EXPLOSIVES—O’HERN, 261 
MOBILE ARTILLERY PROJECTILES. 
There are being used by the field and siege artillery in the present 
European conflict three general types of explosive projectiles, viz, 
high-explosive shell, common shrapnel, and high-explosive shrapnel. 
These projectiles vary in weight from about 15 pounds, as used in 
guns of about 3-inch caliber, the most numerous type, to about 1,700 
pounds, as used in 16.5-inch mortars, presumed to have been em- 
ployed in the attack on some of the Belgian fortifications. All of these 
projectiles can be thrown with remarkable accuracy to a distance of at 
least 4 miles, while some of them, as fired from the most powerful 
weapons, have a range as great as 7 miles. 
HIGH-EXPLOSIVE SHELL. 
The high-explosive shell carry from about 3 per cent to about 30 
per cent of their weight m high explosive. The smaller percentage 
is found in those intended for use where fragments of considerable 
size are needed, as for man-killmg purposes in the open.. The large- 
capacity type is used where the desired purpose is to demolish build- 
ings, earthworks, or other obstacles. High-explosive shell are usually 
equipped with a fuse which will cause them to explode upon impact, 
but with sufficient delay to secure penetration well into the interior of 
trenches or other hostile cover (fig. 3). It has been reported that high- 
explosive shell are being used in the present European conflict to a 
ereater extent than ever before in modern war, this condition result- 
ing from the fact that well-prepared trenches are being utilized to a 
greater extent than formerly (pl. 6). 
Some of the high-explosive shell fired against the armored forts in 
Belgium are presumed to have carried as much as 400 or 500 pounds 
of high explosive. The great destruction wrought by such large 
quantities of high explosive has been evident from the photographs 
published in current periodicals showing overturned or otherwise 
damaged turrets, and large masses of broken concrete. 
COMMON SHRAPNEL. 
The projectile most frequently used in land warfare, especially in 
the attack of troops in the open, is known as the common shrapnel. 
It consists essentially of a steel case closed at the rear, filled with 
lead balls, and carrying a fuse capable of being set to cause the balls 
to be expelled while the projectile is in the air immediately in front 
of the position occupied by the enemy. The balls are expelled by 
the action of a charge of powder carried in the case in the rear of 
the balls, and ignited by a flame from the fuse passing down a central 
tube communicating with the powder charge. The number of lead 
