THE ROYAL ARTILLERY INSTITUTION. 
297 
It is worthy of notice that the Germans have only two calibres—the 
lighter gun being used for horse artillery, and the heavier exclusively 
for field batteries. This alteration is more important than it at first 
seems. It is the first step to the fulfilment of the future tactical re¬ 
quirements of artillery, and is the recognition of the almost self-evident 
proposition that unequally weighted gun-teams cannot manoeuvre satis¬ 
factorily together. 
By a glance at the table it will be seen that the German field gun is 
more than 3 cwt. lighter than Our 16-pr. Taking the weight complete 
of the gun-carriage, there is a further total advantage of 7 cwt. The 
weight behind the gun-team, again, of the 9 C gun is nearly 5 cwt. less 
than that of our own gun. Notwithstanding its advantage in weight, 
the German gun consumes a heavier charge of powder, fires a more 
powerful shrapnel, and has a superiority of 100 ft. a second in initial 
velocity. 
Against obstacles the 16-pr. common shell would, on. account of its 
large bursting charge, probably be the more efficacious; but against 
troops it could not compete in destructive power with the regularly dis¬ 
persed pyramidal segments of the new Prussian shell. The question of 
weight behind a gun-team is a serious one, and by no evasion—such as 
employing extra horses—can we escape the dilemma of possessing a field 
gun heavier in draught than that of any other European power. The 
recoil of these guns is of course very great, and the large preponderance 
must exert a severe extra strain on the carriage ; the fact, however, still 
remains that gun-carriages of a lighter pattern than our own can be 
made to resist it. The large number of bullets contained in the German 
shrapnel, as compared with our own, should be noticed. The increase 
in initial velocity of the new gun has necessitated a modification in the 
original percussion fuzes. 
The new fuzes are constructed with a safety pin and are carried in 
the shells. According to recent experiments the alterations made have 
been a success—400 rounds having been fired without a premature 
explosion or a defective fuze being met with. A new time fuze for 
shrapnel has been adopted with which very effective practice at 2700 yds. 
has been obtained. It is not probable that opportunity will be given 
for some time of comparing the relative accuracy of the German and 
British guns. The tables hitherto published are not very reliable. There 
is no reason, however, to suppose that the accuracy of the 9 C gun is 
inferior to that of our 16-pr., and according to all theory it ought to be 
considerably greater. 
The German horse artillery gun compares favourably with our. 9-pr. 
The gun-carriage packed is lighter than that of our horse artillery gun, 
and the total weight behind the gun-team is rather less than in our 
9-pr. field batteries. The Prussian gun consumes 1 lb. more powder, 
fires a shrapnel 2^ lbs. heavier, and has a superiority in initial velocity 
of 130 ft. a second. The 9-pr. shrapnel .contains about half the number 
of bullets enclosed in the 8 C shell. It will be noticed that the German 
limbers are considerably heavier than our own, owing to their having 
one large ammunition box in lieu of our two moveable ones. But little 
advantage is apparent in this method of construction, and it seems 
