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MINUTES OF PEOCEEDINGS OF 
setter and maul, a hollow cast-iron head being then screwed into the front of 
the shell. Fig. 15 shows an Armstrong 300-pr. steel shell with the cast- 
iron head unscrewed; these shells average about 30*3 lbs. in w r eight, and 
contain a bursting charge of 15 lbs. in the shell, and 3 lbs. in the cast-iron 
head. Fig. 16 is a sketch of the same shell after it had burst. 
Fig. 15. Fig. 16. 
I think the Armstrong shell is superior to the Whitworth for this reason : 
when an Armstrong steel shell strikes an iron plated structure, the cast-iron 
head breaks up, and the whole force of the explosion takes effect in the 
ship's side; and even when, as is sometimes the case, the shell does not 
burst, the damage to the timber backing &c. is very great, owing to the 
explosion of the bursting charge. 
With a Whitworth shell, however, owing to the front part being solid and 
the opening for the burster at the rear, if, as I have seen happen, the steel 
screw at the breech of the shell is blown out, before penetration is effected, 
the damage to the target is comparatively very slight. 
The early experiments with steel shell, viz. those fired from Mr Whit- 
■worth's 12-pr., 70-pr., and 130-pr. guns have already been described in 
Captain Inglis's paper,* and it will therefore be sufficient here to state that, 
at 200 yds. range, a 2|" plate backed by 12" of wood, can be penetrated by 
a live steel 12-pr. shell fired with a charge of If lbs.; and a 4" plate backed 
by 9" of wood can be penetrated by a 70-pr. projectile of this nature, fired 
with a 12 lbs. charge. At 600 yds. range a steel shell from the 70-pr. 
fired with a 13 lbs. charge, penetrated 4^ // of iron and 18" of wood, and 
shells of 150 lbs. weight, fired from the 130-pr. with a charge of 27 lbs., 
penetrated a “ Warrior" target at 800 yds. range. The bursting charge of 
the 150 lbs. shells was 5 lbs.; they did not break into many splinters, and 
the report says,— 
“ That the splinters did not appear to have much force or lateral action, for that 
in one. instance only was a piece driven with sufficient force to stick into a beam of 
timber.” 
And further that ~ 
“ Shells such as those used on this occasion would have, comparatively, little 
damaging effect on the guns or crew of an armour plated ship, and the holes made 
in the armour plates could be easily plugged up.” 
Since the date of these experiments a very different result has been 
obtained from the large steel shells, fired from Sir W. Armstrong's 
IQ‘5" and 13*3" rifled guns, the damaging pow r er of which, to iron plated 
structures, is exceedingly great. 
* Vide p. 37. 
