if further firing is attempted.
After dismounting any part of recoil mechanism or filling recoil cylinder, gun is to be retracted and released to allow counter recoil if possible. In performing this test, valve-turning mechanism must be disconnected and valve turned to correspond to an elevation of carriage of 53° before gun is retracted. Gun must not be held out of battery more than 10 seconds before being released. ”

“ The division artillery, first of all, must have the mobility that will permit it to accompany the infantry of a division and the maximum power consistent with that mobility; its object must be primarily the infantry of the opposing division. It is therefore bound to its own infantry [Pg 48] with the closest bonds and its tactical use cannot be separated from that of the infantry. The division artillery must fire, accurately, a man killing projectile and be prepared for quick changes of targets ”

“ Men should get in the habit of working from the top of the sight down, performing their duties always in the same order—this is very important. In other words in indirect laying he sets the deflection, applies the deflection difference, levels the cross level bubble and then lays for direction. In direct laying, he sets the deflection, sets the range, levels the cross level bubble, and lays the piece for direction and range. In setting the range on the sight shank the gunner should place his eye on a level with the index so that the range can be set exactly. ”