Heavy Field Howitzer. Practical. Use at present 8” material of British design which is on hand.
Railway Artillery. The war has demonstrated the necessity for long range and powerful guns for distant interdiction and harassing work and for super-heavy howitzers for the destruction of semi-permanent fortifications. Artillery of these types can best be mounted on railway carriages and this type of mount offers no serious disadvantages since these guns will not be used except with large forces which require extensive railroad systems for their supply. This does not apply to guns of the type used to bombard Paris; such guns have no military value and their construction is not justifiable.
ANTI-AIRCRAFT GUNS.
Light Gun. Ideal. Caliber about 3” with initial velocity of at least 2,600 f. s.; semi-automatic breechblock, mounted on carriage, permitting 80 degrees elevation and 360 degrees traverse; projectiles weighing not less than 15 pounds, of one type high explosive shell with maximum ballistic qualities and as large explosive charge as possible; fixed ammunition; smokeless, flashless powder, mechanical fuse. In this type every effort must be made to increase the rate of fire and decrease time of flight; this latter is limited only by considerations of a reasonable accuracy life for the gun.
Light Gun. Practical. Arm units with present 3” anti-aircraft equipment. Continue experiments leading to the development of the ideal.
Transport. Ideal. Caterpillar mount or caterpillar trailer mount drawn by caterpillar tractor, each unit to permit a sustained speed of 12 miles per hour.
CHAPTER V
THE 3-INCH FIELD GUN.
THE GUN.
The Gun is known officially as the 3-inch Field Gun, Model 1905. It is a built-up construction of nickel-steel and consists of a tube with a rifled bore, 3 inches in diameter, upon which are shrunk the jacket, locking hoop and front clip hoop. The jacket reinforces the rear half of the tube. The locking hoop serves to secure the jacket from any longitudinal movement to the rear. On the under side of the gun, extending the entire length of the jacket, locking hoop, and front clip, are formed two recoil guides or clips which fit over and secure the gun to the guide rails of the cradle. When the gun is fired, it slides along the guide rails. The dust guard covers the part of the guide rails between the locking hoop and the front clip. The rifling of the bore is right-hand twist and starts with 0 turns at the breech increasing to 1 turn in 25 calibers at 10 inches from the muzzle, then uniform to the muzzle.