Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1915-08-06

After Vimeiro little is recorded Of
the use OF shrapnel until the battle
OF Waterloo, following which hlstoF.
ic engagement Wellington said 10
Shrapnel, then colonel OF artillery,
that the shell that bore his name had
played a most important part In the
battle.
Napoleon, after the battle OF Vim
Giro, issued orders that all unexplnded
British shells found on the ield
should be carefully examined. but In
some way, never fully explained. the
order was apparently not carried out,
and Napoleon lost secre; that might
have prolonged his power for years,
The secret of the shell was abso.
lutely unsolvahle by the French
IN the Crimean war British artillery
declined to use shrapnel. despite the
fact that II had turned the day at
Waterloo. The French made spar.
ing use OF It, while the Russians, who
had never then heard OF II, naturally
trusted 70 the effectiveness OF the old.
time missiles. In the Civil war both
the Union and Confederate armies
used shrapnel, but II was not untll
1866 that the development OF the mis-
sile to its present deadly effectiveness
may be said 70 have got definitely un.
der way
1t was the PrusHianB who started Il.
and they continued TO improve the
missile until By the time the Franco.
Prussian war began II was one of tho
Prussian armys most effective weap'
ons. The Prussian shrapnel did tire.
mendous execution against the French,
especially az Sedan.
In the Russo-Japanese war both OF
the contending armies used shrapnel
with great effect, and again in the
Balkan wars OF 1919, the striking sue.
cesses OF the serblans. Bulgarians and
Greeks we're largely due to their spleu.
did French shrapnel-flring field pieces.
There are several types OF shrapnel
shells, among them the percussion
shrapnel." used for defense at short
range and in FIRE for adjustment It's
effect depends upon the range and
the nature Of the ground. II IL
effective against troops lodged In tall
timber. Masks, branches Of trees.
etc. frequently cause the premature
bursting OF these projectlles. On
striking. the projectile cuts a furrow
IN the ground and bursts two or three
meters beyond
Percussion shrapnel TO be effective
must burst Immediately in front OF the
target Its most effective employment
is against standing targets, They are
also more effective At long range than
Ia the time-shrapnel. Soft ground
newly plowed fields. terrain covered
with snow or underbrush. or a rising
slope diminish tho IRE effect. When
the angle OF fall II ten degrees or
more. half OF the bullets penetrate the
ground, and the remainder rlcochei
and pass on at a greatly reduced We
locity.
on the other hand, time-shrapnel is
fairly independent OF the terrain, The
bullets IN this type are imbedded 10 .
smoke.producing substance. making n
comparatively easy 10 observe the
burst for purposes OF adjustment The
extreme range at which this projectils
can BIO employed is fixed by the fa.
cility OF observing the fire and by the
remaining velocity Of the shrapnel bui.
let's. both OF which diminish "a the
range increases
Shrapnel IL most effective against
prone BkIrmiahers al ranges from J..
900 to 5000 meters. when burst as
TO 20 meters short Of the target. and
against standing skirmishers At the
same ranges when burst IS 70 45 me-
tiers short OF the target. Black also
points out that a single shrapnel from
light field howitzer produces . great,
or number OF hits when the point ~
burst Is fayorably situated than one
fired from field gun
shrapBel IL also playing a most I'm.
portant part IN aerial warfare. and 81
these antinircraf shrapnel. all Of
which embody the same general 81.
sentials. there is perhaps none more
effective than that known as CHR.
hardt antIaiTcraft shrapnel+