190 
SHRAPNEL EIRE. 
with great accuracy, since the retardation is not correctly ascertained. 
The following table of the heights of the trajectories at successive 
points will, however, give a sufficient approximation to the truth. 
With it is given the semi-diameter of the section of the cone of dis¬ 
persion at the different lengths of burst (so that the position of the 
lowest bullet of the cone can be seen), and the number of men that 
would be covered by its fire. 
Range. 
Angle of 
10 
16 
20 
30 
40 
50 
60 
70 
80 
90 
100 
120 
ascent. 
yds. 
yds. 
yds. 
yds. 
yds. 
yds. 
yds. 
yds. 
yds. 
yds. 
yds. 
yds. 
yds. 
degs. 
ft. 
ft. 
ft. 
ft. 
ft. 
ft. 
ft. 
ft. 
ft. 
ft. 
ft. 
ft. 
1000 . 
2’55 
1-4 
2-1 
2-8 
4-2 
5'5 
6-9 
8-2 
9-4 
10-6 
11-7 
12-8 
14-8 
1300 . 
4-9 
1-9 
3-0 
4-1 
6-2 
8-2 
10-1 
12-0 
13-9 
15-8 
17-6 
19-4 
21-1 
1600 . 
5-31 
2-6 
4-0 
5-4 
7-9 
10-5 
13-0 
15-5 
18-0 
20-3 
22-6 
24-9 
27-1 
2000 . 
8-0 
4-0 
6-9 
7-8 
11-6 
15-4 
19-1 
22-8 
26-3 
29-6 
32-6 
35-4 
38-0 
2300 . 
- 9-45 
5-0 
7-3 
9-5 
14-2 
18-8 
23-3 
27-9 
2600 . 
11-40 
6-8 
8-7 
11-5 
17-1 
22-6 
28-0 
33-3 
3000 . 
14-20 
6-8 
10-2 
13-5 
20-1 
! 
26-6 
| 
33-0 
39-2 
Radius of 
cone of dis¬ 
X . 
4-1 
2-6 
4-2 
6-3 
8-4 
10-5 
12-6 
14-7 
16-8 
18-9 
2L-0 
23-1 
persion 
5 
No. of men 
covered ... 
1 . 
3 
4 
5 
8 
10 
12 
15 
17 
20 
22 
24 
27 
5 
With the aid of this table it may easily be seen how large a portion 
of the useful effect of shrapnel is lost when burst after graze. 
For instance, at 1000 yds. range, if a percussion shell grazes 50 yds. 
short, the centre of the cone of dispersion passes *9 ft. over the top of a 
6-ft. target, and at 100 yds. 6*8 ft. above it. At this latter distance, 
the semi-diameter of the cone is 21 ft. In Fig. IX. a time and percussion 
shrapnel burst at this latter distance are contrasted. The target is 
56 ft. x 6 ft. The circle whose centre is A (6*8 ft. above the top of the 
target) represents a percussion shell grazing 100yds. short; B the 
centre of the cone of a time shrapnel, burst 100 yds. short, coinciding 
with the centre of the target. The portions which pass over, hit direct, 
and afford ricochet are shown by the portions of the circles above, on, and 
below the target. Here the loss of effect due to the use of a percussion 
fuze is considerable, mainly from the absence of effective ricochet. 
At 1300 yds. range, the best' length of burst for a 16-pr. R.M.L. 
shell with a time fuze has been given as 80 yds. 
The circle whose centre is at A (Fig. X.) represents a percussion, that at 
B a time shrapnel, burst at this distance. The dotted lines showing an 
arc on the target with the centre at C represent a percussion shell, and 
those with the centre at A a time shell, burst 120 yds. short. The loss 
with the former becomes gradually greater as the range increases. 
To obtain anything like similarity of effect between a percussion and 
