The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1914-09-24
WORK Of SHRAPNEL
One OF the Most Dreadful lnStru'
ments of War.
Properly Fired, II Distributes a Large
Number Of ProJectlles, Each One
of Which is Capable Of Kill
Inc a Man.

Is one Of the dread instruments OF pat
tla. It's wounds ore uglier than those
made by bullets flying at ripping
speed from the barrels Of high-power
rifles. 1t may not kill so many men
as rifle bullets, but it is deadly enough
1t is q mankiller that represents the
highest art and attainment In nelo
cannon ammunition, and where it does
not kill its threat is SO menaclng tha'
1t tends to break down the morale OF
seasoned troops.
The popular understanding OF
shrapnel, at least In the United STATES
where military education or instruc
ton has been limited to small par'
of the population, is meager ana DE
fective. The average man has hearo
Of grape and canister. The genesis OF
the shrapnel may be found In those
forms of ammunition. Canister was
fired from smoothbore guns and the
dispersion of the shots began direct
ly on leaving the gun, so that II Was
effective only at short ranges. The
shrapnel is effective at any range
within the power of the gun, though
its maximum of effectiveness depends
on the interval of the burst, the height
Of burst and the angle of fall. The
height of burst can be controlled al
the gun and the slope of fall is de
pendent on the range, the slope in
creasing with the range.
Capt. William !. Westervelt of the
United States artillery, in little pub
lication issued by the war department
entitled "Gunnery and Explosives fol
Field Artillery Officers" says:
The attack OF personnel would be very
difficult matter without shrapnel. The
high explosive effect of percussion shell
is restricted to a very small area, where
as the shrapnel, burst properly in air
distributes a large number OF projectiles
each one OF which is capable OF killing
man or horse at reasonable distances
from the point of burst.
The shrapnel case is the vehicle for the
transfer of the shrapnel balls from CUR
to bursting point. At this point the pow
der charge in its base is ignited and the
balls are driven out with Increased velo-
city and initial direction. The pro1ectile
has motion of rotation due to which tine
balls are thrown away from the traJec'
tory which the shrapnel would have fol
lowed had it not burst In the air. Inc
path of all the shrapnel balls taken col
Iectively form cone called the cone OF
dispersion The ground section or TINS
cone is an irregular oval with Its longer
axis approximately in the plane OF nre
The dimensions Of this section will vaiy
with the angle Of fall, the height Of burst
the slope of the ground and the relation
between the linear and rotational Yelocl-
ties at instant of time OF burst.
The shrapnel case is of steel, with a
solid base. Around 1t is a copper band
called the rotating band" which
when the case is forced through the
gun. takes" the rifiing of the gun and
gives to the shrapnel the rotary mo
ton which keeps it true on its course
In the base of the steel case, which Is
cylindrical with a pointed head, is a
charge OF powder called the bursting
charge. In front Of that is thick
steel disk called diaphragm, and in
front of that are 252 lead and anti
mony balls. each of i67 grains weight
These balls are imbedded in matrix
once called a "smoke-producing ma
trix," that the point of burst might be
seen from the gun, but lately that
matrix has been replaced with one OF
a high explosive.
In the head of the steel case is a
mechanical fuse, known as a ring OF
dial fuse, in which the time train is
set by turning a graduated ring which
carries part of the time train. The
time action of the fuse is set in oper
alton by the firing of the gun. Run
ming through the center of the mass
of balls and their matrix from the
bursting charge in the base OF the
case to the fuse is a slender steel
tube. When the time train in the fuse
has burned the number of parts OF
seconds required for the given range
flame passes back through the steel
tube. igniting the bursting charge
which forces the steel disk forward
carrying the shrapnel balls before II
and stripping off the fused head of the
shrapnel case. If the fuse has been
set for a greater number of sixths OF
seconds than required for the flight
from gun to target the shrapnel bursts
on impact with the effect, or nearly
the effect, of high explosive shell
The matrix around the balls which q
few years ago was aaphthaline, pro
ducIng a ball of dense, white smoke al
the point where the shrapnel burst, is
now high explosive called trinitro
toluol, an explosive formed by acting
upon toluene with nitric acid.
The shrapnel may be burst at any
part Of its path desired, but is most
effective if burst three yards high al
1000 yards range, six yards high al
1000 yards. nine yards high at 5000
and IL yards high at 1000. The front
swept by the balls is 20 yards wide
and the depth of the zone covered de
ponds on the steepness with which the
shrapnel is coming down at the end Of
its path and that steepness increases
as the range is heightened. The burst
ing charge In the shrapnel balls gives
to them velocity of about 400 sec
ond more than the unbursted shrapne
had, so that the velocity of the balls
at the end of the longest range of the
gun is great enough to kill man ol
horse.