Name/Title
StereographEntry/Object ID
2023.055.3.0157Description
A black and white stereograph. Image is a soldier standing next to an artillery round that comes up to his shoulder, there are also four bag stacked next to the artillery round, tents are visible in the background. Above the image "W204 (Star)" is printed, below the image "19053 Projectile Weighing 1079 lbs. - Powder 325 lbs. One Load for the 12-inch Disappearing Gun. Fortress Monroe, Va." is printed, to the left of the image "Keystone View Company Copyrighted, 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:
19053
ONE LOAD FOR A 12-INCH GUN
Artillery and ammunition are the most important things used in the modern battle. The late war showed wonderful developments in heavy artillery with its large projectiles and heavy powder charges. In Europe, shells weighing as much as 2,000, or 2,400 pounds were used. In our own 12-in. guns, which together with mortars, were used extensively in our coast defenses, the weight of the shell was 1,070 lbs., the powder charge 325 lbs.
Armour-piercing shells are made of tough, dense steel, specially hardened. The walls are thick to enable them to penetrate armor without breaking up. They are usually fitted with delayed action fuses which will not fire the powder charge until the shell has passed trough armor or stuck some resisting object.
The manufacture of explosives is one of the most important industries of the Untied States and developed rapidly after the beginning of the war. During the war, the United States furnished the armies of Europe with large quantities of ammunition and supplied its own army with an adequate amount of this necessity of war. It is estimated that on October 1st, 1917, the United States had prepared for the army about 50,000,000 shells, costing about $1,000,000,000. This required nearly 2,000,000 tons of bars and steel forgings worth about $166,000,000. These figures show that the cost of ammunition alone was no small part of the expense of the war. When we consider that in firing one shell from a 12-inch gun, the projectile used is nearly as lage as a man and 7 or 8 times as heavy, and the powder charge larger than a man and 3 times as heavy, we are appalled at the destruction that can be accomplished by one ot htese coast defense guns.
Copyright by The Keystone View CompanyCollection
Photograph Collection