ARMOUR AND ITS ATTACK BY ORDNANCE. 
93 
ceeded two inches. The third round struck an old indentation and 
perforated the front plate and bulged the inner one, and considerable 
cracking was produced by it. 
The principal value of this trial is to give an idea of what effect a 
high explosive may produce on armour itself. The plates appear to 
have been old ones, but if any dependence can be placed on the cracks 
shown in the sketches, this class of attack might be valuable against 
inland forts, which, when made of wrought-iron too thick to be per¬ 
forated by the guns brought against them, may resist the fire of 
projectiles fired without bursting charges for an indefinite time. The 
trial was not successful as to prevention of premature bursting. 
Trials at Lydd, some years ago, showed that Gruson’s ingenious High^expio- 
device of filling shells with compounds, which compounds, which were 
only mixed and rendered explosive by rotation of the projectile in 
flight, could be carried out without danger to the gun. More recently 
it has been shown that compounds such as Roburite or Bellite could 
probably be fired with safety, and would probably burst a shell with 
great violence. Graydon brought forward a special compound also, as 
well as advocating the use of dynamite in shells (as noticed p. 91). 
Steel common shells have a capacity in proportion to their weight, 
which admits of a very large bursting charge. 
French trials took place with regard to the great destructive power 
of Melinite. 1 It was concluded then that a combination of cupolas, 
combined with concrete in the form of a so-called artificial rock, as 
proposed by Mougin, might defy the attack of Melinite shells. Rolled 
iron was found far superior to steel for this class of work. An oscillating 
turret was proposed, but it is a question how far it has succeeded in 
actual practice. 
The trials against the Belliqueuse and Resistance given on p. 50, are 
naturally connected v r ith this subject. 
In Germany shells charged with wet gun-cotton, 2 coated with an Gun-cotton 
envelope formed by pouring in hot paraffin, were considered far superior German 
to those filled with Melinite. So tremendous were the effects produced tnals - 
on earthworks that a revolution has been effected in the French and 
German frontier defences. 3 Both Yon Sauer and Brialmout, opposed 
to each other in many questions, are here agreed that some form of 
movable armoured cupola might be used with advantage. Small forts 
at close intervals, with low command and protection by means of 
counter-guards with hard glacis, are recommended. Much bomb¬ 
proof accommodation v T ould also be required. 
Captain Fabre, in papers in the Revue (VArtillerie, expresses the 
opinion that coast batteries would suffer specially severely from ships’ 
attack in future, and that the latter could shell them from 10,000 
yards range. Many men’s opinions have to stand over untested till 
actual war breaks out. This one appears, however, contrary to common 
sense if a fort is contemplated. Considering the very limited supply 
1 See “ Engineer,” November 29th, 1889. 
2 See “ Engineer,” August 7th, 1891. 
3 General Brialmont expressed a strong opinion on this question to the author in conversation. 
13 
