THE GUNNER'S EXAMINER

PREPARED BY
HAROLD E. CLOKE
Captain Coast Artillery Corps, U. S. A.

THIRD EDITION, REVISED AND ENLARGED.
FIRST THOUSAND

NEW YORK
JOHN WILEY AND SONS
London: CHAPMAN AND HALL, Limited
1908

Copyright, 1905, 1906, 1908,
BY
HAROLD E. CLOKE

The Scientific Press
Robert Drummond and Company
New York

PREFACE.

Owing to the practical impossibility of a student of gunnery obtaining ready access to all the books, pamphlets, circulars, orders, etc., necessary to fit him for the examinations as required by General Orders of the War Department for first- and second-class gunners, and also owing to the extreme difficulty the average enlisted man has in comprehending the technical language in which these books, pamphlets, etc., are couched,—provided he does by some stroke of good fortune come into possession of some of them,—the author has been impelled to compile this work.

Effort has been made to eliminate all subjects that are not included in the requirements of G. O. 141, 1904, yet being particular that it contain all such subjects as an examining board might fairly construe to be within the interest and scope of the order.

As the art of gunnery changes from year to year, and the scope of gunner's examinations changes likewise, it is intended that this book be revised and published accordingly.

The preparation of this book was suggested to the author by the members of his company—the 61st Coast Artillery.

As is well known, the first publication of a text-book is liable to contain a few technical errors. The author will be grateful for any information of such a character concerning this work.

The author is indebted to Brigadier-General William Crozier for supplying him with many pamphlets issued by the Ordnance Department; to First Lieutenant W. K. Moore for correction of proof and other matters; and to Master Electrician C. M. Beer, Artillery Corps, for photographs.

Fort Totten, N. Y., February, 1905.

PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION.

In this edition the author has endeavored to make all the corrections which were suggested to him during the past year, and to add to the book descriptions, etc., of the new range-board, the deflection-board, several later types of guns, and a brief discourse on the loading, planting, and care of submarine mines according to the new and adopted system.

The author desires to thank Captain R. P. Davis for his revision of the "torpedo gunnery" contained in the work.

Fort Totten, N. Y., November, 1905.

PREFACE TO THE THIRD EDITION.

As was stated in the preface of the first edition, this book will be revised from year to year as the rules of gunnery change, and this revision is made merely to bring the book up to date.

It is intended in this revision to conform strictly to G. O. 105, 1907, and to add to the book only such matter as will assist enlisted men of the Coast Artillery Corps to pass their examinations for first or second-class gunners.

The chapter on submarine mining is almost completely revised, for the reason that the new system has undergone many more radical changes within the past few years than has gunnery in the Coast Artillery.

Several additions in mortar gunnery have been made in order to keep pace with the rapid and remarkable development of this arm of Coast Artillery.

Fort Totten, New York, March, 1908.

CONTENTS.