THE FIELD ARTILLERY OF ITALY. 
229 
At ranges under 2000 metres (2187 yds.) common shell conld always 
be usefully employed against any object whatever; but in the case of 
troops under cover, lines of skirmishers, or artillery either in motion or 
in action, it is preferable to employ shrapnel. 
Case shot is for short distances, and to repel sudden attacks on 
the battery; it is of no value at distances greater than from. 300 to 
400 metres (328 to 437 yds.), and it is consequently very rarely 
employed. 
The following is a table showing the effect produced by the different 
species of projectiles :— 
TABLE I. 
Common shell. 
A al 
s’" ^ 
jj a ® 
it 
O pH 
Range. 
Mean derivation. 
^ o 
».|p 
Per-centage of hits 
on a company. 
ifH 
n, S Ol . 
is 
tl 
_ CO -H^> 
O CD 
tH Is fcuc 
■gew ^ 
rP 0 2 
Hori¬ 
zontal. 
Vertical. 
05 i"P . i 
2 Cm 
goj 
Ph 
CO 
De¬ 
ployed. 
Close 
column. 
6%$ S 
IS 
o 
yds. 
109 ... 
ft. 
ft. 
yds. 
389 
219 ... 
— 
— 
— 
— 
— 
— 
309 
328 ... 
— 
— 
— 
— 
—, 
— 
240 
437 ... 
— 
— 
.— 
— 
— 
— 
207 
547 ... 
1-7 
1-8 
103-0 
100 
— 
101 
116 
875 ... 
1-8 
2-3 
54-6 
95 
— 
— 
— 
1093 ... 
2-7 
2-9 
39-3 
83 
95 
125 
— 
1313 ... 
3-4 
3-6 
30-5 
66 
86 
—i 
— 
1640 ... 
4*2 
4-7 
22-3 
45 
70 
67 
— 
1968 ... 
— 
— 
17-0 
29 
55 
— 
— 
2187 ... 
4-8 
8-1 
14-5 
23 
47 
57 
— 
2406 ... 
— 
— 
12-7 
— 
41 
— 
— 
2734 ... 
— 
— 
10-1 
— 
34 
— 
— 
3062 ... 
— 
— 
7-5 
30 
— 
— 
— 
3280 ... 
— 
— 
7-0 
— 
— 
— 
— 
5640 ... 
16-4 
128-0 
A 
A 
— 
A 
— 
When these experiments were made, the graduations of the time fuze 
for the shrapnel shell had not been definitely settled. 
At the extreme range—viz., 5640 yds.—the sides of the rectangle 
which contains all the hits are 23 and 167 ft. 
It is very plain that at 547 yds. range no troops could possibly 
remain in position under the fire of the gun of 7*5°. At 1093 yds. no 
column could deploy, whatever arm of the service it belonged to. If 
the ground were favourable, a column might attempt to advance very 
rapidly, but when deployed it would receive 83 per cent, of the frag¬ 
ments, and in close column 95 per cent. These figures hold equally 
good for cavalry and artillery. At 1640 yds. artillery would experience 
great difficulties in deploying and in coming into action, and infantry, 
in advancing in column of companies; the latter would receive 70 per 
cent., and the former 50 per cent, of the hits. 
At 2734 yds. only could the battalion march in column with any 
security. The 7’5 C gun can therefore open an effective fire with common 
shell against a regiment in line at 1640 yds., and in column at 2400 yds.* 
and against a battery at 1968 yds. 29 
