THE ROYAL ARTILLERY INSTITUTION. 
47 
REMARKS ON THE SYSTEM OF ORDNANCE CALCULATED TO PROVE THE 
MOST EFFICIENT AGAINST IRON CLAD SHIPS AND BATTERIES. 
By Lieut.-Colonel BOXER, R.A., E.R.S. 
SUPERINTENDENT ROYAL LABORATORIES, ROYAL ARSENAL, WOOLWICH. 
Sufficient experiments have not yet been made, to determine the pene¬ 
tration of Rifle projectiles into the different materials employed in the 
construction of ships and land batteries; or, to ascertain the circumstances 
under which the new system of artillery will have advantages over the old in 
respect to penetration. Still we may learn much by a due consideration of 
the general principles which govern the motions of, and effects produced by, 
projectiles whether rifled or otherwise; and, indeed, enough to shew con¬ 
clusively that—so far as concerns the effective power of artillery against that 
new mode of construction which must eventually supersede all others, namely, 
the employment of wrought-iron plates to cover ships and permanent land 
batteries. The arrangement carried out in smooth-bore ordnance, in respect 
to the proportional weights of charge and projectile , will be found superior to 
that adopted with rifle guns. 
It is not necessary to enter into any elaborate investigation of the subject, 
in order to prove what is here advanced; and the following simple explana¬ 
tion may perhaps serve to elucidate sufficiently this important problem. 
It may be fairly assumed, that to engage a properly constructed iron-clad 
battery with any reasonable chance of success, the attack must be made at 
very close quarters; in fact, at a range where, practically, little or no advantage 
would be gained by the use of rifled ordnance in respect to accuracy of fire 
and retardation by the resistance of the atmosphere. It remains, therefore, 
only to be considered, what combined arrangements as regards charge, weight 
of projectile, and diameter of bore, will be most effective against the opposing 
shield under these circumstances. 
Although no definite limit can, at present, be laid down, either as to the 
weight of the gun, the intensity of strain to be resisted, or the amount of 
recoil, still there must be a limit in relation to all these particulars, which 
it would not be advantageous to exceed. 
Let it be assumed for the sake of argument that, under all the cir¬ 
cumstances attending the manufacture and service of the gun, the following 
is the maximum that can be allowed :— 
(1) Ten tons for weight of gun. 
(2) Such a strain as would be produced by projecting a sphere of iron 
weighing 150 lbs. with a charge of 50 lbs. of powder, and 
(3) A recoil in the gun equal to that due to the above weights of charge 
and shot. 
The desideratum is, to produce the desired results in the simplest, most 
effectual, and economical manner, with those means which are likely to be 
