LYD1) EXPERIMENTS, 1890. 
37 
minutes, the effect of the former was such that a continuance of its 
fire would have thrown open the interior of the work within a very 
short time. It is, at the same time, a matter for consideration whether, 
except under peculiar circumstances (such as the presence at a given 
spot of a disappearing gun), the mere breaching of a parapet at one 
place is worth the expenditure of 80 rounds of 50-lb. shell. 
Attention having been called to the fact that any gun emplacements 
which might be in rear of such a parapet would have been rendered 
quite untenable by (presumably) a comparatively small number of 
shell burst in and on the parapet, since the splinters of the common 
shell were observed in this practice to exercise destructive effect 
within the work, further experiments were carried out as follows— 
Series ( 0 .)—A trial of the effect of common shell on men and 
material behind parapets of various profiles. 
This practice was carried out against two targets, parapets of 
medium earth, of which the profiles were suggested by Major Savage, 
R.E. 
(1.) Target: parapet 15 feet thick at top; superior slope £ ; 
exterior slope J. 
Twenty dummies were placed close to the interior slope of the 
parapet, a row of six-feet targets stood four yards, and a row of nine- 
feet targets 24 feet in rear. 
Fifteen rounds of common shell (eight cast-iron and seven forged- 
steel, Mark IV.), at 1200 yards, were fired from the 5-in. B.L.R. gun, 
and fifteen rounds of common shell (seven cast-iron and eight forged- 
steel), at 2500 yards. 
The dummies received 46 hits, while both rows of targets were 
riddled. 
It is evident that a parapet of this profile and thickness affords no 
protection to troops standing in rear against the shells of a 5-in. B.L. 
gun, but, on the contrary, tends rather to assist the effect of fire, as it 
enables the shell to be burst at an effective distance. 
(2.) Fire with the 20-pr. B.L. and the 12-pr. B.L. guns against a 
parapet 15 feet thick at top, having a superior slope and an exterior 
slope as above. 
N.B.—Owing, it is presumed to an error, this parapet was made 15 feet 
thick in place of nine feet, as suggested by Major Savage, E.E. 
The 20-pr. B.L. gun fired 15 rounds of forged-steel common shell, 
at ranges of 1200 and 2500 yards. 
Effect—Only four dummies were hit; the damage done to the row 
of nine-feet targets was caused by three shells which burst on the row 
of six-feet targets, and should not, therefore, be taken into account. 
These guns were evidently unequal to their task. It is a matter of 
opinion how far this failure is due to the (unintended) thickness of 
the parapet, and how far to the fact that forged-steel common shell are 
not suited to guns of such small calibre, since, as is noticed by the 
Experimental Officer, such shell break up into a few large pieces, 
and, therefore, produce little effect. 
Series (I .)—A further test of the value of the observation and cor- 
