491 
TRANSLATIONS OF REPORTS OF EXPERIMENTS, &c., WITH 
ARMOUR-PIERCING PROJECTILES, CARRIED OUT IN 
RUSSIA AND HOLLAND DURING THE LAST TWO YEARS. 
(Revue d’Artillerie, September, 1878, p. 572). 
TRANSLATED BY 
CAPT. W. MULINTOCK, R.A. 
RUSSIA.—The manufacture of 9-inch and 11-inch steel 
shells* 
The results of the experiments in France, in 1875, with projectiles 
supplied by the Terre-Noire Steel Company, and of those at Kronstadt* 
in September, 1877, with the 9 po (9-in.) mortar, proved that with 
vertical fire against horizontal armour, steel projectiles have an 
undoubted superiority over those of chilled iron, the latter breaking 
up entirely on impact. 
The “ grand-maitre de Vartillerie 33 had recognised the necessity of 
providing guns mounted on coast defences with a large number of steel 
projectiles, but as their cost was very great, he had directed the 
Russian firms to attempt the manufacture of steel projectiles, not 
forged, similar to those of Terre-Noire; this Company having offered 
to deliver them in Russia at the rate of 18 roubles per poude (4fr. 40 c* 
the kil., or about Is. 7d. per lb.) 
In 1877, Messrs. Mendelew & Isnoskow contracted to supply 500 
steel shells of ll po (11-in.) with lead coating, at the rate of 360 fr. 
(£14 8s. Od.) each; 1250 of 9p° (9-in.) at 238 fr, (£9 10s. 5d.) each* 
and 820 of 28 cm (for the ll po gun, made in 1877), with copper rings, at 
480 fr. (£19 4s. Od.) each. 
However, these manufacturers encountered so many difficulties, and 
the trials they were obliged to make in order to obtain projectiles equal 
to those of Terre-Noire were so costly* that the Russian government 
agreed to pay them 10 roubles per poude (2 fr. 45 c. the kil., or about 
10Jd. per lb.) for the 9p° shells, and 8 for the projectiles of a higher 
calibre (2 fr. the kil., or about 8|d. per lb.) 
About the end of August, 1877, the factory began the manufacture 
on a large scale. The steel is melted in Martin-Siemens furnaces, and 
iron containing manganese and silica is added. The projectiles are 
