QKEHAMPTON EXPERIMENTS, 
541 
Water Shell ,—The Committee are of opinion that the water shell, as used 
by them at Okehampton, is capable of producing a greater effect against 
troops, as a percussion shell, than any projectile with which they are 
acquainted. 
It possesses the advantage of extreme simplicity and cheapness, it being 
only necessary to fill the common shell with water, and fit it with a small 
cylinder containing gun-cotton and detonating fuze, to render it suitable for 
use on graze. 
Owing, however, to the absence of a puff of smoke on bursting, it is 
difficult to mark the spot where the shell grazes, and one of the advantages 
of a percussion shell is thus lost. 
Further, it has yet to be proved whether the detonator and dry gun-cotton 
primer will successfully withstand the effects of climate and travelling. 
The Committee have, in conjunction with the Superintendent Eoyal 
Laboratory and Chemist War Department, taken steps to ascertain whether 
the first objection—namely, the absence of a puff of smoke, can be obviated, 
and if the results are successful they will recommend that a proportion of 
detonators and primers be issued to field batteries, both at home and abroad, 
for trial. 
Common Shell .—The field service common shell, with its ordinary charge 
of powder, has proved throughout these experiments to be ill adapted for 
use against troops, and the Committee recommend that the proportion carried 
by field batteries be revised, a certain number being retained for firing into 
villages, stockades, woods, or against obstructions of any kind. 
Fuzes, —The Boxer wood time fuzes (5 secs, and 9 secs.) used during the 
experiments, maintained their high character of efficiency, but the Committee 
are of opinion that improvements are possible in the graduation of these fuzes, 
and that one pattern might take the place of both. 
The E.L. percussion fuze acted well throughout the whole of the trials, 
although the ground was generally unfavourable for percussion shells. It is 
the safest and most efficient percussion fuze for field service with which the 
Committee are acquainted. 
(Class II.) The Eeeectiye Zone oe Artillery Fire. 
26. The Committee having proved by former experiments the accuracy 
of the shooting of both 9-pr. and 16-pr. guns for ranges exceeding the 
effective range laid down in rules approved for the Umpire Staff at the 
Aldershot Manoeuvres of 1875—namely, 2000 for 9-prs. and 2500 for 
16-prs.*—went further, and carried on successful practice with the 9-pr. gun 
up to 3500 yds., and with the 16-pr. at various ranges up to 4000 yds.; and 
by means of the co-operation of the Superintendent of the Eoyal Laboratory 
they were enabled to burst shrapnel shell by special time fuzes up to 4000 yds. 
The results of the practice at various ranges may be summarized as 
follows :—At 2000 yds. the 16-pr. battery fired in 9 minutes 36 rounds of 
water shell at Target No. 4, and made 3892 hits; it fired the same number 
of rounds of shrapnel (percussion) in 5 minutes, making 1574 hits. On 
another occasion, at the same range and target, the 16-pr. battery fired in 
10 minutes 36 rounds of shrapnel with time fuze, and made 1512 hits. 
