5 
by Russia is identical with the Nordenfeldt quick-firing tried at Leraing in Bel- 
gium, ‘This has the following remarkable points :— 
The trunnions of the gun are vertical, those of the top carriage horizontal. 
The gun recoils 1 foot on the top carriage. It is connected by a chain to a 
fixed hydraulic buffer, and to springs which return it to the firing position. 
The gun itself has a friction brake (besides the carriage brake) to which it is 
connected by toothed wheels. 
The carriage has a peculiar tire brake. The brake blocks revolve with the wheels 
till they touch the ground, when they become drag-shoes and finally inclined 
planes down which the gun runs forward. ‘There is a spur or earth-plate under 
the point of the trail. The elevating gear recoils with the gun. 
The limber has no boxes, but has 8 aluminium portable magazines weighing 
empty 4 lbs. each and holding each 6 rounds. 
The gun and limber weigh 333 ewt. without M.O. kit or detachment. 
There are 9 ammunition wagons, and the battery carries 273 rounds per gun. 
The shell weighs 10°4 lbs. smokeless powder, and the m.y. 1500 fis. The 
density of the shell is only 1:5 lbs. per square inch of cross section. 
When fired, the gun carriage moved only a few inches backwards or forward, 
and the laying required only a slight correction after each round. ‘This result 
was not considered quite satisfactory and ‘ anchors” are now to be added outside 
each wheel. 
General Wille remarks: This gun bears out what has already been said about 
the impossibility of making a good quick-firing field gun. Everything possible 
has been «done to make it answer—the carriage is a mass of elaborate 
machinery—and the result is a field gun weaker than anything ever made 
before. The ballistics of the gun are simply contemptible—for instance, the 
angle of descent at 3000 yards is over 11 degrees—and the gun is merely a 
small-bore field howitzer. 
(19.) Colonel von Wuich of the Austrian Artillery is considered a high 
authority on the Continent, and General Wille discusses his essay on the future field 
gun in a separate chapter. He begins by demanding a light field howitzer, to 
fire over the heads of one’s own troops and to search cover and entrenchments. 
On this General Wille remarks that a light howitzer is only a toy, that the 
flattest field gun trajectory will clear infantry 100 yards from the muzzle, and 
that as cover and entrenchments can be effectively searched by field guns firing 
high explosive shell, it is not worth while to encumber the army with special 
howitzer batteries requiring special ammunition trains, which would only 
occasionally be of use. 
Colonel von Wuich then proceeds to describe his ideal field gun. 
This is to possess a high m.y. and density of projectile, giving a flat trajectory, 
in order to reduce the importance of errors in estimating range. It must further 
possess great mobility and rapidity of fire. 
Muzzle velocity 1970 f.s., weight of shell about 17 lbs., calibre not determined, 
probably about 3°15 in.; pressure in the bore at least 20 tons per square inch. 
Weight of gun and limber, marching order, 354 ewt. 
Ammunition to consist of shrapnel and high explosive shell, case shot to be 
abolished. All shell to have fixed time and percussion fuzes. Metallic cartridges 
objected to. Smokeless powder. Gun to be either of nickel-steel or possibly of 
improved bronze. 
Carriage to have a separate top-carriage and a muzzle traversing arrangement. 
Recoil to be checked, not stopped, by brakes. The elevating gear must Aillow of 
fire at considerable angles, as it may often be necessary to ne at balloons. 
Though on minor points General Wille differs from Colonel von Wuich, he 
65B 
