Medium Howitzer. Ideal. A caliber of about 155-mm on a carriage permitting a vertical arc of fire of from minus 5 degrees to plus 65 degrees; and a horizontal arc of fire of 360 degrees. The projectile should not weigh over 100 pounds and should be interchangeable with projectiles for other guns of this caliber referred to later on. High explosive shell, only, should be supplied.
Medium Howitzer. Practical. The corps should be armed with the 155-mm (Schnieder) howitzer referred to above. The type of fuses for shell should be super quick and long delay.
ARMY ARTILLERY.
Missions. In addition to the division and corps artillery fulfilling the missions outlined above there must be additional artillery available. There are missions of interdiction, neutralization and destruction which fall beyond the activities or capabilities of the normal corps or medium field types; there must exist a surplus of division or corps types, properly transported, for strategic reinforcements of divisions and corps during such times as the normal allotment to such units is insufficient; there must be artillery of special purpose—mountain artillery, trench and super guns and howitzers. Of the above additional artillery, a type of heavy field gun and a type of heavy field howitzer are considered normally necessary in the armament of a field army; the gun should have a range of approximately 25,000 yards, and the howitzer a range of about 18,000 yards. These weapons are more powerful than the medium field types, add range to the interdiction and harassing and to the neutralization and destruction possible with the corps type. Considering the paragraphs pertaining to divisional artillery and the introduction to corps artillery it will be seen that the normal artillery of a field army can be accomplished by the assignments of two caliber, i. e., two light weapons, two medium weapons and two heavy weapons—a gun and a howitzer in each class—and a satisfactory anti-aircraft gun.
Heavy Field Gun. The consensus of opinion of all artillery officers—British, Italian and American—is that the heavy field gun should be of approximately 6” caliber and that guns of greater caliber than this are necessary in limited number for field operations. The French were constructing 194-mm guns during the latter stages of the war. It is believed that in developing this type of gun the French were actuated almost entirely by the necessity for increased range, since the German 150-mm gun, Model 1916, outranged the G. P. F. by approximately 5,500 yards. The French have recently made considerable progress in securing the necessary increase in range with the G. P. F. All of the principal nations engaged in the war used a heavy field gun of approximately 6” caliber. This type has given such general satisfaction that its continuance is assured. The principal mission of the heavy field gun is harassing and interdiction fire, and for these uses the 6” projectile is sufficiently heavy. The maximum practicable traverse and elevation should be provided by the carriage of the heavy field gun. The G. P. F. carriage has given general satisfaction, but its wide tread and the excessive time required to occupy a position are very objectionable features. It is the consensus of all artillery officers—French, British and American—that the heavy field gun should be of approximately 6” caliber and with a range in excess of 25,000 yards, with not less than 60 degree traverse, weighing not more than 12 tons, limbered, capable of occupying and leaving a position quickly, and with a width of tread which does not prevent two-way traffic on ordinary roads. The Italians differ from this opinion only in that they are satisfied with a maximum range of 18,000 yards.
Heavy Field Gun. Ideal. A caliber of about 155-mm on a carriage permitting a vertical arc of fire from 0 degrees to plus 65 degrees; with a horizontal arc of fire of 360 degrees. The maximum range should be about 25,000 yards.
Heavy Field Gun. Practical. Arm with the present type 155-mm G. P. F. and carry on experiments for type of carriage as outlined for division field gun. The fuses should be super-quick and short delay.
Transport. All artillery of this type should be motorized and tested and experiments for ammunition vehicles to correspond with the types of carriages developed, and should be carried on simultaneously.
Heavy Field Howitzer. No type of heavy field howitzer developed during the war has given general satisfaction. The consensus of all army artillery officers—French, English and American—is that two calibers of howitzers are necessary—one a companion piece for the 6” gun and one of the maximum possible power consistent with the necessary mobility. The lighter of these two howitzers should have the same mobility as the 6” gun, with a caliber of about 8” and a maximum range of not less than 16,000 yards. The heavy field howitzer should be of about 9.5” caliber with a range in excess of 16,000 yards; the carriage should provide for wide traverse and must have sufficient mobility to accompany the army in the field. It will probably be necessary to transport this howitzer in more than one load, and the maximum weight of any load should not exceed 12 tons. The average time necessary for occupying a position should not exceed six hours under actual field conditions.
Heavy Field Howitzer. Ideal. A caliber of about 8” on a carriage permitting a vertical arc of fire of from 0 to plus 65 degrees; and a horizontal arc of fire of 360 degrees. The maximum range should be 18,000 yards.