THE FRENCH ARTILLERY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 90, 11 September 1914, Page 3

THE FRENCH ARTILLERY.

SITEKIOR TO GERMAN*. The French Army is famous for its artillery. On paper, the weapon employed liv the French horse artillery and held artillery outranges the Oerman equivalent to a considerable degree. In the case of heavy artillery the situation is reversed. The limit of the forward effect from the point of burst of a French shrapnel shell is 330 yds, and it is here that the French artillery excels in comparison with Ocrmany. Austria and Russia. The Russian limit is 21)0 yards, tke Oerman 27"-, and the Austrian : >lio Quite a»art from the "paper" superiority, it has been generally conceded during recent years that the French artillerv generally had reached a state ot elliciency that was without parallel m the other armies of Europe. When, therefore, it became apparent during the Balkan strangle that French material was superior to the Oerman anade as supnli"d to the Turkish Army, the tact of Fnnce's superiority was driven home with greater force. The rivalry ot the Creusot and the Krnpp firms had been longstanding, and in this fashion was ■the"former adjudged the victor J lie French field artillerv. despite the fact that it still uses the 75-m.m. Ed originally in IS!),-has a wondeilu reputation for accuracy and «'l-™!™ ~,lcicm-y. and its achievements dur g 'the present struggle w,U be oagcil> somd t for. The most striking Hitmo of [he 75-m.m. gun is t-ho extreme rapidit- of fire of which it is capable. U, h;.evid"nceofnumer,niscaref,,lly-ti,-..'d records it has been ascertained th.it a r ,te of lire of front 20 to 30 round* pel ,u , r niimte can be maintained, and thiitbv puked men. but by ordinary 'detachments, composed for He cos.t ...it of men in their first year ot senue.