SHORT NOTES ON PROFESSIONAL SUBJECTS. 
49 
41. Experiments at Shoebtjryness. On February 20, 1868, practice 
was carried on from a 9-in. M.L. rifled 12-ton gun, mounted on a wrought-iron 
carriage, casemate slide (1867), at a moving target, to ascertain how many rounds 
could be fired at a vessel moving at right angles across the line of fire, at a range 
of 1000 yards. 
The racers allowed traversing of the gun so that the vessel was under fire for a 
distance of 750 yards. 
The detachment consisted of thirteen men under Lieut. Ellis, It.A., who laid 
the gun. 
The size of the moving target, 5 ft. square. 
The first round of each of the two series, was fired as soon as the moving target 
came into the line of extreme traversing. 
First Series:— 
Second Series * 
1st round 
0 
2nd 
a 
17 
3rd 
n 
. 1 
17* 
4th 
n 
1 
8 
5th 
n 
10 
Total .. 
. 4 
52 
t 
o 
1st round 
O 
2nd 
n 
. 1 
2 
3rd 
it 
,. O 
45 
4th 
ii 
. 0 
45* 
5th 
n 
. 0 
50 
Total .. 
. 3 
22 
moving at the rate of 3| miles an 
hour. 
Time occupied in firing 6 rounds. 
t moving at the rate of 7 to 8 miles per 
hour. 
Time occupied in firing 5 rounds. 
Ill the first series, the gUn was laid a-head of the moving target, and tVas not 
fired till the target had come up into line. 
In the second series the gun was laid almost on the target. 
Every shot would have hit a gun boat or even a man-of-war launch. 
The traversing of the gun was done by tackles, one treble 8-in. block. 
The gun charge, 3(3 lbs.; weight of plugged shell, 250 lbs. 
42. Practice Carried on at Shoeburyness, from a 12-in. 23 ton M.L, 
rifled gun, mounted on wrought-iron carriage and platform placed on a turntable, 
firing through a port representing a portion of an iron fort. 
Gun charge: 60 lbs. 
Projectile: plugged common shell, 600lbs. weight. 
* Hit target. 
