306 headlam: developments in artillery 



designed a shell for trial in our guns with which we hope to get 

 better results. The ''false head," another form of the same 

 idea, is largely used by French and Germans in the heavier long 

 range guns, but again it is not so popular with us. It introduces 

 considerable complication in supply and fitting and is suspected 

 of being a possible cause of ''prematures." No doubt with the 

 extension of the use of longer-headed shell, the necessity for 

 false heads disappears to a great extent. But I am by no means 

 satisfied that they have not great possibilities when used with 

 shell designed from the commencement for them. 



Long-burning fuses. The most difficult problem in connection 

 with range is the provision of a time fuse which will be reliable 

 for long range fire. We should use shrapnel far more than we 

 do, if we could get a good time fuse, reliable at long ranges. 

 Here is an opportunity if ever there was one for the scientists. 

 As you probably know, the fuses in the service now depend on 

 the burning of a train of composition, which must be liable to 

 many inaccuracies, especially when you consider the conditions 

 under which it has to be kept on service. Mechanical fuses have 

 been known for long, and we did our best to encourage inventors 

 nearly twenty years ago, but such fuses only came into real use 

 last year when it was noticed that the Germans were making 

 uncommonly accurate practice at our balloons, at ranges up to 

 over 20,000 yards. Early in the. summer we got specimens 

 of their fuse, which turned out to be a clock-work fuse designed in 

 1916. The Academy of Sciences will be interested to hear that 

 they were at once handed over to the Cambridge Physical Labo- 

 ratory — it would perhaps be indiscreet to proceed further with 

 my revelations. 



Use of guns at close quarters. But if the tendency is always to 

 increase the range of our guns, do not think it is with the object 

 of keeping them back. Far from it, for even if guns are as a rule 

 further apart than they were in the old wars, the men who direct 

 the guns are closer than they were even in Napoleon's time, and 

 there is still as much room as ever for the display of personal en- 

 terprise and gallantry. But as a matter of fact, just as this war 

 has seen the revival of hand-to-hand fighting with the bayonet and 



