The Sun.
London, England, 1863-07-30 00:00:00

THE ARMSTRONG GUNS.

A very important parliamentary paper has been
issued respecting the arrangements between the
Government and Sir William Armstrong for the in
troduction of his artillery into the naval and mili-
tary services. The select committee appointed to
inquire into the expenditure incurred since the be-
ginning of 1858 on improved ordnance, whether
obtained by contract or manufactured in the Go-
vernment founderies, have presented a report dated

July 23, 1883. They state that the Armstrong gun
was first brought to the notice of the Government in
December, 1854, when the Duke of Newcastle (then
Secretary of State for War) gave Sir W. Armstrong
(then Mr. Armstrong) an order for a number of his
guns, not exceeding six, for trial. A three-pounder
was delivered in July, 1855, when Mr. Armstrong
forwarded a detailed report of the experiments he
had made. The subject was referred to the Ord-
nance select committee, whose report, though quali-
, fled, was in the main favourable to the gun, and

who desired to make further experiments. The gun
was re-bored up to a 5-pounder, and in December,
1856, was tried in the presence of Col. Eardley
Wilmot (superintendent, Royal Gun Factory), near
Newcastle, who reported, Dec. 30, 1856, that at
1,500 and 2,000 yards the gun had made remarkably
good practice. In January, 1857, a second gun was
ordered, to correspond as nearly as possible with the
service 9-pounder field gun. Experiments were
made with an 18-pounder in competition with a
service 32-pounder gun. The result was so satisfac-
tory that Lord Panmure said—" I am clearly of
opinion that this is a most valuable contribution to
our army. For all purposes of projection and accu-
racy of flight of the projectiles, the experiments are
conclusive. Further experiments should be made."
In 1858 the attention of General Peel, Secretary of
State for War, was directed to the circumstance that

we were behind other countries in not having any
rifled ordnance for field service. He accordingly
called upon Col. Lefroy, his scientific adviser, for a
report on all the experiments that had been tried on
rifled ordnance; and, in accordance with the recom-
mendation of that report, appointed a special com-
mittee to advise him as to the best rifled gun for
field service. This special committee came to the
conclusion that it was not expedient to incur the
expense of trying further experiments with any ex-
cept those of Messrs. Whitworth and Armstrong.
The experiments with the WLitworth gun were not
of as extended a character as those with the Arm-

strong. At that time Mr. Whit worth had not any
gun of his own construction, nor did he propose any
system of constructing guns. The committee ap-
pointed to investigate the question recommended the
Armstrong as the field gun of the service. A gua-
rantee was given to Sir W. Armstrong that he should
not be a loser by the expenditure of £12,000 on a
plant sufficient to enable him to turn out 100 guns a
year. This guarantee was afterwards increased; but
Lord Derby, in a letter addressed to General Peel
on the 18th of December, 1858, said that he should
rather doubt the expediency—in the present infancy
of the invention, and when, doubtless, time and ex-
perience will both suggest improvements and pro-
duce economy in manufacture—of pressing for the
immediate supply of a large number of guns, of the
first type and at the highest rate. He also sug-
gested that the first orders should be confined
chiefly, if not exclusively, to that class of guns, say
32-pounders, of which we have had sufficient proof,
and that we should defer any order for heavier guns
till they had been rather more tested. On the 15th
of January, 1859, Sir W. Armstrong assigned his
interest in all patents for, and improvements in, the
manufacture of ordnance to the Government. In
order to obtain as soon as possible a supply of Arm-
strong guns, it was decided to enter into arrange-
ments with a company set up at Elswick for the
manufacture of Armstrong guns and projectiles. A
guarantee was given to this company to secure them
against loss by the erection of buildings and machi-
nery, The Government undertook to keep them in
full work, but kept in its own hands the power of
terminating the engagement on the payment of com-
pensation. The necessities of the service requiring
a larger number of Armstrong guns to be provided
than were at first anticipated, the guarantee given
by Lord Derby's Government was increased, first
to £50,000 and then to £60,000. After Gen. Peel
left office Lord Herbert, in Oct., 1859, owing to the
increased pressure for guns, raised the guarantee to
its final amount of £85,000. This agreement was
terminated in April of this year, and £85,000 has
been paid to the company. Lord De Grey states
that value of over £19,000 in plant and stores has
been received. This would mske the amount paid
as compensation about £65,000. In the winter
of 1858-59, the Board of Admiralty, acting upon
the advice of Capt. Hewlett, R.N., of her Majesty's
ship Excellent, gunnery ship at Portsmouth, de-
cided upon the introduction of the Armstrong guns
into the navy for boat service; and in the summer
of 1859, the same officer having urged the im-
portance of introducing into the navy larger
calibres of Armstrong guns, the Board of Ad-
imnirtahletystrreoqnugeessttemd
athneneSre,ctroetasruyppolyf Sthtaetme,for.tWar,
se
little delay as possible, with a largeAt
g°°a• 40-pounder and 70-pounder Armstrong g
experiments
the same time careful and extensive
safe system of
were carried on to test whether any
be found, or
strengthening cast-iron
couldgunsoroheaper system of
whether any better, speedier,.ted
than that proposed
constructing rifled guns existed
aving been found
None.
by W. Armstrong.
, the Armstrong aye.
ember, approved
for nav
aolf
st
ehre.
within the period for inquiry,
adopted by the Government.
tam was completely
18.59, a committee, of which Sir
numberwi of
On September 24,
attarr. of the P was first extended to the 110
vice. The system
14th October, 1839. Thepolitical
necessities on the
of the day appear to have been so urgent
as not to allow time for maturing the design pre-
vious to its manufacture. In consequence of the
gst:::ga4mo
pressure which existed at that time the first 100 of
William ArhmstArorinn