78 
ARTILLERY POSITIONS AND SCREENING GUNS. 
Example (3.) “ Again at Gravelotte, one battery lost all the horses hut 8 
Graveiotte. when surprised by infantry at close quarters.” 
All this occurred before the introduction of time 
shrapnel. 
The effects As an illustration of how the deadly effects of fire increase in 
increase in geometrical progression with the agglomeration of living units com- 
progmssion Posing the target, I ask you to tear up a large sheet of paper into 
massin^of ^tle bits and to scatter them from some considerable height. Next 
the items take an india-rubber ball, dip it in water and throw it into tbe midst 
for Srglt. the of the paper fragments. 
Very few pieces of paper will be found to have adhered to the ball. 
Experiment Now sweep up the bits and drop them once more, but from a lesser 
scattered height. Take another shot with the wet ball. You will find that a 
pi paper.° f greatly increased number of pieces have stuck to it. 
In the first experiment it is very difficult to fix the eye on any 
particular portion of the littered floor. In the second aim at the 
thickest portion is an easy matter. 
Similarly, it is very difficult to point out and to lay a gun on a 
particular portion of a scattered force of men or horses, whereas when 
these are collected behind the guns in action and close to each other in 
tbe form of gun teams and detachment horses with their horse 
holders at “ limber supply,” then I say that very little skill is required 
to sweep away the whole mass with a few well directed shrapnel. 
Cones of Dispersion of Shrapnel Shell. 
From Colonel Watford's translation of Major-General Rohne's 
“ Shrapnel fire of the Field Artillery,” we get the angle of opening of 
the German and French shell. 
See Appendix II. Page 80 of the translation. 
Table II. 
German and 
French 
cones of Metres, 
dispersion 
greater than 
ours. 
Equivalent 
in yards. 
Angle of opening 
1873 pattern 
experimental 
German heavy 
field-gun 
3-16" 
Angle of opening 
French 3-54" 
obus a mitraille. 
Angle of opening 
German shrapnel, 
1882 pattern. 
3 , 08 // (?) 
Angle of 
opening 
German 
1891 
pattern. 
3*08" 
600 
646 
7° 37' 
16° 16' 
16° 48' 
15° 52' 
1000 
1093 
8° 26' 
18° 7' 
17° 45' 
18° 7' 
1600 
1640 
9° 7' 
19° 37' 
19° 22' 
19° 52' 
2000 
2187 
9° 45' 
21° 7' 
20° 52' 
21° 30' 
2600 
2734 
10° 23' 
22° 16' 
22° 26' 
23° r 
3000 
3280 
11° 0' 
23° 15' 
24° O' 
24° 37' 
3500 
3827 
11° 41' 
24° 15' 
25° 37' 
26° 3' 
Base burster. 
Head burster. 
Central burster. 
C’ntl. burst? 
4000 
4374 
27° 30' 
4600 
4921 
28° 62' 
Variation 8° to 12° 
Variation 16° to 24° 
Variation 15° to 26° 
Variation 
16° to 49°. 
Angle of opening. 
The 12-pr. English, with, base burster, is 8° to 12 3 (practice shell-cast.) 
The 12-pr. » with head » is 12 ° to IB^ (service shell-steel.) 
The 15-pr. Mark I. and II. shrapnel each have a base burster and angle of opening is from 
[8° to 12°. 
