Show HUGE GUNS PLANNED FOR U. U S. S COAST DEFENSE WASHINGTON Aug 26 Army Army ordnance ordnance ord ord- nance ex experts erts are at work on designs for huge field howitzers as large or larger than the German centimeter 42 guns which wrecked Belgian and French forts early in the war They will be at least sixteen-inch sixteen caliber with of twelve to fifteen miles hurling a projectile weighing more II than a ton and carrying a huge amount of high explosive In addition to placing several of these mammoth weapons along the coast line for mobile defense against naval attack army of officials now are considering the creation of a special regiment equipped with six of the howitzers to work as a unit of the mobile army The Th problem confronting confront confront- ing lug the designers in that regard Is to distribute the enormous weight of the gun and carriage in such a way that it itcan itcan itcan can be moved over any good road That difficulty is a determining factor factor factor fac fac- tor in American heavy artillery de de- de- de signs About a few of the largest cities well ballasted roads which would support the weight of the huge guns can be found but even such a highway as the Boston post road from Boston to New York it is said has many sections sectionS so so lightly built that the great weight would crush through For those reasons it is planned to build the new howitzers primarily for transportation by rail on special cars The regiment would not be attached to any army corps as in the case with lighter artillery but would be directly under the orders of the general staff to be sent to a point where It was desired desired de do- sired to blast a way through an enemy's enemy's enemy's ene ene- mys my's field works It is believed possible possible possible pos pos- sible however that the weight can be he beso beso heso so distributed on several carriages drawn by motor tractors that it could be dragged over any fairly well ballasted ballasted bal bal- lasted highway i |