ARMOUR-PIERCING PROJECTILES. 
489 
Three shells were fired into a tunnel target consisting of 2-in. 
wrought-iron plate in front of and touching an 8-in. plate. The walls 
were formed of wrought-iron blocks 12 ins. thick, having 2-in. 
diaphragms of wood crossing the tunnel at every 4 ft. The back of 
the tunnel was a sand butt, and it was roofed in with wood. 
The three shells were— 
1. A Whitworth shell with gun-cotton charge. 
2. A R.L. chilled shell with gunpowder charge (3 lbs. 11 ozs.) 
3. A R.L. chilled shell with sand inside. 
All three shells did about the same amount of damage, but this does 
not militate against the employment of gun-cotton in shells whose 
capacity is larger than that of the comparatively small 9-in. shell. 
Recommen dations. 
The Committee made the following recommendations :— 
1. That all chilled projectiles be made of the material used in the 
“R.L. improved” chilled shell.* 
2. That all battering projectiles be made with heads struck to a 
radius of 2*0 diameters, and that for the 9-in. guns and upwards they 
be made studless, and fitted for a rotating gas-check.f 
3. That the question of a delay-action fuze for use with shell con¬ 
taining gun-cotton bursting charges for the attack of thick and 
compound armour be further investigated. 
4. That a proportion of forged steel shells (of a quantity not 
inferior to those which gave the best results in the experiments) form 
part of the ammunition provided for all guns likely to be employed 
against thick and compound armour. The proportion to be governed 
by the success of the investigation in (3), and the extent of the adop¬ 
tion of compound armour. J 
5. That cast-steel be not adopted as an armour-piercing material 
until it can be shown that it is more capable of remaining entire after 
impact than it is at present. 
6. That in armour-piercing projectiles capacity for bursting charge 
be less considered, within certain limits, than strength of head and 
walls. 
7. That, in future experiments with guns of greater calibre, that 
the proper proportion of diameter to weight in armour-piercing pro¬ 
jectiles be investigated. 
The Committee look upon these experiments as preliminary to future 
important experiments with heavier guns. 
* There is no reason to suppose that these were really much better than shells made with the 
ordinary mixtures. Very special pains were naturally taken with the shells known to be intended 
for competition at Shoeburyness. (See also foot note to p. 479.) 
t That is to say, a gas-check which imparts rotation to the shell. 
J This seems to be an absolute necessity if steel-faced armour is adopted by any foreign maritime 
power. It has been shown that chilled iron shells are useless against it unless the armour is well 
under the power of the gun. 
