802 
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS OF 
(1) The shot must strike the plating with the greatest energy at¬ 
tainable. It is obvious from what has been already stated that for 
piercing plates the diminution of calibre has certain advantages, and 
the calibre chosen for a certain weight of projectile must be selected 
from considerations similar to those that were discussed when treating 
of lowness of trajectory. 
(2) The projectile should be of hard material—steel, or chilled iron. 
(3) The ogival-pointed is the best form of head. It is now struck 
with a radius of 1J times the diameter of the shot. 
(4) If the armour can be easily pierced by the gun that can be 
brought against it, very destructive effect will be produced by firing 
shell with a bursting charge without a fuze; but if the armour is very 
thick, a heavier blow is struck by a shot. 
(5) At 200 yds., 7, 8, and 9-in. projectiles with the service charge 
will penetrate plates not more than 1 in. thicker than the diameter of 
the projectile. This will give a sort of guide to the relative power of 
guns and armour. 
(6) The resisting power of plates to penetration is not much in¬ 
creased by elastic backing, but it is by rigid backing. 
Against unarmoured vessels, the most efficient projectile will be a 
common shell, fired with a percussion fuze that will not act on graze on 
water, but will act on impact on the side of a wooden ship. They 
can be fired from the same guns that fire Palliser projectiles against 
iron-clads, or from smaller guns. 
Coast batteries and fortifications are built either of iron, masonry, 
iron and masonry combined, or earth. 
Iron forts require the same conditions for firing at them with effect 
as iron ships. 
It has been found that masonry can be rapidly ruined by large iron 
or steel shot or shell, if a number of shots strike it fairly within 
a limited space at ranges from 600 to 1000 yds. But it would be 
very doubtful if in actual warfare sufficient accuracy and rapidity of 
fire could be brought to bear upon a fort by ships—the aim being 
disturbed by the smoke, not only of their own guns, but also of 
those of the fort; and if the embrasures in the' fort are fitted with 
iron shields, the guns in the casemates would be able to keep up their 
fire for a considerable time after the masonry had begun to be ruined; 
so that if forts of this description were armed with heavy guns, it is 
very doubtful whether ships attacking them would not be obliged to 
haul off before they could silence the forts. 
This is still more the case with iron forts with rigid backing to their 
armour-plates, which would probably be impregnable to ships, unless 
liable to have an overwhelming weight of fire brought upon them all 
round. 
It is possible that it might be found that heavy spherical projectiles— 
such as are fired from the American S.B. ordnance—would have a 
greater effect against masonry than elongated shot or shell, from the 
shaking effect of their impact; but it must be remembered that ships 
would probably not be able to get within very short ranges of works of 
this nature, and at considerable ranges the accuracy of fire of smooth- 
