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

jectile. An English artillery officer
has written:
"Shrapnel realized that the effect
OF round shot cannon ballsl. impact
bombs. case or grape shot against
troops In the field was trivial His
idea was to increase the ranges OF
the most effective missiles. namely
case and grape shot, by producing a
collective fire at long distances.
Shrapnel therefore suggested hol'
low spherical projectile filled with
carbine balls and containing small
quantity OF gunpowder, just sufficient
to burst the shell, the explosion to be
timed ut short distance previous to
Its execution, by which means the
fire would be equally severe at all
ranges"
In 1887 the records OF the British
army state that Shrapnel in that year
described to General O'Hara, then
commanding at Gibraltar. "a new
method Of extending the use OF grape
or case shot to the utmost range OF
ordnance"
In 1902 Shrapnel's idea may be said
to have taken, for the first time. def.
mite shape. In that year there was
issued at Woolwich, England. q book
which embodied "a table Of practice
with Lieutenant shrapnel's proposed
new method of firing case shot" and
in that same year 1t is recorded that
Shrapnei exhibited the new shells
on Woolwich common, in the presence
Of his majesty the king and great
number Of general officers, and that
all foreigners were excluded" Among
the general officers was Wellington,
who was greatly impressed, but who
in later years changed to a certain
extent his opinion as to the effective
ness OF shrapnel in war
In 1903, and following the royal In.
spection of the new shells at Wool.
wich. Shrapnel was ordered TO Els
wick, there to superintend the manu-.
facture OF his spherical case shot for
immediate issue to the army"
In the following year shrapnel were
for the first time employed by the
British. The occasion was the bonn.
bardment OF the Batavian settlement
OF Surinam in the Dutch East Indies.
The time was the latter part OF April
and the year was 1904 A Major Will
son commanded the British artillery.
and II was under his directions that
the shrapnel shell was used for the
first time in history. After the bonn
bardment Major Wilson reported that
"shrapnel had SO excellent an effect
as to cause the garrison Of Fort Am.
sterdam to surrender after receiving
the second she'll" Major Wilson's re-
port continued:
The enemy was so astonished at
these shells as not To be able to ex.
plain how they apparently suffered
from musketry at SO great distance
az 1000 yards"
Two years passed before shrapnei
was again mentioned In official rec.
ords. II was at Calabria in 1906.
when a force of 1000 British troops
defeated a force of 5000 French Ad.
miraI Sir Sidney Smith. commanding
the British naval force on Calabria.
WItHeHBBu THO enlargement fta bups
sequently wrotei
1T was evident that the shells Of
Colonel shrapneTs invention, when
burst in their flight and short of their
objects. as they ought to be. did
great execution
So impressed was the admiral that
he asked the admiralty to issue ahrap.
mel to the navy. but his request was
refused. whereupon Sir Sidney man
aged to get some of the shells by pay.
ing for them out Of his own pocket.
In February. 1907. he successfully
used the shells IN the landing Of a
division In the Dardanelles
The victory OF vimeiro. In the PENN
sula war, was largely due to shrapnei.
when al the critical moment Of that
battle the British artillery opened A
shrapnel fire. using their nine.pound.
ers. and routed the French infantry
The French could not understand
where the little balls came from. and
the soldiers swore that devils were
In the British shells %