COAST. I ARTILLERY JOURNAL, - Air Defense Artillery

MILITARY NOTES
furnished by
THE MILITARYINTELLIGENCEDIVISION,G. S.
Poland
USE OF GAS ANDSMOKEFROMTANKS.-At the maneuvers held this summer
at the camp of instruction at Rembertow near Warsaw the use of combat gas and
smoke was studied in detail.
One of the novelties which marked these maneuvers was the use of a new
kind of tank. This tank, furnished with cylindrical reservoirs and surmounted by
megaphone-shaped funnels, constitutes the apparatus for emitting protective smoke.
At the word of command compressed gas from the reservoirs "W'/!5 -emitt~ in \1:emre
clouds, creating a curtain in front of the firing line of the infantry, which permitted
the men to advance without being seen. The experiment was entirely
satisfactory.
Finland
THE FINNISH RATIO:'i.-The Finnish Army ration allowance has been fixed
at seven and a half Finnish marks, or about eighteen and three.quarter cents per
day. This amount is sufficient to provide three good meals daily.
The principal meal is served at noon and ordinarily consists of a meat stew
with vegetables as the chief dish. For breakfast, cereals, bread and coffee are
served. Supper is a light meal. Coffee is provided for but one meal only, tea
being furnished for the other meals.
BERGMANNGI;'" ANDBLANKA::IiMUNITIONAUACHME:'iT.-The Finnish Army
his recently adopted the Bergmann automatic gun (sometimes referred to as the
Bergmann pistol) and a special attachment, developed and manufactured in Finland,
for firing blank cartridges. The Bergmann is about the size of *e Thompson
gun, though somewhat lighter; the magazine holds twenty-five shells.
The modification for blank cartridges consists of a specially constructed
barrel, enlarged and threaded, at the end of which is screwed a cap whose front
surface is perforated by a number of small holes about four millimeters in diameter.
The blank cartridge used has a soft pine wood bullet-shaped pellet instead of a
paper slug. The propelling charge drives the wood pellet with great force through
the perforations in the barrel cap so that the pellet is shredded into many very
small pieces as it leaves the gun which fall to the ground three or four feet from
the barrel. Experiments have shown that if fired at a man's hand held two feet
from the muzzel the only sensation felt is a momentary sharp tingling.
The device has heen in use for some months and has been found most satisfactory.
It is considered entirely safe and no accidents, which so frequently
happen with the usual type of blank cartridges, have been reported. The gun
forms part of the equipment of the Civil Guard, none having been so far issued
to the army. It is reasonably accurate up to forty meters and has a rate of fire
of about 300 to the minute.