180 
SHRAPNEL EIRE. 
from this the direct hits (54), the result will give 82 as the number of 
pieces which would have passed half over and half under—the latter, 
of course, at such an angle of descent, and on good ground such as 
that on which the targets were placed (very hard smooth grass), 
ricochetting. We may therefore infer that ff, or rather more than 
of the lower portion of the cone was effective on ricochet. 
The total number of lodges and throughs is 78 per round, and this 
gives 6*5 bullets per man in the area of the target. It may fairly be 
supposed that each was hit at least twice, and would therefore count 
as two disabled, giving a total of 24. The average from the practice 
Eeport (Table I.) is 22. It may, however, be observed that the 2nd 
round gives a very unsatisfactory return—only 16 men to 66 throughs— 
a fact most probably due to the shell holding together,. and not 
distributing its bullets as usual. Eliminating this round, the average 
is 23*5, or as nearly as possible 24. 
At 100 yds. burst:— 
Area = 252 sq. ft. 
Men in do. = 24. 
Direct hits (Table IV.) = 252 X‘l = 25*2. 
Average of throughs (Table II.) = 25*2. 
Throughs clue to ricochet = 0. 
Lodges „ w =15. 
Throughs and lodges due to ricochet = 15. 
Lower part of cone ricochetting = ——-- = 55. 
ib or J nearly, of this part of the cone, therefore, gave effective 
ricochet. 
The whole number of bullets in area = 40. Each man has therefore 
an average of If ; but as the men do not occupy the whole area of 
the target, each cannot have been struck by so many. The average at 
this distance of burst in Table I. is 25—one more only than the number 
in the area. 
It will be remarked that the ricochet is rapidly losing power; the 
proportion of lodges to throughs is increasing very rapidly. 
At 150 yds. burst:— 
Area = 378 sq. ft. 
Men =36. 
Direct hits = 13’6. 
The throughs are only 12, and a certain proportion (13*6 — 12 = 1*6) 
even of the direct hits are now only lodges. 
if 
Lodges due to ricochet = 11 —1'6 = 9'4. 
Lower portion of cone ricochetting = — = 62. 
|‘-f, or between 1 and 4 of the cone, is effective. 
The total number of bullets in area =23. Each man has an 
