Show A SMOKELESS battlefield in the ensemble of battle and in the practice of following its different phases the smoke of the field has been a useful auxiliary to the commander in chief the clouds and puffs floating over the lines of fire which he be followed from his post of observation usually an elevate d ore one where the atmosphere remained clear certified the troops engaged revealed to his practiced eyo eye an estimate of the ad vers arys forces and showed him step by step the fluctuations of the battle in fact baet they often told him more than the delayed reports of aides aidee de camp but powder without smoke to is now an established fact artillery and infantry open fire aud and no smoke to is visible A single shot from the skirmish line is henceforth absolutely imperceptible cep tible and a salvo from the line of infantry at yards only produces a thin blue white vapor like tobacco smoke that vanishes almost instantly in no instance not even in the firing of heavy ordnance is the vapor dense enough to indicate even at short firing range the position of artillery or infantry these facts facto and others showing the insidious properties of this new agent in modern warfare were discussed at length in a recent meeting of the military board in the army building when it was decided that the new powder should be tested officially at springfield with a view to its introduction into the american army of course powder without smoke cannot become the privilege of the american army european nations have taken up the problem problem and aind several of them boast of having baving a formula of their own hence ad vantages advantages and didd disadvantages vantages attending its use on the field of battle will be common to both sides each acquires a better view of his adversary but loses the protection that a veil of smoke afforded him A priori one can judge how doubly important becomes the advantage of being the first to see the enemy unseen by him if possible in spite of all the precautions which may be taken to discard those details in the uniform that might mark too the presence of a troop surprise and surprises are common occurrences bocc in war will be much easier to effect than before the side that first receives themire the fire will suffer a serious disadvantage for some time must elapse before it can ascertain whence comes the attack and the forces belonging to either side though not two miles away may know nothing of the skirmish owing to the distance that two armies preserve d during url dg the preliminaries of a combat cavalry is In trusted with the honor of getting information a perilous trust at best when it is bon considered that a mounted troop is not easily kept out of sight eight and that the chances are against its being the first to discover a well entrenched advance post moreover if it is true that in recent wars the increased improvements of quick firing arms has diminished the effi emeroy ency of the cavalry role its future charge w without the protection of smoke to cover its advance is looked upon as am problematic the result of the new powder in what concerns infantry to is doubtful so much depends on the quality of the troops As long as he is ambushed the infantry soldier will be a myth firing bring at yards his shot will neither be seen emu nor heard only felt but it to is stated by army officers his role to is not to remain stationary he must advance and show himself no longer protected by a cloud of he will have to face a fusillade fusi lade tenfold more appalling than antietam or gettysburg then artillery says the veterans gains everything by operating in allear field before it worked blindfolded the enemy as smoke served as aim and it was often deceptive now the exact position of the opposed artillery tillery ax will be visible with even chances when once a battery has attained precision in its aim which before could be but imperfectly determined on account of smoke it will serve so as a guide to neighboring batteries aud and thus the fire will be concentrated and more effective so that the artillery if not the infantry and cavalry would peem to be the gainer by the great martial transmission from much smoke to no smoke at all new york times |