Under the Army Reorganization Bill, passed in 1900, provision was made
for an increase in the number of Field Batteries, three of which were to
be equipped entirely with mountain guns. These were to be known as the
14th, 25th, and 28th Batteries of Field Artillery. Two of these
Batteries were to be organized in the Philippine Islands. These were the
14th and 25th, and were organized by equally dividing the number of
members in what was formerly known as Light Battery "C" of the 7th
Artillery.
The two Batteries were given their authorized strength of 120 men each
by transferring the additional number of men required from the Coast
Artillery.
They were not organized, however, until Sept. 23, 1901. About one month
later they were fully equipped as "Mountain Batteries," and on April 1,
1902, the 25th Battery, under command of Captain W. S. McNair, was
ordered to the Island of Mindanao, where trouble with the Moros had long
been expected.
The 25th Battery of Field Artillery is equipped with four guns, which
are known as the Vickers-Maxim 75 mm. quick firing mountain guns.
This calibre, 75 mm., or 2.9 inches, will be seen to be a very little
less than that of the field gun in use in our service viz., 3.2 inches,
but the power of this gun is much less than that of the field gun, for
the following reasons:
It is necessary to make a carriage and gun whose parts shall all be
within suitable limits of weight for packing on mules. This limit,
placed on the weight, limits the strength that can be obtained, and also
the length of the gun itself. Therefore the amount of powder used in
these guns is much less than the amount used in the field guns, and the
velocity of the shot when it leaves the gun is much less (about
one-half) than it is for the field gun. The Vickers-Maxim gun is mounted
in a cradle which has on either side a cylinder of oil, through which
the gun draws a plunger in recoiling, and by this device the force of
the recoil is taken up gradually and the carriage does not run back
several feet as it would otherwise do, so that it is at once ready to
load and fire again after each discharge.
The loading of the piece is very simple. The gunner grasps a lever which
he pulls around to the right, thereby bringing out the breech-block and
withdrawing the empty cartridge shell last fired. The new round is
pushed into the gun, the gunner moves the lever in the opposite
direction, or to his left, and the gun is ready to fire.
When the gun is to be moved it is taken in parts for packing as follows:
The gun itself, the cradle, the trail, and the wheels and axle, each of
which is a load for one mule.
The men get expert at this maneuver, and pack up the guns at command in
a period of a little less than one minute, while they unpack and set up
the gun ready for action with greater speed, the record for the 25th
Battery being 20 seconds.
This gun is provided with various kinds of projectiles, the ones usually
carried being shell, shrapnel and cannister, and are known as Krupp
prepared ammunition, which can be used in the same manner as an ordinary
rifle cartridge. The shrapnel for this, as well as all field guns, is
the projectile mainly depended upon, and like all field guns, the main
work for them is to fire at the personnel of the enemy.
It is a common error amongst military men and others not well versed in
the use of Artillery, to suppose that a field gun is intended for the
purpose of making breaches in walls.
The fallacy of this idea can be seen at once by making an examination of
the projectiles, which will be found to contain only the quantity of
powder which you could hold in the palm of your hand. The shells contain
10 ounces, the shrapnel 3, the cannister a little more than 2. Thus it
may be readily seen that the guns used by the 25th Battery are not such
destructive engines of war after all, but to those who would doubt their
effectiveness, we should simply say: "Go and witness them in action."
Enough has been said to give the reader a correct idea of what a
"Mountain Battery" is, with the history of what is known as the 25th
Battery of Field Artillery, and thereby the object of the writer has
been accomplished.