271 
KRUPP’S MEPPEN EXPERIMENTS OF 1879. 
BY 
CAPTAIN C. ORDE BROWNE, 
Late Royal Artillery. 
(Tie-printed from the Journal of the Royal United Service Institution.) 
The purpose of this paper is to take a short review of the most 
characteristic features of the Krupp materiel experimented on at 
Meppen last summer, calling attention chiefly to the best results, and 
comparing them with corresponding ones obtained in this country, 
with a view to promote the discussion of those matters in which it 
may appear that we have most to learn. 
The principal feature in the Meppen programme was the trial 
of Krupp ; s 40 cm (15*75-in.) breech-loading gun, weighing about 
70 tons 17 cwt., known commonly as the 71-ton gun. The trial was 
specially important for three reasons:—1st, it is the first breech¬ 
loader whose power approaches that of the 100 and 80-ton guns made 
in this country; 2nd, it is a steel gun ; 3rd, its proportions are based 
on results obtained during the last few years. 
All these questions are interesting, and deserving of so much 
attention that it would be difficult here to deal fairly with all. For 
the purpose in hand, however, it is not necessary to discuss the 
question of the respective metals of the guns, because it can easily 
be shown that there was nothing in these experiments that bears upon 
this point beyond the negative fact that the steel guns in no respect 
exhibited any fault. We may safely say that our Woolwich guns 
would have done equally well, as far as the material is concerned, for 
the pressures in Krupp's guns were by no means excessive. The 
71-ton gun, for example, was not subjected to as high a pressure as 
our own 80-ton gun has borne. A test which tries neither gun 
obviously furnishes us with no means of comparison, and hence the 
Meppen trials in no way furnish data for the discussion of the relative 
merits of wrought-iron and steel guns, but bear entirely on the two 
other questions, namely, that of breech-loading and proportions—the 
former as concerns ease in working, and the latter power and good 
shooting. 
The 71-ton gun (Fig. 1), was mounted as for coast defence, on a 
traversing platform, and a carriage nearly of the English pattern in all 
