426 
THE BATTLE OE THE VELOCITIES. 
is not, I think, unfair to assume a difference of 5 cwt. in favour of the 
lower velocity. 
10. This charge is only too well supported, and so long as we con¬ 
tinue to use nose fuzes there seems little chance of improving the 
performance of the high velocity gun in this respect. 
Two remedies have been suggested :— 
(a.) The base fuze. Assuming the bad performance of the nose 
fuze to be due to irregular air-pressure, a fuze in the base of the shell, 
where the air-pressure is almost nil and consequently its variations 
infinitesimal, may be expected to act well. It has several advantages 
over the nose fuze, one of which is its convenience for use with a base 
burster. The principal reason for its non-adoption seems to be a 
prejudice against shell containing their own means of ignition. This 
prejudice-—which is not shared by the Navy—would seem to be rather 
a reflection upon our manufacturing departments. 
(£.) The distance or mechanical fuze. This fuze, if it could be 
made to act, would burst the shell to a yard at any required point. 
But until there shall arise in the Regiment a mechanical genius imper¬ 
vious to official snubs, it must remain a dream of the future. 
11. Compare Columns II. and V. of the table. The difference in 
angle of descent of lowest bullet is 1°26', 1° 29', and 1° 52', at the 
three ranges respectively. These angles are too small to make any 
appreciable difference. 
12. If it were required, a Lyddite or gun-cotton burster would 
tear the tough steel shell into toothpicks. But the nations most 
advanced in Artillery science, as Italy (and, I believe, Switzerland), 
have preferred to do away with F.S. common shell altogether. Its 
uselessness against troops, earthworks, and materiel is recognised, and 
percussion shrapnel, with the bullets set in smoke-ball composition, is 
found to answer equally well for ranging purposes. 
13. The evil effects of this were demonstrated by Colonel Nicholson 
(“Proceedings,” April, 1889), who worked out the formula for the 
angle of divergence, and proved the scattering effect of the head 
burster. When, however, in his formula we substitute an increase of 
velocity of 200 f.s. for a retardation of 133 f.s., we obtain the angles 
given in Column V., in which the disparity between high and low 
velocity is much reduced. The H.Y. angles are still slightly larger 
than is desirable (vide Column IX.), but a further increase in bullet 
velocity of 50 f.s. would bring them within the required limits. 
To avoid misapprehension, it should be pointed out that the slightly 
closer shooting of the 1500 f.s. gun, as shown in Columns XIL-XIV., 
does not argue any greater efficiency. The best effect is produced 
when the distribution is such as to allow one bullet per man, and when 
firing at infantry in line this result is usually attained by a burst about 
50 yards short. As the L.Y. gun shoots 10 per cent, closer than the 
other it follows that its shell should be burst 10 per cent, further from 
the target to produce the same effect, 
