THE ROYAL ARTILLERY INSTITUTION. 
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Colonel Milward. —Yes; it appears clear to ns at present that the 3’3-in. has 
certain important advantages, bnt I am snre that an officer like Major-General 
Eardley-Wilmot and his Committee would not form a deliberate opinion without 
some grounds for doing so. 
Colonel Young, R.A., said they must all agree that Captain Sladen had treated 
his subject very ably—(applause)—and he did not rise for the purpose of disputing 
any of the facts advanced in his lecture. But Captain Sladen had said, in reply to 
a question, that there was no practical difference in point of efficiency between the 
two projectiles; and that remark was open to objection. Now, he thought it might 
be taken for granted, as beyond a doubt, that the nearer they got to a sphere in' 
the shape of the projectile the better, and that if they unduly elongated the shell 
they not only weakened its efficiency in striking, but were bound to have a sharper 
twist in the rifling, which would make the strain on the gun more severe; or they 
must make the gun longer, and that would make it more unmanageable. Again, 
with the shrapnel shell, the bullets would scatter more on bursting from a long 
shell than a small one; so that there really were some advantages in the 3’6-in. 
gun. However, he himself thought at the time the bore was decided upon that it was 
rather large, because he had been thinking to establish a law upon the subject, and his 
idea was that the bore should have been something between the two calibres. It 
was only, however, on the subject of the projectile that he differed from the lecturer. 
Major-General Sir E. C. Warde said Captain Sladen had better issue a challenge 
to the advocates of the 3’6-in. gun to meet him and discuss the subject out. 
Lieut. C. Jones, R.A., said there was not the slightest doubt that the 3’3-in. gun 
would strike a harder blow at any range above 724 yds.; but as these guns were only 
to be introduced for a special purpose, it might be worth while considering if they 
could not practically reduce the 3'6-in. bore by increasing the weight of its pro¬ 
jectile, making it an 18 or 20-pr. instead of a 16-pr. 
Major-General Sir E. C. Warde said he understood that the gun was not 
intended merely as a reserve for special purposes, but that it was to form a con¬ 
siderable part of the batteries. 
Colonel Milward said he believed the gun was to be largely introduced into 
the service. 
Lieut. Jones said, if that were the case, there would be no advantage in carrying 
out his suggestion. 
Captain Sladen, replying to the objections raised with regard to the length of 
the 3‘3-in. shell, contended that for the demolition of earthworks the 3‘3-in. shell 
would hit harder and penetrate deeper than the 3*6-in. shell, and from the greater 
distribution of the bursting charge, the damage inflicted by the longer shell would 
be as great or greater than that inflicted by the shorter one; and that for a common 
shell to act with a percussion fuze, it would break into a greater number of pieces. 
But all he asked for was that the two guns should be tried at fixed ranges instead 
of fixed elevations. He did not say that the 3’6-in. gun was not a powerful gun, 
but that it is not the most powerful 16-pr. gun which could be made with the weight 
allowed. He thought he had a right to defend himself from certain attacks, one 
of which they might have seen in the “Times” of the 24th January, 1872* 
speaking of the “ evil moment when the Committee were induced to listen to some 
purely speculative and theoretical arguments,” and insinuating that they were the 
ideas of a “ theorist and schoolman.” (Applause.) 
Major-General Sir E. C. Warde. —On one point we are all agreed, and that is 
that Captain Sladen has proved himself to be neither a theorist nor a schoolman. 
(Applause.) 
[At this point in the proceedings Sir Edward Warde took his leave, with an 
apology, having to travel by rail, and the chair was taken by Colonel Domville, R.A.] 
Captain C* Orde Browne, said he fancied that the 16-pr. was really intended 
