headlam: developments in artillery 305 



or more ago. They also were used extensively by the Japanese 

 in Manchuria, but I am afraid that the artillery as a whole was 

 rather inclined to scoff at them when they first appeared. Those 

 days, however, soon passed. It was recognized that in the form 

 of trench mortars, we could increase our strength for bombard- 

 ment by utilizing material and labor not good enough for guns. 

 The German trench mortars, for instance, were chiefly made by 

 a firm famous the world over for its cream separators! What 

 distinguished officers at one time called 'Hin pot artillery" thus 

 rose gradually in favor, until in Italy it took the place of horse 

 artillery as a corps d'elite. But in those days we were shorter of 

 guns and ammunition than of men. Now the position is re- 

 versed. Trench mortars are terribly expensive in men, and more 

 especially in officers, and so just when the material is being per- 

 fected, the mortars are dropping to some extent out of use. It 

 is just one of those changes which must be so baffling to the 

 civilian w^ho tries to help us. 



Increase in range. With all natures, guns and howitzers, field, 

 heavy, and trench mortars, there has been a continual cry for- 

 range, and still greater range. This has been due to many causes, 

 chiefly tactical, but principally to the extension of field of fire 

 given by aeroplane observation. The various expedients which 

 have been resorted to to meet this demand are interesting. In 

 the first place there was the simple lengthening of the howitzers, 

 and the bringing into the field of the long high-velocity naval 

 and coast-defense guns. Then there came the various alterations 

 in form of shell, the general feature of all of which is a great 

 lengthening of the ogive (the pointed nose of the projectile). 

 The radius of curvature of the ogive has been increased from 2 

 to 6, and in some cases to 8 calibers, but the most notable form 

 is the French ''Obus D," so called after General Desailleux, the 

 officer chiefly responsible for the design, and usually designated 

 by us as the "stream line" form. Our experience with this form 

 has not been very encouraging, but it is admitted that the slope 

 of the base has a very important bearing, and must be determined 

 for each nature, and I may mention as an instance of the close 

 cooperation existing between us, that the French have recently 



