Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-05-04

out and dead gull dropped into the
water
The tweive-inch gun. or rifle is not con
sidered as deadly the mortar II has
and fires the same prOjectile-but must
move vastly greater speed. II has
nat trajectory. while the mortar goes up
in the air and drops upon the ship.
Capt Behr's photographs OF the twelve
inch rife in action show the position OF
the proiectile in the air. This twirls
rapidly and IS intended 70 strike thu
ship with it's axis parallel TO the earths
surface The projectile seen In the pio-
ture moving at speed OF 2.25o
feet per second. about 500 miles per
hour Ii was aimed at target nearly
ten miles away. Despite the great speed
of the shell. IL required nearly a minute
for il 70 reach the target.
Recent developments in photography
have opened up field OF experimentation
to army and navy officers in the science
OF ordnance which has In the past been
I'm absolute darkness. Because OF long en-
deavors and by the process Of elimination
the glnnery experts have been able to do
certain things with steel and powder, 1t
has been a case OF We know that IL VIII
do il, but we know not why nor how.
1t is the fondest hope OF the War De-
partment that Capt. Behr will succeed in
unraveling more ordnance mysteries. The
problem next to be tackled is. What does
a twelve-inch shell do when IL strikes ar
NOR. what and how does the steel act
during the instant Of penetration. and
what happens TO the shell just after Il
exploGes ?"
with its electrical appliances. 10 either
the navy proving ground at Indian Head.
Nd, or t. the Sandy Hook proving
ground in New Jersey, where these facts
will Ar.e
be placed a few feet from the armor
plate and of to one side. The projectle
will open and close the shutter by pass
ing through screen and releasing
electric current. series of these photo
graphs is expected TO clear up a mystery
There will be shown pictures OF the shell
just before IL hits the armor. just as IL
strikes. just after IL has entered the
NOR and after II has passed through.
Pictures will also be taken OF the burst
ing shells.
There are many things about flying
shell that are unknown. II is matter
for controversy as to whether after
reaching the high point in it's trajectory
the shell turns point downward and
strikes at an angle. or always remains
with its long axis parallel TO the earth's
surface.
An armor-piercing projectile. with the
hardest nose or point, viii itself not pene-
trate armor. II must be capped with
steel of the softest nature. This seems
like a paradox, but there must be a rea-
son for it. At present nobody knows the
reason. Ii is described by an interesting
experiment A needle can be driven into
a block of oak III the needle 10 first driv-
en- through a cork. IL an attempt Is
made to drive the needle into the wood
without the supporting cork il will be
shattered.
of the soft metal may be except as TO the
friction on the shell while travelling
through the air. 1t will penetrate steel
armor just surely il the point of the.
soft cap be fiat or sharp.
So men will see through the eye Of the
camera things that would have remained
hidden forever. despite scientific re-
search. and which may revolutionixe the
from the armor plate the camera will
show with mathematical precision by
what process the modern high-power shell
plows its way through Harveyized steel
Fragments of broken shell which failed
to pierce the armor plate lead ordnance
experts to expect great scientific dis
coveries. The negative showing pieces OF
a burst shell. one five-thousandth Of a
second after il has burst, will be worth
its weight I'm gold. From it science may
discover a way To make steel strongerl
1t may discover unknown defects in the
modern hardening and tempering proc
esses.
Science ia a strange master. Thousands
have given their lives in it's service.
Science must know everything no matter
what the ultimate cost. Science is now
clamoring to know whether shell enters
the plate revolving fiercely or just plunges
in and plows through
1t has been commonly stated that
shell is heated red hot while crashing
through a piece of armor plate. 1t has
also been stated that a shell is made red
hot because of the friction Of the air.
All of these apparently insignihcanI
points. 1t is hoped, will be cleared up by
Capt. Behr's photographs.