THE ROYAL ARTILLERY INSTITUTION. 
41 
This shell went completely through every thing, much to the astonishment 
of every one present. It apparently penetrated the armour without breaking 
up, and burst when in the act of passing through the timber backing, most 
likely when approaching the skin, as the diameter of the hole in the skin 
was not more than 13 in., and the injury to the skin was confined to this 
hole. Portions of the shell and the piece of armour punched out by it were 
picked up at the back of the target; the timber backing was of course very 
much shattered, and one rib broken. 
Looking at the completeness of the penetration in this instance it may 
be fairly inferred that this shell would have gone clean through this target 
at any range up to as much as 1000 yards; but it does not follow, nor do 
subsequent experiments prove, that it would have done the same to a target 
composed of armour equal in quality to that upon the real “Warrior” ship. 
Whitworth Projectiles . 13th and 14th Nov. 1862. 
These experiments were made in continuation of those last recorded, and 
with the same guns, under the following circumstances:— 
A box target, presenting a front measuring 12 ft. by 9 ft. 6 in., and 
having an interior cubical space of 435 ft., was constructed for the purpose. 
The front was a target composed of three armour plates on backing, skin, 
and ribs exactly representing the backing, skin, and ribs of the “ Warrior.” 
The upper plate was 4J in., and was one of those which had been used on 
the original “ Warrior” target; therefore this portion corresponded in every 
respect with a ship of that class. The two lower plates were 5 in. thick, 
taken from the Samuda target, and therefore represented a ship's side 
stronger and heavier than that of the “ Warrior” by the difference between 
\ in. of iron and \ in. of teak, or about 18 lbs. per foot superficial. 
The box was placed in front of the old Committee target, which therefore 
formed its back, while the two sides, the roof, and floor, were composed of 
12-in. timbers, strongly bolted and secured. 
The principal object of the trial was to mark the effect of the Whitworth 
homogeneous metal shells constructed so.as to be capable of holding larger 
bursting charges than those used in September, and also to correct any false 
impressions caused by the very inferior quality of iron in the “ Warrior” 
target used on those occasions. 
Two flat-headed shells of homogeneous metal, weighing 151 lbs. each, 
with a bursting charge of 5 lbs., without fuzes, fired at a range of 800 
yards, with a charge of 27 lbs. of powder, giving a velocity at 780 yards of 
1175 ft., penetrated into the box; the one having punched a hole through 
the 4J-in. plate, the other through the 5-in. plate. In each case they made 
a hole of 10 in. diameter in the skin, carrying some splinters and fragments 
into what may be called the between decks. In the first instance the shell 
burst, evidently when passing through the timber backing, or rather too 
soon. In the second, it exploded rather later and did somewhat more 
execution; but the effect, in both cases, resembled that of a solid shot 
penetrating the target more than that of a live shell. 
A hollow cast-iron flat-headed shot, weighing 130 lbs., next struck one 
of the 5-in. plates, at a velocity of 1200 ft., and made an indent of 2*3 in., 
[vol. iv.] 6 
