512 
GOLD MEDAL PRIZE ESSAY, 1879 . 
How to 
increase 
power. 
Nature of 
guns pro¬ 
posed. 
setting the fuze, and in laying. It is most important, too, that at 
an early period of the attack the bullets of the shrapnel should cover 
sufficient ground to embrace both skirmishers and supports of the 
infantry attack formation. The distance between these bodies cannot, 
in general, be increased beyond 300 yds., at the outside, due regard 
being paid to facility of reinforcing the front line. At 2000 yds. 
the shrapnel of the 24-pr. gun hereinafter proposed would cover 
340 yds. of ground, burst 20 ft. above plane. Within this range 
(2000 yds.) a considerable per-centage of casualties would be caused 
to supports 300 yds. in rear of the skirmishers, the shells bursting 
from 40 to 50 yds. in front of the latter. 
16. How, then, can we increase the power of the guns? We 
answer, increase the velocity and weight of the projectiles, and 
improve the fuzes and projectiles. By this means we shall gain that 
flatness of trajectory which has been so much insisted on as a neces¬ 
sity in the former part of this paper. Also we must have increase of 
weight of shell; as since artillery fire, however much improved, can 
hardly excel the smooth-bore in rapidity of fire, we must depend for 
increase of effect at short range, to a great extent, on increase of 
weight of shell. 
17. We advocate, then, the introduction of guns of the following 
description. Of course they must only be taken as rough sketches; 
but it is well to set up a standard of power, and we are convinced it 
is not beyond the bounds of possibility that the following may be 
attained, even with our present mechanical skill. 
Light Meld Gun. 
cwt. 
lbs. 
ins. f.s. 
cwt. 
7 to 8 
15 
3 1550 40 
34 to 35 
Heavy Field Gun. 
12 
24 
3-6 1550 to 1600 30 
42 
System of 
artillery. 
Q?he gun. 
The light gun above described will soon be approached in power by 
the new 13-pr., but increase in the weight of the shell presents such 
advantages that it would appear desirable to continue experiments to 
ascertain if improvements in construction and manufacture of carriages 
would not permit of such an increase of power. 
18. A system of artillery complete may be divided into four distinct 
parts—viz., the gun, the carriage, the limber, and the ammunition; 
and it is in this order that we propose to discuss the subject. 
19. We proceed then to discuss the question of the gun; and as 
the heavy one would present the greatest difficulties, we shall confine 
our remarks to it. If the problem above indicated—that is, to throw 
a 24-lb. shell with a muzzle velocity of 1600 f.s. from a 12-cwt. gun— 
had been propounded a few years ago, it would have been regarded as 
