MODERN ARTILLERY.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2494, 22 June 1915, Page 7

MODERN ARTILLERY.

190 MILES OF WIRE IN A BIG GUN. "This war has brought home to us the necessity of being ready for war," said Lieut.-Colonel A. G. Hadcock, of Armstrong, Whitworth, and Co., Ltd., at a recent meeting of the Royal Institution on "Modoru Artillery." Lieut.Colonel Hadcock said the manufacturing capacity of tho country had been strained to it* utmost. We had had to make guns and ammunition in as many months over which other nations had taken the same number of years, lle-fc-rring to big guns, the speaker said that tew people wero aware of tho extensive knowledge of science and art nccessary to construct a gun and mounting. Artillery was meant for two purposes—the destruction of personnel and tho destruction of material—and one of the main things in the guns was accuracy.

In the construction of some guns wiro was wound round them and in a 12in. calibre gun tho length of this wire was about 130 miles, and in a 13in. calibre gun about 1.40 miles, while in some of the latest guns tho length of wire exceeded 190 miles. Guns were often found to become gradually longer after continual firing. Concerning breechloading guns, tho speaker said that the bieecb mechanism was the most important part of the gun. The stress upon it in 12in. guns often amounted to 2500 tons. The longer a gun was tlia quicker it would wear out. The lifo <,f a gun depended greatly upon tli6 beat of the gunpowder.

New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company have received instructions from Mr. Dennis Glackon, Hautare Cross to auction his farm stock at the farm on July 1. ifossrs. Blake and Co., Cuba Street, j have a number of Wellingtou houses for sale on moderate terms. The New Zealand Loan and Jfere.iaf.ilfl Agency Co. announce stock sales as fol-low:-Levin on Wednesday and Upper Jisfi m.j • * .w d