The Sun.
London, England, 1870-08-12 00:00:00

EXPERIMENTS AT SHOEBURYNESS.

The much-talked-of trials of the Montigny mitrailleur
had a commencement on Thursday at Shoeburyness, in the
presence of a very large concourse of officers and visitors.
The results were highly interesting, but are as yet too in-
complete in their comparison with the field artillery and
ammunition at present in use in the British service to
warrant conclusions being drawn as to respective values.
The committee instituted for these experiments consists
of Colonel Wray, C. 8., R.A., president; Brevet-Colonel
Q. Shaw, R.A., Captain the Hon. F. Foley, R.N.,
Lieut.-Colonel H. C. Fletcher, Captain W. H. Noble,
8.A., members; and Lieut.-Colonel Heyman, R.A., secre-
tary. The programme laid down for Thursday was to ascer-
tain the relative power of the Montigny mitrailleur as
compared with the 12-pounder breech-loading rifled field
gun and the 9-pounder muzzle-loading (Maxwell) Indian
bronze field gun, for repelling an attack of infantry or
cavalry advancing in line or column. For this end a line
of thirty 9-feet targets, painted with the outlines of 150
infpntry in front of 90 cavalry, was planted on the marsh
and fired at from distances of 800, 600, and 300 yards.
In taking account of the targets the number of cavalry
and infantry put hors de combat are reckoned according to
the special nature of the wound inflicted, and the total of
hits is also recorded to indicate in another way the results
of the arm or projectile.
Series I.—Montigny mitrailleur, at 800 yards range,
volley firing. Six rounds got off in the two minutes.
Total hits, 110. Hors de combat 38 cavalry or 45 infantry.
Eight cartridges failed.
Series 2.—Montigny mitrailleur at 800 yards. Firing
more deliberate, like quick file firing. Five rounds in two
minutes. Total hits, 154. Hors de combat, 59 cavalry or
49 infantry. Three cartridges failed.
Series 3.—Muzzle-loading field gun, 9-pounder, at 800
yards, with Shrapnel fuzed with wood, time fuzes. Five
rounds in two minutes, of which one burst too short for
effect, and one burst through the target. Total hits, 118.
Hors de Combat, 24 cavalry, or 27 infantry.
Series 4.—The same repeated at 800 yards. Eight rounds
in two minutes. Total hits, 115. Hors de combat, 45
cavalry, or 51 infantry.
Series s.—Field gun breech-loading 12-pounder, with
segment shells and C percuFision fuzes, at 800 yards. Six
rounds in two minutes. Total hits, 38. Hors de combat, 21
cavalry, of 18 infantry. Two of the shells burst behind
the targets.

Serie'S' 6.—Field gun breech-loading 12-pounder, at 800
yards, with Shrapnel shells and time fuzes. Five rounds
in two minutes. Total hits,ls. Hors de combat, 8 cavalry or
5 infantry. Of these rounds two were 200 yards short,
two were over, and one nil from fuze blowing. All were
high in the air at the burst.
Series 7.—Montigny mitrailleur, at 600 yards. File
firing combined with horizontal motion. Six rounds in
two minutes. Total hits, 127. Hors de combat, 61 cavalry
or 51 infantry. Sixteen cartridges failed to be fired.
Series B.—Bronze muzzle-loader Indian field gun, with
Shrapnel and wood time fuzes, at 600 yards. Seven ronnds
in two minutes. Total hits, 283. Hors de combat, 68
cavalry or 88 infantry.
Series 9.—Breech-loader field gun, 12-pounder, with
Shrapnel and time fuzes, at 600 yards. Seven rounds in
two minutes. Total hits, 142. Hors de combat, 48 cavalry
or 58 infantry.
Series 10.-IVlontigny mitrailleur, at 300 yards. Five
rounds in two minutes. File firing with horizontal move-
ment. Total hits, 171. Hors de combat, 60 cavalry or 69
infantry.
After this ten case shot (120 balls) were fired from a
the
gun in two minutes, at 300 yards. It was too late in
the day to take account 01 the target, but the effect wag
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