OKEHAMPTON EXPERIMENTS. 
531 
which could not be satisfactorily treated on the ranges provided at the School 
of Gunnery, the Committee, in December 1874, caused a programme to be 
prepared for the purpose. 
3. This programme was carefully considered, and on 21st April 1875 
the whole scheme of the Committee was submitted to the Director of Artillery. 
They were of opinion that a series of experiments, conducted under circum¬ 
stances analogous to what might occur on service, would settle many open 
questions as to equipment of batteries, comparative value of different 
projectiles, and the power of field artillery against recent infantry formations. 
The disadvantages of Shoeburyness as a site for the experiments were pointed 
out, and the superiority of such ground as Dartmoor advocated. It was 
also argued that although the experiments which had been carried on there 
in 1869 had led to a recommendation to withdraw all small capacity common 
shells from the rifled breech-loading field equipment, this proposal had not 
been acted upon, there being no effective percussion shell to take their place; 
thus, one-third of the projectiles now issued with 9-pr. E.M.L. guns are 
common shells of the same capacity as those tried and condemned at Dartmoor 
for the 12-pr. B. L. gun. The following were the points submitted by 
the Committee as likely to receive solution by means of the proposed 
experiments:— 
(a) Eapidity and accuracy of fire of a battery coming into action at 
unknown ranges. 
(h) The same with the distances measured by a range-finder, such as 
Nolan's. 
(c) Effect of the fire of rifled field artillery against iron carriages, and 
the possibility of repairing in the field iron carriages injured by an 
enemy's fire. 
(cl) Comparative effect of the various projectiles with which the field 
artillery is now supplied, under different conditions of ground and 
distance. 
(e) Suitability of the present mode of packing stores, with reference to 
facility of supply of ammunition to guns in action. 
( f) The results of artillery fire against recent infantry formations, and the 
nature of projectile which under different conditions will produce 
the maximum effect. 
(g) Lastly, it was urged that, apart from an experimental point of view, 
the trials, merely as tactical manoeuvres for artillery, would prove 
most valuable to all concerned. 
The Committee, in forwarding their proposals, requested that, in the event 
of approval, two of their members might be permitted to inspect the ground 
on Dartmoor and elsewhere, with a view to securing good ranges and suitable 
camping ground for the batteries. 
4. In June 1875, the Director of Artillery, in conjunction with the 
Deputy Adjutant-General, E.A., submitted the Committee's proposals for 
favourable consideration, and the approval of the Secretary qf State fpr War 
was notified to the Committee on the 18th June 1875, 
