THE MITRAILLEUR.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2298, 17 September 1870, Page 2

THE MITRAILLEUR.

France introduced the rifled field gun into the campaign of 1859 against Austria, the Austrians having no weapons of that nature in the field. The Prussians were all armed with breech-loaders in the war of 186(5, the Austrians being entirely aimed with muzzleloaders. The French are about to introduce the wili-ailknr into the war of 1870. As far as is at present known, the Prussians have not yet adopted an arm of the kind, though it has been no secret for a long time that, in various countries, the arm has been constructed in various patterns. The Montigny weapon is an assemblage of barrels contained in a wrought iron tube, mounted much on the same principle as an ordinary field gun, which it resembles somewhat in form. To this a massive breech action is attached,

sliding between heavy iron plates; This is' controlled by a jointed lever, and contains a simple contrivance for the separate and successive ignition of the cartridges. The cart- ■ idges arc carried in steel plates, perforated ■with holes, corresponding in number and position to the chambers of the barrels, of which indeed, when in position, these holes form portions, being bored and finished with the same tools, and at the same time as the chambers themselves. When the cartridges arc dropped into the plates, they stand out at right angles in the proper position for introduction into the chambers of tiie gun. Grooves formed on the face of the breechblock receive the plate, which being dropped into them, now advances or is retired with the breech-block itself. When the weapon is set at full-cock, ready for firing, a second of time is sufficient to give a complete revolution of the firing handle, and to discharge the whole of the 117 barrels of which the weapon consists. When the one set of 117 cartridges has been fired, the gunner raises the loading lever, thereby opening the breech, and withdraws the empty cases by means of the plate, which now performs the part of extractor of 37 cartridges in one. The plate is lifted from its grooves, carrying with it the empty cases, and can immediately be replaced by a plate filled with loaded cartridges, and the operation is repeated. _ This weapon has been fired 12 times in a minute, throwing thereby 444 rifle shots in that time. The waggon and limber boxes at present carry 3034 rounds of cartridge, but could readily carry more. A year ago the French mUraillcur batteries were already numerous. They consisted of eight gnus each, each gun served by “three men only,” chosen from the non-commissioned oflicers of (he Horse Artillery of the Imperial Guard. With this complement of men the weapon should throw about “ 1100 shots per minute for live or six consecutive minutes,” to very considerable ranges, and with an admirable trajectory. In tiro experiments at Woolwich with the Montigny vtUrai/lcnr, 30 shots out of 37 (one was a miss lire) were placed in a target 18ft by loft at SOO yards distance ; and the practice at 1000 yards was nearly equally good. If then, as there is reason to believe, the French army has now taken the held liberally equipped with such terribly, destructive weapons, we may reasonably anticipate an effect at least as great as was the effect of the breech loaders in the war of 18G6. Taking all circumstances into consideration, wc arc disposed, with a well-informed writer some short time ago, to place the value of a single mUraillcur rather above than below that of 120 infantry. Supposing this calculation to he correct, a French battery of eight v>tirailleurs would equal in value an ordinary infantry regiment, whilst there would bo this advantage, that only 24 men would he exposed to the enemy's lire instead of 900,