188 
SHRAPNEL PI RE, 
the strikes, lodges, and throughs per shell at different distances of 
burst:— 
yds. 
Strikes. 
Lodges. 
Throughs. 
50 . 
. 4-4 . 
6*6 ... 
. 94-2 
100 . 
. 1-8 . 
..... 23-2 .... 
> 
.. . 32-6 
150 . 
. 0*2 . 
. 16*4 .... 
16-0 
200 . 
. 1*4 . 
.... 13-6 .... 
6’4 
and the proportion of lodges and strikes to throughs is therefore at 
yds. 
50 1 to 8*56 
100 1 to 1*3 
150 1 to 0'96 
200 1 to 0'42 
Their power is, in fact, rapidly diminishing. 
(4) It is difficult to show precisely the loss of power experienced by 
the bullets which ricochet. Since, however, the lower the burst of the 
shell the greater is the amount of ricochet, we may attempt to do so 
by taking the lower bursts and contrasting them with the highest in 
each series of the 800 yds. range in Table I. Only three are considered, 
as the differences at the 200 yds. are too small. The following figures 
show the proportion of strikes and lodges to throughs :— 
Burst. Height. Strikes and lodges. Throughs. 
yds. ft. 
50 f 5 i* . 0-15 1 
( Average of remainder 0-077 1 
100 f 8 i . 1-* 1 
(_ Average of remainder 0*67 1 
150 f 9f 1-25 1 
( Average of remainder 0‘95 1 
From this it will be seen that as the amount of ricochet increases 
the power decreases ; and that notwithstanding the fact that the lower 
burst is favourable to the power of ricochet. 
These figures do not show the fact in a very striking manner, since 
the difference between the heights is but small. They are, however, 
sufficiently significant, especially when it is remembered that the 
ground in this practice was admirably adapted for rendering ricochet 
effective. 
Percussion Shrapnel. 
When shrapnel is used with percussion fuzes, the result is of 
necessity wholly different from that which has been considered in the 
preceding remarks. The opening of the shell and the consequent cone 
of dispersion remain, of course, the same, but take place under different 
conditions. 
With a time fuze, the shell opens in the trajectory before graze^ 
* Average of three. 
f Average of twos 
