244 ARTILLERY 



powder, giving a terminal velocity of about 1,263 feet This shell went completely 

 through everything, much to the astonishment of every one present. 



Somo experiments were made on the ' Warrior ' target to prove the effect of steel 

 shell fired from a 13 -3" Armstrong M. L. wrought-iron shunt rifled gun at 2,000 yards' 

 range. The initial velocity of the shell, with 51 J Ibs. charge, is about 990 feet, and 

 the striking velocity 940'. 



Mean weight of shell empty , , , 585 Ibs. 



Burster . 24 



Diameter of shell 13"24 



0vora11 23" 



auU . , , . . 19-75 

 Mean recoil ,,,. 6 feet 1 inch 



The third round struck about 10 yards short, and ricochotted on to centre of target, 

 striking centre plate 4' 2" from left side ; hole in plate 16" x 13J", centre plate started 

 forward 6i" at top and 4 J" at bottom on right side, and 3" at top, and O g 5" at bottom 

 on left side ; 11 armour-plate bolts started in centre plate and one in bottom plate. 

 Upper plate blown off and lying at foot of target in front ; all the bolts (except three) 

 of this plate broken at nut the three being drawn bodily out of the plate ; bottom 

 of upper plate, whore shell entered, indented 1J" in length of 1 foot. At the back 

 ragged hole 4' x 2' 3" between third and fourth ribs from right side ; two ribs broken 

 and forced out, second rib from right bulged, angle -iron cracked ; skin cracked and 

 opened for length of 3' below hole. Seventeen armour-plate holes, twenty -one rivets, 

 and thirteen backing bolts broken. , A great many splinters of iron, timber, bolt- 

 heads, &c., on raft, Shell on platform in rear of target broken up into four pieces. 



The 'Bellcrophon' Target. 



The part of the ship which was tested by the target is that situated between the 

 main and lower decks, and not in the line of ports, the object being to test the 

 strength of the general side of the ship. Special arrangements are made to strengthen 

 the side in the vicinity of the ports, which will be few in number, as the ' Bellerophon ' 

 carries a small number of very large guns. These few ports are strengthened by 

 the introduction of additional iron to an extent which would not be practicable if the 

 number of ports were large. 



Each frame of the target was made of angle-iron 10" x 3J" x \", and two angle-irons 

 3J" x 3^" x -|" riveted together ; to the double angle-irons of this frame the skin, 

 which is composed of two thicknesses of |" plating, making together 1", with a 

 layer of painted canvas between, is riveted. On the outside of the skin-plating, four 

 horizontal angle-iron stringers are attached, two under the upper armour-plate 

 9^" x 3" x \", the broad flange being square to the skin, and not reaching out to 

 the armour by half an inch ; the other two are placed behind the lower plate 

 10" x 3" x ". The breadth of the broader flange being the same as the thickness of 

 the backing, it reaches out to, and comes in contact with, the armour. Wood backing 

 10" thick, is worked longitudinally on the skin-plating and between the angle-stringers, 

 bolted with nut and screw bolts through the skin-plating. The armour consists of 

 two rolled plates, 6" thick, manufactured at the Millwall works, weighing upwards 

 of 9 tons each. The upper armour-plate is bolted with bolts 2J" diameter, and the 

 lower plate with bolts 2J" diameter. In one half of the target, divided \ertically, the 

 armour-bolts have elastic washers, and are clenched on single nuts. In the other halt' 

 tho bolts have common washers with double nuts, and bolts not clenched. In erect- 

 ing the target, care was taken to support it behind with beam-ends, &c., so that the 

 actual condition of the proposed ship's side might bo approximated to as closely as 

 possible. All the portions of the target were carefully weighed, and the weight, as 

 reported by the Admiralty overseer, was 389 Ibs. per square foot. 



The range was 200 yards, and the shot named below struck the target. The most 

 decided effects were, however, produced by the guns named in the Table on tho next 

 page: 



Ibs. weight 



From 10-5" Armstrong rifled gun : 



Spherical cast-iron solid shot, owe . . . . . .150 



, ,, steel solid shot, one . . . . ... . 165 



Cylindrical cast-iron solid shot, one . . . . . 308 



From 7-1" Ordnance Select Committee gun : 



Steel shell, one ,.,...,.. 119 



From 7" Whitworth rifled gun: 

 . . Steel shell, w<? .... 149 



