We have known for a long time that the artillery _materiel_ devoted to the
defense of the German coasts consists of a long, stationary 5¾ inch gun; of
long 7¾ inch hooped steel guns, closed by a cylindrico-prismatic wedge; of
an 8 inch mortar; and of guns of 11¾ and 15 inch caliber. The 11¾ inch gun
is 22 feet in length, and, including the closing mechanism, weighs 79,200
pounds. As regards the projectiles that this weapon throws, the _ordinary_
shell is 33 inches in length, and weighs, all charged, 656 pounds, and the
_exploding_ shell, of the same length, weighs, all charged, 1,160 pounds.
The initial velocity of the latter is 1,600 feet with a maximum charge of
148 pounds of powder.

The 15 inch gun is 32.8 feet in length, and weighs 158,400 pounds. Its
projectiles are 3.67 feet in length. The _ordinary_ shell, charge included,
weighs 1,400 pounds, and the exploding shell, under the same circumstances,
1,700 pounds, that is, more than three quarters of a metric ton. The
initial velocity of this last named projectile is 1,650 feet with a maximum
charge of 1,650 pounds of powder. We also know that Mr. Krupp has two
models of guns of 13½ inch caliber, and of a length equal to 35 times the
caliber, say 39-5/12 feet. The lighter of these models (which was shown at
Anvers) weighs no less than 264,000 pounds, carriage not included. Its
cylindrico prismatic closing mechanism (_Rundkeilverschluss_) alone weighs
82,500 pounds. This is the weight of a 5¾ inch hooped steel gun!

[Illustration: FIG. 1.--NEW 52 FOOT KRUPP GUN AND A GERMAN FIELD PIECE
FIGURED ON THE SAME SCALE.]

We now learn that the Essen works have just begun the manufacture of a
314,600 pound gun. This piece, called "40 cm. kanone L/40," will, of
course, be of 15.6 inch caliber, but it will differ from the one above
described in that its length will be equal to 40 times the caliber, say 52