SHRAPNEL FIRE. 
197 
Result ,—The whole detachment (6) hors de combat. Gun pit full of 
shell fragments. Wheels much damaged. Many bullet 
grazes on guns and carriages. 
The time fuzes were fired in 5 minutes, the percussion in 7 minutes. 
In addition to the actual losses in the pits themselves, it must be 
remembered that the ground in rear is, when time fuzes are used, 
covered for some hundred yards or more with effective fire. The 
bringing up of ammunition and replacing losses in the detachment 
would from this cause be a service of considerable risk. With 
percussion shell, however, since even the lowest bullets start with 
elevation, this advantage is entirely lost. 
When percussion shrapnel are used banks, the sides of ditches, and 
any slight inequalities of ground afford considerable protection to 
infantry and artillery. The searching fire of time shrapnel would suffer 
little loss from such obstacles. 
In support of this view, the practice at Okehampton (vide Report, 
p. 85) may be cited. The target was half a battalion in open attack¬ 
ing order, the firing lines kneeling and taking every advantage of 
cover which the broken and rocky nature of the ground afforded to an 
exceptional extent. The supporting lines were lying down. There 
were 103 dummies in the 1st line, 50 yds. interval between each line i 
the numbers in the 2nd and 3rd are not given. 
Percussion and time 
fuzes, 36 rounds of 
Result. 
each. 
1st line. 
2nd line. 
3rd line. 
Percussion. 
35 
1 
1 
Time ... 
44 
5 
1 
It is unfortunate that in the practice at shelter trenches (p. 83 of 
the same Report) the different effects produced by time and per¬ 
cussion fuzes are not distinguished. 
A small rise in front of an object is very prejudicial to the effect of 
percussion shell, since it absorbs much of the cone when the burst is 
close up; and when the shell strikes on it, it adds considerably to the 
angle of ascent and retardation from graze. Such a contour of 
ground, however, does not materially lessen the effect of time 
shrapnel, even if it does so at all. 
In the practice described at p. 81, Okehampton Report, the range 
was 1500 yds.; the target was a 16-pr. gun detachment of 8 dummies, 
with two 6-ft. x 6-ft. targets in rear, to represent the limbers with 
drivers dismounted. The gun was placed about 50 yds. in rear of a 
mound having a slope of 1 in 16 each way, with its muzzle just clear 
when laid point blank; the two targets were about 35 and 50 yds. 
respectively in rear. The ground was firm dry peat, with shale below 
25 
