Coast defense in France is intrusted to 17 batteries, each including 4 officers, 129 men, and 4 horses, four of which are at the different rendezvous for the fleet. The guns actually mounted along the coast are of about 12 types, varying from a 5S-ton, 34-em. (13.8 inches) gull, firing a projectile of 924 pounds with a 440 pound charge of powder, giving a muzzle velocity of 2450 foot-seconds, to the 8-toll, 19-cm. (7.43) gun, firing a projectile weighing 165 pounds, with a 35-pound charge of Hwder, and giving a muzzle velocity of 1410 foot-seconds.
Italy's fortress artillery has various arms, from 45-cm. guns (13.1-inch) weighing 101 tolls and firing a 2200-pound projectile, formerly sup posed to be the most powerful in the world, down to Nordenfeldts and double-barreled mi trailleuses. In Belgium there are two brigades of fortress artillery having 5S active and 12 other batteries. The fortress artillery in Rus sia has a variety of guns, which include the following: 4.2-ineh steel guns, 6-ineh, 8-inch, 14-inch, 11-ineh, 10-inch, the 10-barreled Gatling, and the 8-barreled Maxim automatic machine gun.
A description of the various guns and mortars used in the United States will be found in a publication of the War Department, Modern Guns and Mortars (Washington, 1895), which was prepared for the instruction of artillery gunners. Consult, also, Brut', Ordnance and Gunnery (New York, 1900), and Drill Regula tions for Coast Artillery United States Army, which are published from time to time by the War Department.
The construction of coast artillery and other cannon, together with their carriages or mounts, is described and illustrated under ORDNANCE, which should be read in connection with this article, while the historical development of coast artillery as well as of cannon of all forms is discussed under ARTILLERY. The use of coast artillery as a means of defense is treated under the title COAST DEFENSE, where the tactics of coast artillery are The forts and other defenses in which coast guns are mounted arc discussed in the article FORTIFICATION.