Name/Title
StereographEntry/Object ID
2023.055.3.0144Description
A black and white stereograph. Image is two soldiers looking over a large field, there are several large white clouds were an artillery strike landed. Above the image "W164 (Star)" is printed, below the image "V18917 Watchint "the Crimosn Chorus of the Guns" Playing to the Enemy." is printed, to the left of the image "Keystone View Company Copyrighted, Underwood & Underoowd Inc. Manufacturers MADE IN U.S.A. Publishers" is printed, to the right of the image "Meadville, Pa., New York, N. Y., Chicago, Ill., London, England." is printed. On the reverse the following is printed:
V18917
WATCHING "THE CRIMSON CHORUS OF THE GUNS"
Artillery played a most important part in all the major operations on the western front. As the war continued, this branch of the army grew steadily in strength, efficiency and importance. Both sides possessed terrific weapons but on the whole the allies could claim to be superior in their gunnery. The Germans had an advantage in their semi-mobile howitzers and the long-ranage guns, of which "Big Bertha" was their super-giant. But the allies scored in other pieces. The British introduced drumfire at Neuve Chapelle; the French develope first the stationary and then the creeping barrage at Verdun. The French also discoverd a means of locating the guns by sound and the allies were the first to make use of long-range guns moutned on railroad cars.
Out of every 82 days that the American cambat divisions were in line in active sectors in France they were supported by their own divisional artillery for 75 days, by British artillery for 5 days, and by French artillery for 1 1/2 days, and for one-half of one day they were without artillery support. This does not mean, however, that our Allies were not furnishing an immense amount of support in corps and army artillery. For example, the French supported the attak of the 1st American Army at St. Mihiel with 580 75-mm. guns and 793 heavy cannons and mortars, and at the opening of the Meuse-Argonne offensive on Sept. 26th, 1918, 456 Fench 75s, 1,002 heavy guns and 254 trench mortars were palced at the dispoasl of the American forces.
The American army in France had 3,500 pieces of artillery, of which nearly 500 were made in America. American troops used on the firing line 2,250 guns. These pieces were all made to conform to the French and British standard calibres.
Copywright by The Keystone View CompanyCollection
Photograph Collection