812 
AMMUNITION OP ARTILLERY IN THE HELD. 
In the case of Shrapnel the great supposed disadvantage is the idea 
that time fuzes must necessarily be used with it. Surely this is hardly 
the fact; although, undoubtedly, a skilful use of time fuzes will 
always bring out the full power of the shell yet, when the ground is 
favourable, at all ranges up to 1700 yds. percussion fuzes will give 
almost equal results; they can always be relied upon for excellent 
results up to 2500 yds., and will give fair results up to 3500 yds. In 
fact, at the shorter ranges, when the “ simplest service of the gun is 
the best,” there need be absolutely no difference in the manipulation of 
common and shrapnel shell. 
It is objected that, when fire is passing through or over a battery, 
time fuzes cannot be used; nothing, it must be confessed, is more 
startling to those Officers of the regiment whose want of good fortune 
has prevented their seeing actual warfare, than to be told, by those 
distinguished Officers who have, that so little remains of the cool 
courage and steadiness which used to characterise our service, and 
which made its fire so superior to that of its opponents. Many cer¬ 
tainly believe that the old form still exists to such an extent that time 
fuzes may be used intelligently on service if the Non-commissioned 
Officers and Men are as carefully instructed and constantly practised 
in their gunnery duties, as they are in others which are certainly not 
more important; and that in this, as in other directions, the attempt 
had better be made to increase the excellence of our ammunition 
even beyond its present power, without fear of getting beyond the 
intelligence of the men; rather than to debase it, in order not to 
surpass the low level assumed for them. 
Although, to obtain maximum effects with shrapnel shell, the best 
possible practice is necessary, the same excellence in this respect is 
not required as is the case with common shell; the certainty of their 
action, the amount of ground they cover, and the direction in which it 
is covered, all tend to this. 
The difficulty of correct estimation of point of burst is urged, 
in the Notes, against shrapnel shell only. The difficulty exists to a 
greater or smaller degree with all projectiles; common shell, 
from the comparatively large amount of smoke on burst, is the most 
easy to judge, even it may however be judged indifferently by those 
who have not had constant practice at this most important part of 
their duties. This very feature sometimes leads to a false estimate 
when the objects are small, and the observer is directly in rear of the 
gun instead of being well on the right or left flank of the battery; 
common shell practice will, in such a case, seem good even when it is 
most indifferent. 
As long as the puff can be plainly seen, the smaller it is the more 
likely is a true estimate; and this fact is in favour of shrapnel. 
Trial shots, with shrapnel or common shell, should always be made 
with percussion fuzes; and then, unless the ground is most unfavour¬ 
able, no more difficulty exists with one than with the other. 
As soon as the range is exactly determined, and time fuzes are 
being used, the heights above plane will show exactly at what distance 
the shell are being burst. If the object is moving, one gun using per- 
