SUPPLY OP AMMUNITION IN THE FIELD. 547 
system, if the rear face of the box be made to open (probably down¬ 
wards), instead of the top as at present. One or two incidental advan¬ 
tages would accrue as to the carrying of the gunners and their kits, 
while the lid could be fitted with small stores exactly as at present. 
The internal measurements of the box are 23" long x 20" wide x 15" 
high, the second being that from front to rear. This second measure¬ 
ment happens to be almost exactly the length of a cartridge and its 
shell (11*5" + 8*25") placed in prolongation, so that if the box were 
divided—as looked at from the rear—into four portions by a horizontal 
and a vertical copper partition, so as to accommodate four of the 
proposed magazines, each of these would be capable of holding six 
cartridges and six shell, the diameter of each cartridge in its cover 
being 3| inches, and of each shell (over driving band) a shade over 
3 inches. To allow of fazes and tubes being included five cartridges 
and -five shell only would be carried in each, and a pocket provided in 
the vacant space, in which there would be ample room for the five time 
and percussion fuzes, box of friction tubes and the other necessaries of 
the limber-box. 
This arrangement would give two more rounds in each limber-box 
than are at present carried, though the additional weight (66 lbs. in 
the limber and 132 in the wagon) would probably be somewhat reduced 
by the absence of wooden fittings. The addition of twelve rounds 
per sub-division would be a distinct gain for Field Artillery, the only 
branch that need be considered if the Horse Artillery are to be armed 
with a lighter gun. 
Each of the proposed magazines would then carry:—- 
lbs. ozs. 
5 shrapnel shell at lllbs. 13ozs. =59 1 
5 cartridges (in covers) at 41bs. 4ozs. =21 4 
1 box of friction tubes (say). =— 10 
5 time and percussion fuzes in boxes at lib. Ooz. 4drs.= 5 1 
Total . 86 0 
The present portable magazine, whose internal dimensions are 10J" 
x 6|" x 12", weighs empty 81bs. 12ozs., and it is probable that the 
proposed one, whose dimensions would be 11J" x 6" x 20" would weigh 
about 13 lbs., giving a total weight when full of about 100 lbs. 1 
It must be remembered that the proposed magazines would not re¬ 
quire to be “ portable 33 in the same sense as the present ones, as 
instead of being a handy means of transporting ammunition from the 
wagons to the guns they would be the exclusive supply for the guns, 
and would be placed as close as possible to them, the rounds being 
taken from them with half the labour necessitated by the present 
system. 
The most obvious objection to the above proposal is the necessity for 
one kind of shell only which the system involves. While admitting 
that this is practically a sine qua non , it may be urged that it seems 
1 It is possible that galvanised iron would be a more suitable material than leather for the 
magazines, economising space, and probably weight, and permitting of side-hooks for the lids to 
fasten with, and countersunk handles for pulling out by. 
