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MINUTES OE PROCEEDINGS OF 
constructed, lias its bursting charge at the base of the shell, and projects 
the bullets forwards so as to maintain a considerable velocity, and to 
continue to travel in the direction of the line of fire. 
Segment shell are constructed of segments of iron built up into the 
form of a cylinder, with a solid head and base and an outer cylinder of 
thin sheet-iron. They were introduced to obviate the disadvantage that 
common shell were apt to break up only into a few large pieces, and it 
was also thought that, being opened by a small charge, the segments 
would continue to fly forward and act as shrapnel ; but it has been found 
that they scatter too much, and that the segments are of a bad shape 
for flight, so that they are not efficient as shrapnel, and contain too 
small a charge of powder to be very useful as common shell against 
fieldworks or buildings, while shrapnel with an increased bursting 
charge and a percussion fuze are found to be nearly as effective against 
guns or wagons. Therefore I would recommend their being withdrawn 
from the service, and only shrapnel and common shell retained, with 
perhaps 3 to 5 rounds of case per gun. 
Shrapnel is by far the most effective projectile against troops of 
all kinds under such cover as shelter-trenches, gun-pits, or woods. 
Shell are effective if they burst in the right place, but their effect is 
altogether lost if they do not do so, whereas shrapnel covers a large 
space of ground with its effects. 
Against artillery, shrapnel has also the best effect; as the fire of a 
battery is quicker silenced by placing the men and horses hors de combat 
than by dismounting the guns themselves. 
Against field works of good profile shrapnel would not be so efficient, 
as the parapets and bomb-proofs would give good cover, and shells 
would have to be used to ruin the parapets and dislodge the defenders. 
Shrapnel, however, might have a very good effect if fired at embrasures, 
if there were any, as the bullets passing through would be very 
destructive to the gun detachments. 
Against obstacles, abattis , and stockades, common shell would be most 
efficient, as the body of the projectile would cut a way through them, even 
if it did not burst; and if it burst, it would destroy a considerable portion 
of the obstacle. They would of course be fired with percussion fuzes. 
Against houses, villages, &c., common shell would be the most 
effective, to break down the walls and set on fire the houses. 
There still remains a large field for improvement in the employment 
of field artillery, especially in the use of it against troops under cover. 
A method is required by which projectiles shall be thrown with toler¬ 
able certainty so as to fall a short distance inside the crest of the 
parapet of field works, and then act with destructive effect against the 
defenders of the works. We have no certain means of doing this at 
present, but it remains to be seen whether inventive genius will not be 
able to contrive a rifled mortar, or weapon of that nature, from which 
vertical fire may be obtained sufficiently accurate for the purpose, and 
mounted in such a way as to be capable of being formed into field 
batteries. 
Improvements in fuzes also are desirable, as we are at present rather 
deficient in that way. Our time fuzes for muzzle-loading ordnance are 
fairly good, but there is no reason to despair of being able to improve 
