536 
OKEHAMPTON EXPERIMENTS. 
17. On the 21st August, practice was carried on with all four projectiles 
at a range of 1500 yds. against Target No. 5. This was a 16-pr. M.L. gun 
in action, with a detachment of 8 dummies, and two 6-ft. targets in rear of 
the trail to represent the limber and horses. Eight rounds of each descrip¬ 
tion of projectile were fired, with the following result:— 
16 -pr. R.M.L. Gun, 12 cwt., R.A., at Target No. 5. Range 1500 yds. 
Nature of projectile. 
Number of 
dummies 
hit. 
Number of 
hits on 
limber 
targets. 
Number of 
hits on gun 
and carriage. 
Effective shell. 
No. 
Hits per 
shell. 
Boxer-shrapnel, time fuze. 
8 
36 
32 
8 
9-50 
n percussion fuze ... 
2 
2 
0 
7 
0-57 
Water shell, n 
6 
37 
1 
5 
8-80 
Common shell, « 
O 
2 
1 
4 
1-25 
18. On the 23rd August, another opportunity was afforded of comparing 
the four projectiles by practice from the 16-pr. battery at a range of 
2030 yds. against a 16-pr. gun in action, with a detachment of dummies 
(the whole sheltered in a hastily constructed gun-pit, and constituting Target 
No. 6.) The battery was in action on Holstock Hill, and fired 12 rounds of 
each description of projectile, with the following result:— 
16-jor. R.M.L. Gun, 12 cwt., R.A., against Target No. 6. Range 2030 yds. 
Nature of projectile. 
Hits on 
work. 
Number 
of dummies 
disabled. 
Remarks. 
Number of 
effective 
shell. 
Boxer-shrapnel, time fuze... 
0 
6 
Wheels of carriage much 
injured; many grazes 
of bullets on gun and 
carriage; pit full of 
shell fragments. 
10 
Boxer-shrapnel, percussion fuze ... 
2 
1 
— 
11 
Water shell, u 
1 
1 
— 
6 
Common shell, n 
1 
0 
— 
5 
19. On the same date, practice was made by the 16-pr. battery, at a range 
of 2075 yds., against two guns (at intervals of 19 yds.) in the open, with 
targets to represent limbers and horses, in rear of the gun. As, however, the 
target was not examined between each series of projectiles, no strict com¬ 
parison can be drawn. 
20. On the same date, in the course of another experiment, the four 
natures of projectile were also fired against Target No. 7, a hasty trench 
containing 46 kneeling dummies. Six rounds of each were fired, at two 
ranges; but an approximate result only can be formed, as the targets at the 
shorter range were not examined after each 6 rounds, but after each 12. 
The following gives the result of the firing, the battery being situated so that 
the line of fire was at an angle of 35° with the front of the trench. 
