106 
SHORT NOTES ON PROFESSIONAL SUBJECTS. 
The interior capacity of the English projectile is too small. As there are no 
means of enlarging it sufficiently without weakening the sides of the shell, the 
committee consider that the Palliser mode of casting should be restricted to the 
manufacture of solid shot. 
(5) The solid steel shot of Belgian casting were effective ; but if it is 
considered that two of them, fired against the Bellerophon target already weakened 
and partly disjointed by former rounds, were broken to pieces, although they struck 
close to the holes made by two former rounds, one must see that, for the present, 
at least, and without regard to future improvements in their manufacture, they 
cannot be placed in comparison with the Palliser projectiles. 
(6) To ascertain the influence which the thickness of the lead-coating has on 
the penetration, the committee fired a projectile of the Belgian casting against the 
Bellerophon target, with a charge of 21 kilogs. (46*8 lbs.) of large grained powder 
] 3 to 16 millimetres (0’52 ins. to 0-63.) By thus reducing the initial velocity, they 
hoped to be able to judge better of the influence of a thick lead-coating; but they 
were disappointed in this by the demolition of the target. 
(7) On examination, the results obtained in the practice against these two 
targets, prove that the holes made in the plates by the Krupp projectiles with thin 
lead-coating are relatively greater than those produced by the English Palliser and 
the Belgian steel projectiles. 
We say “ relatively” because the difference between the diameter of the hole 
made in the target by a Krupp’s shell and that of the shell itself is greater than 
the corresponding difference for an English or Belgian projectile.* 
This result was foreseen. When a thickly coated projectile strikes a plate with 
a sufficient velocity, the lead is torn off and the body alone of the projectile passes 
through the target. Part of the power is lost in the smashing of the projectile and 
in the stripping of the lead. The effective force on the plate depends then, in 
reality, on the weight, form, resistance and velocity at impact, of the body only of 
the projectile. 
The projections (for holding the lead-coating) on the projectile of the Belgian 
form diminish the penetration, since they strike against the edges of the hole made 
in the target. 
Besides, the diameter of the projectile is smaller at the head 2i 1 millimetres 
(8*32 ins.) than at the base 218 millimetres (8*56 ins.), and this difference must 
be torn away to enable the projectile to pierce through the plate ; from this source 
also power is lost. 
It is advantageous, then, to adopt the system of lead-coating with zinc 
attachment, and the exterior form of Krupp’s shell, the body of which has no 
projections. 
Krupp’s shell, not filled, weighing on the average 111 kilogs. (244 , 81bs.), is 
coated with only 7 kilogs. (15’43lbs.) of lead, or about Ath of the weight of the 
projectile; while for the Belgian and Palliser projectiles weighing amean of 128 
kilogs., (282T9 lbs„), the weight of the lead-coating is 17 kilogs. (37’48lbs.), or 
4th the weight of the projectile. 
* The diameter of the body of a Krupp’s shell is 217 millimetres (8*55 ins.); of the 
English projectile, 211 millimetres (8.32 ins.); of the Belgian, 210 millimetres (8 - 28 ins.) 
