, 1875-10-13
SELF-SATISFIED.
from the Pail Mall Gazette.)

The military contributor of the Cologne
Gazette. referring to the trials which have
taken place this summer on Herr Krupp's
shooting ground at Visbeck, near DGlmen,
observes that it has now been proved that
even ironclads of the class of the Devasta.
ton would be powerless to force an en-
trance into a harbour guarded with the
new heavy guns worked by the German
Navy. 1.-THE condition" he proceeds, Gin
which the target, an iron plate 16 inches
thick, was left after IL shots from the
26.centimetre coil gun and 10 from the new
3O4-centimetre gun, shows that any further
strengthening of the iron plates of armour
ed ships would be f~ruitleSs. 1t appears
from the photographs taken of the target
after each shot that even when the firing
was only half over the target was q mere
wreck, so that a plate of is or 20 inches
would be equally incapable OF resisting
the new guns as the one on which the
experiment was made. These trials have
also proved that there is no necessity for
increasing the size Of our guns, as, If the
system of simultaneous discharges by means
of electricity were applied to tho guns on
our ironclads, "a and 26 centlmetre guns
would be sufficient to penetrate the strong
est plates known. How far the results
of the trials will have an influence on naval
construction remains to be seen. That in
fighting at close quarters q broadside fri-
gate firing it's guns simultaneously at one
point must produce O much more powerful
effect than a turret-ship, which can only
fire two guns at a time, is beyond doubt
The latter, however, ensures o more accu-
rate aim at distant objects, and it is there
fore probable that q certain number of
turret-shins will continue to be used in
our iron-clad feet The B6rSenzettung
says that the 26-centimetre Krupp, with
a charge of IS k~ilogrammes and q pro-
~iectile of IT'S kilogrammes, is now regarded
by the German Admiralty as the best ship
gun, and that the larger calibres of % and
3O1 centimetres will only be used for coast
d%efences. AS to the ships with 24-inch
plates, such as the new English turret-ship
Inhexible, Herr Krupp has already laid
before the German Admiralty plans for the
construction of guns with calibres OF 35'5
centimetres, 40 c~entimetres, and 46 CEN
timettes, the latter, at o distance OF 1000
PAGES, shooting through a 24-lnch plate
and its teak backing. Another powerful
gun which is to be used both on board
' ship and for coast defences is the 2s-centi-
metre howitzer. This gun is charged
with 30 kiIogrammes of p%rismatic powder,
and its projectile weighs 1872 kiIogrammes.
It's range at an elevation of % degrees is
$500 metres, and at so degrees $500
metres and lift be raised to an angle of
70 degrees, a projectile fired from it will
penetrate to depth of three metres, when
falling on a ships deck. The B5rsenzeitang
adds that the competition which has ex-
listed between the English and the. German
guns since 1863 may now be regarded as
definitely closed in favour Of the latter.
"The English guns have been driven sep
by step from the Continental markets, and
there is now not single State which will
use English guns for its navy or the Science
of it's coasts. Only the other day q. tfiat
took place in Japan of the English heavy
Woolwich guns and the German breech-
leaders, in which the former proved de-
cidedly inferior, and the English gunmakers
have thus lost their last customer except
Brasil a -fye