SILVER MEDAL PRIZE ESSAY, 1893 . 
373 
of wooden ships, is well-known, and probably the Defence will gain 
even a greater advantage from the use of high explosives. 
The French trials against the old wooden iron-clad corvette Belli - 
queuse (offering, it is said, as much resistance as a great part of the 
modern French ships and cruisers), in which the heaviest shell used 
weighed 99 lbs. and contained only 8*82 lbs. of melinite, the effects 
are thus noted. 1 2 “ The bursting often took place after perforation, 
sometimes in the actual side. Fragments from J oz. to !-§• oz., of which 
the number reached about 1500, and which were animated with enor¬ 
mous velocity, were projected in all directions, and even backwards, 
destroying all th epersonnel not under cover. The rest of the projectile 
was reduced to metallic powder, penetrating all surrounding objects. 
To these effects are to be added those of the explosion, which is local, 
but which has great energy. If it is produced while the projectile is 
passing through the side holes of 59 inches diameter are formed; when 
occurring near the decks they are destroyed by fracture of beams, 
bolts and planks. It may also set fire to them, as was the case three 
times out of 12 rounds, on board the Belliqueuse. Lastly, the movement 
effected by the mass of gas has such force that it destroys to great 
distances the weaker structural parts of the ship.” One must not for¬ 
get what a mass of electric wires, speaking tubes, &c., are used in the 
handling of a modern ship of war. 
Again, in the trials against the Resistance , at Portsmouth, in 1889, 
which unfortunately have not been published, the destructive effects of 
high explosive shells after penetration are known to have been terrible, 
while one of the most remarkable features was the smoke and fumes 
after each explosion, which set fire to the ship and prevented anyone 
approaching the spot, in some cases for twenty minutes after the shell 
had burst. 
On the other hand, while great effects are produced in ships, the 
whole experience gained at Lydd is said to 3 point to the fact that no 
increase of results can be obtained against earthworks. 
The “ armour-piercing ” common shell are to have the same penetra¬ 
tion as Palliser chilled-iron shot, 3 but against this advance it is said that 
the “ Harvey ” process of hardening so increases the resistance of 
armour, that it may lead before long to the re-introduction of broad¬ 
side battle-ships, or at anyrate enable considerable protection to be 
given to the secondary armament, either of which changes will make 
much shorter ranges possible, and greatly improve the relative power 
of ships against many existing shore defences, though the invulner¬ 
ability of properly placed forts will be as great as ever. 
Whatever changes take place, however, in the relative power of 
ships and forts, the issue will still depend on the power of the guns to 
inflict injury on the personnel and material, the injury to the latter 
being of importance according to the degree it affects the former. 
1 Recent Development of Armour and its Attack by Ordnance ; OrdeBrowne. “Proceedings,” 
R.A. Institution. Yol. XX. 
2 Fortification; Clarke. 1890. 
3 Recent Development of Armour and its Attack by Ordnance : Orde Browne. “ Proceedings,” 
R.A. Institution. Yol. XX. 
