Q.F. FIELD EQUIPMENTS ON THE CONTINENT. 
143 
packed in a smoke making composition. The body of the shell is of 
steel; on the bursting charge acting, the head is blown off and the 
bullets are driven out.* Case shot is not used; percussion shrapnel is 
used instead up to the range of 328 yards. 
The only fuze used is a double action one (see Fig. 3) graduated at 
50 metre intervals from 400 metres to 5,000 metres (5,468 yards). 
The figures 4, 6, 8, etc., on the fuze represent 400, 600, 800, etc., 
metres. Beyond this range, high explosive shell with percussion fuze 
should be used. The safety pin (A A in Fig. 3) is withdrawn from 
the fuze before the fuze is set; it can be replaced if the fuze is not 
used. The fuzes are carried complete in the shell in the limbers and 
wagons, and, when there, are set on the “bridge” i.e ., so that the 
time arrangement cannot act. No loosening or tightening of any 
clamping arrangement in order to set them is necessary. A key is 
used merely to turn the time ring. 
The ammunition is packed in the limbers and wagons in baskets, 
which have a lid closed by a strap. Each basket contains four pro¬ 
jectiles and four cartridges. The ammunition is brought up to the gun 
in these baskets. The lid of the limber box is at the back and it folds 
down so as to form a shelf. Thirty-six rounds are carried in each limber. 
The weight of charge used is F28 lbs ; the explosive used is said to 
be in the form of sticks and to resemble cordite in appearance. It is 
said to be less violent than the explosive formerly used. 
No details are given as to the high explosive shell. The following 
remarks on the high explosive shell used with the late equipment are, 
however, of interest. The gun (Model 73-91) of this equipment was 
introduced in place of the previous gun, which it resembled exactly in 
outline, by being made of stronger material so that it might not be 
burst by the explosion in the bore of one of the shells. It is now said 
that no such explosion has, as a matter of fact, occurred, but it is not 
said how much practice is carried out with these shells. The shells 
were made of steel with thick walls, and they weighed 16J lbs. and 
had a bursting charge of 037 lbs. It appears that they were chiefly 
intended for use as time shell for searching out men behind cover rather 
than for destroying buildings, etc., for which their very small bursting 
charges would not make them very efficient. The angle of opening was 
110°, but there was a dead angle of 90° in front of the point of burst. 
The shell was said to burst into 500 fragments. It seems that the 
Germans claimed that by the use of this shell they avoided the necessity 
of the introduction of a field howitzer, which they considered objection¬ 
able on account of the increased complication of a field army which it 
entailed.f. The angle of descent of the splinters of this shell being 
* In the late equipment, the shell weighed 16| lb.; the calibre was 3*46 inches ; length of shell 
2| calibres, with two driving bsnds; twist of rifling, uniform, one turn in fifty calibres. The 
shrapnel had a central burster. 
t Revue d’Artillerie, June, 1896. Papers by Major Tiedemann, Posen Field Artillery; by 
Captain Prehn, formerly proof officer at Krupp’s works, and by General Bohne ,* translated in 
Journal U.S. Artillery, May-August, 1898. 
In the new drill-book it is stated that under certain circumstances the heavy artillery of an army 
may be added to the artillery of an army corps and the detail is given of t-uch a heavy battery. 
It consists of six 5*9-in. howitzeis, ten ammunition wagons, six platform wagons, forge, etc. It is 
said that the howitzers cannot be fired for any length of time except on a platform. 
In a speech of the War Minister in the German Parliament on introducing the Army Estimates, 
reported in the Times of 12th January, 1899, it is stated “ that Field Howitzer Batteries are to be 
formed and money has been taken for this purpose.” 
