Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-05-07
Bf SIR GEORGE GREENIIILL.
International Nova Rmreanl

u.
lie progress dc rartillerie est lie
progress dc la civilization" Napoleon
wrote. Ana this sort of progress has
made a giant stride in the last few
days. Paris at the moment is under a
bombardment from q gun located at a
range OF 10 'kilomcters, or sevcnty-f five
miles. Fragments OF the projectilc re-
veal Il caliber of $40 milli,neters, or
80 inches, practically the caliber Of
the gun employed By US thirty wears
ago in the Jubilee experiments at
Shocburyness.
These experiments were sanctioned
in 1887 with the object Of testing the
ballistic tables and artillery theory Of
the day. in long range fire, as long as
was then obtainatlc. our gun was
elevated to 80 degrees. and ired "A shell
Weighing $50 pounds. with 1 muzzle
velocity Of about 400 feet per second
and the range measured was over
1000 yards, twelve miles On
Galileos theory, and in the absence of
air resistance. this velocity would send
the shot TO nearly thieefold this range
go that the great influence is revealed
OF the resistance of the air although
the shot must have been sailing along
for the most part at height OF two
or three miles. in air OF nearly half
the density here on the ground. IN
calculations OF long-rangc fire. this
correction for tenui,y Of the air is i'm
portant. and the labor IS thereby much
increased.
Calculations before hand were in
vitcd in 1887 to predict the range to be
expected. with the conditions of being
deposited before the gun was fired
The result obtained by Lieutenant
Wolley bod, r. A, was in very salts
factory accordance with the actual
practice. as he had made careful al
lowance for tenuity. \ description of
his calculation will be found in the
Official Textbook Of Gunnery," 1902
This was +" the muzzle velocity o4OO
feet per second. considered very high
thirty years ago. But to-day we have
a gun of the same caliber to throw
its shot to sxfold range: and il we
assume with Calico that double
velocity will throw to fourfold range
the German gun must give velocity of
something approaching 5000 feet per
second. This may be reduced to 5000
or less. if the projectiic is almost solid
Ike shot, with more weight TO over
come air resistance. The gun, too, NAV
be elevated TO 15 degrees and over SO
as TO clear more quickly the dense
ground air. and reach the attcnuated
strata for its horizontal flight, sailing
aiq--s at height OF nearly twenty
miles.
These are problems which must have
fascinated the young German "wolley
Dods.' students of the Berlin Militar-
Technische Academic, not only for the
exterior baliistic science Of the fight
or the shot in the air. but more SO for
the oificulties of internal ballistics, in
,he design of gun and it's charge, TO
impart the incredible velocity of 5000
feet per second.
And IL he does not stop there, but Is
prepared TO promise doubled velocity
again and a fouffold range OF 300
ih'lea' what is to prevent London from
being bombarded from Ostend, or
Cologne from Dover? The artillery
enthusiast may then indulge in some
mathematical amusement by treating
the shot as II IL were an independent
satellite moving in a radiating field Of
gravity in an elliptic path, appreciably
inherent from the parabola of Calico
SHELL WITHIN a SHE'LL
THEORY HAS BEEN ADVANCED
theory has been advanced that the
she'll carries another she'll in its in
sac which 1t elects AT midrangc This
appears useless and dangerous com
phcation, and does not fit in with the
description OF the French expert OF the
grooves OF rihing TO be seen on frac-
rnents OF the she'll.
our Jubilee experiments came to a
sudden. mysterious end, just as the
scientihc interest was beginning. The
otlciai reason assigned was that tho
results would never be of any military
value but there is evidence Of timid
acquiescenc in legal influence. as II
was feared that the lord Of the manor
OF the foreshore would claim large
compensation for trespass, the shot
sailing two or three miles high over
his privilege
Sut the German kept a careful watch.