LATEST ADVANCES IN ARTILLERY DISCUSSED

"We are now experimenting at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, with light field artilery which is 40 to 50 per cent more powerful than that being used at the close of the World War," said Colonel Frank McIntyre of the United States Field Artillery in an interview with a CRIMSON reporter recently. Colonel McIntyre is assistant to the chief of the United States Field Artillery, the testing headquarters of which are at Ft. Bragg.

"Before the war," Colonel McIntyre continued, "we were equipped with three inch guns, now in use at Harvard's R. O. T. C. unit. When we entered the war, it became necessary to get enormous quantities of all field artillery equipment and materials, and consequently the French, British, and American governments arranged to have these necessities produced for us in the Allied mills, which had the facilities for large scale production and which were operating at top speed. The United States industries could not get into condition to produce large a mounts of field artillery for many months.

American Army Used French Artillery

"But the French manufacturing concerns could only produce the 75 mm. gun, and as a result, the standard unit of the American Field artillery was changed from the perfectly satisfactory three inch gun to the 75 mm. gun. Gun rifles, projectiles, caissons, everything had to be changed from the three inch basis to the 75 mm. one.

"Since the war, however, we have returned to the three inch gun. The split-trail feature is now being used and we have increased the range of the gun by increasing the muzzle velocity and the weight of the carriage.

"But we have not limited our experimentation and testing at Ft. Bragg entirely to this light cannon. We have been developing a new mountain gun, 105 mm. howitzers, 155 mm. howitzers and guns, eight inch and 240 mm. howitzers. In all these guns an increase in range is sought, and, as compared with the guns in use at the close of the war, this end has been partially gained, largely by means of improving the powder, fuses, and projectiles.

Standard Commercial Motors Used

"With respect to motor equipment, the policy has been adopted that we must depend upon commercial motor vehicles, which can be produced in great quantities and in a minimum amount of time. This policy is a practical war and peace measure, because the government does not have to rely on its power of establishing in a short period of time a tremendous industry for manufacturing specialized motor equipment, but can fall back on the large normal output of private industries.

"Use and experiment with motor vehicles up to the present time indicate that much reliance must still be placed on the horse. In fact, it is certain that for many years to come the division artillery will be horse drawn. It is interesting to note that a horse drawn light artillery section can cover 60-75 miles on a forced march of a day's duration, while a motor drawn contingent can at the most add but 25 miles to this figure, a 100 mile total. Of course in the case of a division moving day after day, the average is rarely over 25 miles every 24 hours.

Very Few New Guns Being Used

"One impression I do not care to leave with a reader is the ides that huge sums of money are being spent for military purposes at the present time. On the contrary the United States now has more military equipment than she requires in time of peace. Only enough guns are now being manufactured to satisfy the demands for experimentation and testing".

In comparing the various R. O. T. C. units which he visits annually Colonel McIntyre said, "I have just come from an inspection of the Yale and Princeton units and will leave shortly for Cornell, and I find that although the Princeton and Yale units show considerable, numerical increases, none can equal the 50 per cent growth of the past year at Harvard."