Show I Trench Mortar Developed From FromI o I Chinese Cannon The trench mortar has become one of tho the most important weapons capons of modern warfare But it is by no means a n. new thing although its present form differs a good deal from the same weapon during previous stages of evolution The Chinese are arc said to have been the first to use u a kind of cannon similar to the present day mor mor- tar These were mado made of hollowed logs wrapped about by pieces of rope or ot in ill trong strong leather casings Such cannon ate are to be bo found even at this late time in the interior of China V When hen the tile Japanese Russo-Japanese war was wasat wasat wasat at Its height an artillery officer of the mikado perceived tile the value of such a n weapon for trench operations Empty provision tins this warn filled with bits of metal and fired from flom small cannon into the Russian lines at close range 1 That was the tho beginning of the modern trench mortar During our Civil war hollow logs I were wrapped with iron hoops and I used to throw bombshells The Tho same device has been employed many times in all parts of the world When hen cannon cannon cannon can can- non first became known round stones were thrown instead of the solid shot manufactured at a later day The early cannon consisted of or iron sheets rolled into the form of a gun barrel and wrapped with bands of iron At Jaffa in 1366 the tile Venetians are said to have been the first to use uso round shot allot When the defenders of Constantinople Constantinople Constantinople Constanti Constanti- nople gave battle to the Turk In 13 1394 1334 they found tho the attacking forces supplied supplied sup sup- plied with huge cannon described as being twenty feet long ong and six feet in diameter threw huge hUbe stones a short distance and did great damage damage damage dam dam- age to the defenses of the tho ell city which surrendered after a brave fight and thus gave Jave the Ottoman race a foothold foothold foot foot- hold in Europe The Turks Turk's grip has been weakened of late years cars but broken His Ills future seems to largely upon the fate of Ger- Ger many |