216 
MINUTES OE PROCEEDINGS 
Shell, 
In September 1859, cast-iron shell (thickened considerably at the head for 
penetration) filled with sand, were fired with a 10 lbs. charge from Sir W. 
Armstrong's 80-pr. rifled gnn at iron plates attached to the scantling of a 
50 gun frigate; they weighed 78 lbs., and at 400 yds, range passed readily 
through 1\" and- 2" plates and the scantling; they were then fired at 8" 
plates, and out of four shells which were fired the Report says— 
“ Two were resisted (although they damaged considerably the plate and timber in 
rear) and two passed through the plate, but not through the scantling, fragments of 
the plate being driven into the timber to depths respectively of 12" and 14".” 
A service shell filled with sand, which was fired from a G8-pr. S. B. gnn 
with 16lbs. charge at a 2|"plate, indented it If", “but no portion of the 
plate was driven into the timber/' 
The Report further states,— 
“ In no instance, not even in the case of the l-§-" plates, Rid the shell pass through 
the plate entire, but in a broken form, and the contents of the shell were projected 
(in cases where the plate was pierced) into the hole made by the exterior portion of 
the shell.” “ In the cases w T here the shell passed through the plate and timber, the 
destructive effect was very great, far exceeding what would have resulted had the 
plate been absent; innumerable pieces of plate and shells of all dimensions up to 
10 and 15 lbs. weight, strewing the ground in rear of the target in all directions, 
the lateral spread being very great.” 
In all the subsequent experiments which were made at Shoeburyness it 
was found that cast-iron shell, whether filled with sand or live, were 
ineffective against iron plated structures, invariably breaking up, and merely 
causing a slight indentation or cracks to the plate struck. 
In the case of the “Warrior" target for instance, the record of the 
experiment shows the following results, as obtained from shell fired from 
the 110-pr. B. L. rifled gun, and the 68-pr. S. B. gun, at 200 yds. range. 
110-pr. 12 lbs. charge, shell filled with sand, weight 104 lbs. 1st round 
“ made very slight indent." 2nd and 3rd rounds struck close together “ made 
a small crack 5" long." Three rounds of live shell were fired from this gun, 
the record states in each case “ did no damage." 
Shell filled with sand, weighing 49^ lbs., and fired from a 68-pr. S. B. 
gun with 16 lbs. charges, only made an indent of 1*5", and the live shell of 
the same weight indented the plate l'S", and cracked it in several places. 
The shells themselves were always broken up. 
In consequence of these results no cast-iron shells have been used in any 
of the late iron plate experiments at Shoeburyness. 
Against brickwork faced with iron the following results were obtained in 
May 1861 
“The 110-pr. shell filled with sand penetrated all the plates except the 3^." 
The first shell that struck this plate did apparently no damage at all; it broke up 
making a small indent on the plate; another, however, on striking near the same 
place, broke half the plate away and exposed the masonry.” 
“ The live shell did very little damage when they struck the iron plate, not nearly 
as much as the blind shell, owing probably to its bursting before the whole of its 
force was expended on the plate; but when the shell struck where the masonry was 
exposed they caused great damage, and soon brought the wall and surrounding 
masonry to such a state that a few more shell would entirely have destroyed it.” 
