292 
QUICK-FIRING GUNS IN HARBOUR DEFENCE. 
Smokeless 
Powder. 
Ships’ Fire 
at Present 
Superior in 
Volume. 
Reasons for 
Q.F. in S.S. 
cordite is 2150 f.s., so that we may fully expect to overcome a six- 
inch plate 1000 yards away, with this gun. With it 15 well-aimed 
rounds have been fired in 2 min. 52 sec., the laying being delayed 
by a head-wind which drifted the smoke straight back over the gun : 
under good conditions five aimed rounds have been fired in 301- 
seconds. Its effective range is from about 2400 yards up to 3000. 
The 6-inch quick-firing gun has a 100 lb. projectile, muzzle velocity 
1920 f.s. (with cordite 2250), giving a penetration of 14*3 inches of 
wrought-iron at the muzzle; 10 aimed rounds have been fired from 
this gun in two minutes. 1 
It may be considered certain that, as soon as possible, some smoke¬ 
less propelling agent will be introduced for all quick-firing ordnance ; 
cordite for them is still in the experimental stage. All difficulties in 
laying caused by smoke will then be removed; the above results in 
rapidity of firing were all obtained with smoke-producing powder. 
Almost all modern ships of war carry a number of these guns as 
auxiliaries to their main armament, and the secondary guns of some 
ships are to be or have been replaced by the heavy quick-firing guns. 
If, then, harbour defences are not provided with similar weapons, they 
will be placed at a disadvantage in fighting ships, for the ships will 
have the superiority as regards rapidity and volume of fire. On the 
other hand, shore guns of any description have many advantages over 
those on ship-board; they fire from a steady platform, their supply of 
ammunition may be practically unlimited, and when properly placed 
they offer a very small target : so that, if the shore defences be pro¬ 
vided with a quick-firing' armament to correspond with that already 
on the ships, it is very evident on which side the advantage will lie. 
Again, let us consider the purposes for which quick-firing guns were 
introduced info the Naval Service. These were :— 
(i.) To disable torpedo boats by piercing the boiler, &c. A 
quick-firing gun with flat trajectory, giving a large danger 
zone, best fulfils this object, as the target is small and 
moves quickly. 
(ii.) To render the service of guns in unprotected portions of 
ships an impossibility. The unarmoured portions of any 
ship are penetrable by the lightest guns, so that a piece 
capable of sending a dozen or so of destructive projectiles 
into them in the space of a minute was just what was 
wanted : and guns which can in the same time burst half- 
a-dozen shell of 45 or 100 lbs. weight amongst the guns' 
crews, at a much greater range, are likely to be even more 
effective. 
It is clear that if the seaman gunner strives to attain these objects 
when fighting a hostile ship, or endeavouring to keep off the enemy's 
torpedo boats, so also will the Coast Artilleryman when he has to 
engage an attacking or passing enemy's ship, or when defending a 
mine-field or landing-place ; and if the former finds quick-firing guns 
1 Its powers are equal to those of the service 6-mch gun. 
