The Sun.
London, England, 1864-11-08 00:00:00

Artillery Experiments at Portsmouth.

The programme of the Special Whitworth-Arm•
strong Committee yesterday at Portsmouth con-
sisted of ricochet shell and shot firing from the naval
70-pounder rifled guns, to test the ricochet in water,
the guns being mounted on pivoting slide carriages
on the decks of the Stork and Earnest gunboats
the firing being und' r the direction of Captain
Astley Cooper Key, C. 8., commanding her Ma-
jesty's gunnery ship Excellent. There was also
some experimental fuze firing from the Armstrong
shunt■gun, in order to satisfy the Committee
whether the fault of the premature bursting lay
with the gun or the fuze. The gnnboats took the
Committee on board off Southsea beach at 10 30
a.m., and steaming out S.E. from the harbour the
practice was carried out over the Horse and Dean
Shoals, in the direction of Chichester and East
Wittering, with the wind at east, and a slight roll
of the sea, with the following results. Guns—
Whitworth, muzele-loader ; Armstrong Shunt,
ditto. Powder charge-101b. empty shell :
Time between Deflection of No. of Grazes
Gan. Ist &2d graze. Shot or Shell. Observed.
Seconds.

1 Whitworth .. 9 .. 13 deg .. Not taken.
2 Shunt .. 31 .. not taken ..
3 Whitworth .. 14 .. 1i deg
4 Shunt .. 111 .. 1 min 53 seo ..
5 Whitworth .. 17 .. not taken ..
6 Shunt .. 61 .. 3 deg
7 Whitworth .. 111 .. 7 deg
8 Shunt .. 6 .. 2 min 40 sec ..
9 Whitworth .. 11 . • 50 sec . •
10 Shunt .. 41 .. 3 deg ..
11 Whitworth .. 3} .. 3* deg ..
12 Shunt .. 8 .. 16 deg ..
13 Whitworth .. Ilf .. 14 deg ..
14 Shunt .. 4 .. 1} deg ..
15 Whitworth .. 31 .. 2 deg ..
16 Shunt .. 31 .. it deg ..
17 Whitworth .. * ..
18 Shunt .. 6 .. 1* deg
19 Whitworth .. 111 .. 8* deg ..
20 Shunt, not taken.

••
.. ..
••
01

•• ••

.. Not taken

Alternate firing with these two guns was then
commenced and carried out to the extent of 20
rounds (10 rounds each) with live shell, with
Boxer's fuze for the Whitworth, and Armstrong's
experimental faze for the shunt gun—in both in-
stances tho same description of fuzes that were used
with the same guns in firing shell at the Alfred
target ship on Friday :
Time between Ist
and 2d graze. Defleo ions. Remarks.
Seconds.
1 Whitworth, burst first graze.
2 Shunt .. 4} .... 3 deg
3 Whitworth .. 4 .... 3 deg .. Burst
4 Shunt .. 9 4 deg

Gan.

{ Burst 4 deg
5 Whitworth .. .... 11 deg .. high after
second graze
_ _

6 Shunt, burst prematurely at 20ft from muzzle
7 Whitworth .. 91 .... 71 deg
8 Shunt .. 1 1 deg .. Five grazes
9 Whitworth, burst on 2d graze ; sec between grazes
10 Shunt 4 .... 11 deg
11 Whitworth, burst first graze
12 Shunt • • 71 • ... 4 deg
13 Whitworth, burst first graze
14 Shunt • • • ... 1 deg .. Three grazes
15 Whitworth, burst first graze
16 Shunt .. 5 .... 11 deg
17 Whitworth .. 12 .... 8 deg
18 Shunt .. 7 .... 2 deg .. Two grazes
19 Whitworth, burst in flight after first graze
20 Shunt, not taken
With shot and 101 b charges of powder, five rounds from
each gun, gave the following results :
Time between
Gun. lbt .d graze. Deflections. Remarks.
b'econds. Observed.
1 Whitworth .. 6/ .. 4 min 30 see .. 2 grazes.
2 Shunt.. 13A ~ 5 deg .. 2 ..
3 Whitworth .. .. 11 deg .. 3 ..
4 Shunt .. .. 3 .. 21 deg .. 3 ..
5 Whitworth .. 6 .. 4 deg .. 2 ..
6 Shunt.. .. 9 deg .. 2 ..
7 Whitworth .. 3f .. 3 deg .. 5 • •
8 Shunt.. 4} .. 8 deg .. 2 ..
9 Whitworth .. 3 .. 21 deg .. 3 ..
10 Shunt.. 41 .. 9 deg .. 3 ..
With the Wedge Armstrong breechloader the practice
was as follows :

Empty Shell, 91b Charge of Powder.
Time between
Ist &2d graze. Deflections. Remarks.
Seconds, Observed.
1.. .. 4 .. 2 deg .. 4 grazes.
2•• •• .. 5/ 4. 5 deg .. 3 .•
3.. 61 .. 2 mill 30 sec .. 3 ..
4.. .. 7 .. 1 deg .. 2 ..
5 121 .. 5 deg; .. 2 ..
6 41 .. 41 deg .. 2 ..
7.. 81 .. 4 deg .. 2 ..
8 .. 4 .. 21 deg .. 4 ..
9 .. 12 .. 11 deg .. 2 ..
10 .. 81 .. 4/ deg .. 2 ..
Live Shell, Armstrong Experimental Percussion Fuze,
91b Charge of Powder.
Time between Ist
and 2d graze. Deflection. Remarks.
Seconds. Observed.
1 .. .. 8 .. 5 deg .. 2 grazes
2 .. .. 13 .. 51 deg .. 2 ..
3 .. 121 .. 4 deg .. 2 ..
4 .. 8/ .. 7 deg .. 2 .•
6 •• 1 .. 1 deg •• 7 ••
9 .. 3 deg .. 2 ..
7 .„ 5 21 deg • . 3 .•
8 .• •. •• 3 •• 3 deg • 03
9 •• .. 91 .. 9 deg .. ••
10 .. 61 7 deg .. 2 ..
With Shot, 91b Powder Charge.
Time between Ist
and 2d graze. Deflection. Remarks.
Seoonds. Observed.
1 .. 1 .. deg .. 3 grazes
2 .. .. 5 .. 41 deg .. 5 ..
3 .. 101 .. 8 deg not taken
4 11 .. 4 deg .. 2 grazes
5 .. 3 .. 4 deg .. 3 ..
Ten rounds with live shell from the shunt gun
with the ordinary pillar service fuze, and the Pet-
man fuze, as used for spherical shell from 63
pounder smooth-bore guns, having a bearing upon
the premature bursting of the shells from this gun
in the firing at the Alfred target ship on Friday
last :

Pillar Sure ice Fuze, 1011) Powder Charge.
Time between
Ist &2d graze. Deflection'
Rbesmeravrekds.
Seconds.
1, .. 5 deg .. 3 grazes
2. 111 .. 5 deg
3. •. • • 5 .. 2 deg. .. 3 ~
4. .. Burst prematurely outside gun's muzzle •
5. .. .. • . 11 .. 61 deg .. 2 „
Petman's Fuze, 91b Powder Charge.
1. .. •• 6± .. 5 deg
2. .. Burst first graze
3- •• •• .. 14 .. 15 deg
4... •. •. 7i •• 7 deg
5. • • 1 .. deg .. 4 11
Two rounds were fired from Mr Whitworth's
guns With three rifled spheres (each about 201 b.),