OKEHAMPTON EXPERIMENTS. 
539 
9-jpr. R.M.L. Gun, 6 cwt., R.H.A. Range 3500 yds. 
No. of 
rounds. 
Nature of projectile. 
No. of hits. 
No. of 
troopers 
disabled. 
12 
Water shell, percussion fuze. 
831 
49 
12 
Boxer-shrapnel, « 
166 
22 
12 
Common shell, « . 
42 
20 
16-jw\ R.M.L. Gun , 12 cwt., R.A. Range about 4000 yds. 
No. of 
rounds. 
Nature of projectile. 
No. of hits. 
No. of 
troopers 
disabled. 
12 
Water shell, percussion fuze. 
165 
34 
12 
Boxer-shrapnel, » . 
189 
23 
12 
n time fuze.. 
100 
17 
12 
Common shell, percussion fuze. 
7 
3 
24. One other experiment, which afforded a comparison between shrapnel 
with percussion fuzes and water shell, although carried on for other purposes, 
may here be mentioned. The target. No. .2, was composed of dummies, and 
a fixed number of rounds was fired at the attacking line, supports, and main 
body, from distances varying from 1600 to 3125 yds. Twelve rounds of 
each projectile were fired at the attacking line and supports, and twenty-four 
at the main body. The following is a summary of the results, which will be 
found in detail elsewhere:— 
9 -pr. R.M.L. Gun, 6 cwt., R.H.A. Ranges from 1600 to 3125 yds. 
No. of 
rounds. 
Number of dummies disabled. 
Effective shell. 
Nature of projectile. 
1st line. 
2nd line. 
Main body. 
Number. 
Hits per 
shell. 
48 
Boxer-shrapnel, percussion fuze.. 
11 
8 
9 
34 
0-81 
48 
Water shell, n 
7 
19 
63 
28 
2-08 
(Class I.) Conclusions. 
25. The Committee are unanimous in thinking that both time and 
percussion shells are indispensable to the efficiency of the field artillery. 
Both have their role. 
The destructive effect of a good time shrapnel against troops in any loose 
formation, and presumably in motion, must, in their opinion, be greater than 
that of a shell burst on graze. 
