home Anglo-Boer-War >> next << back
Military History – South Africa – Europe – England 19th Century
.Article – Online Historic Information | Military
.Page 11
6.35kg. Range: time fuse – 4,100 yards/3,750m; percussion – 5,600 yards/5,120m.
5-inch Howitzer: Weight of shell – 50lb/22.68kg. Range – 4,900 yards/4,480m. 5-inch gun:
Weight of shell – 50lb/22.68kg. Range: time fuse – 5,400 yards/4,940m; percussion – 10,500
yards/9,600m.
12-pounder (Long 12) Naval gun: Weight of shell: common – 12.5lb/5.7kg; shrapnel –
14lb/6.4kg. Range: time fuse – 4,500 yards/4,110m; percussion – 9,000 yards/8,230m.
4.7-inch Naval gun: Weight of shell – 45lb/20.4kg. Range: time fuse – 6,500 yards/5,940m;
percussion – 9,800 yards/8,960m. Range at 24 degree elevation – 12,000 yards/10,973m.
6-inch Naval gun (rail truck mounted): Weight of shell – 100lb/45.4kg. Range – 15,000
yards/13,750m.
See also:
Artillery, Boer; Colenso, Battle of; Magersfontein, Battle of; Scott, Captain Percy.
Reference:
Hall, Darrell, ed. Fransjohan Pretorius and Gilbert Torlage, The Hall Handbook of the Anglo-Boer
War (Pietermaritzburg, University of Natal Press, 1999).
Artillery Shells
Three types of shell were used in the war: common, case and shrapnel. Common shell was a steel
case filled with high explosive for use against defensive positions set off by impact with the target.
Case shot was a cylinder or case filled with metal balls. The case broke open on leaving the barrel
and sprayed the shot at random at anything or anyone in front of the gun. Shrapnel was a shell filled
with shot-like musket balls which was thrown forward by an explosive charge ignited by a time fuse.
Common shell was used by howitzers and the larger guns. The British used Lyddite in them, a
new explosive which was not very satisfactory, and which was replaced with TNT after the war,
when the shells became known as High Explosive shells. The design of shell cases led to their
remaining either largely intact or breaking into a few big pieces. Therefore a few, slow-moving
fragments were created which did minimal damage but made a lot of noise. More modern shells break
into innumerable fragments that move fast and far. The howitzers hurled their shell high in the air to
drop on the enemy while 155mm and 75mm guns fired in a flatter trajectory. The former were,
therefore, of greater use against entrenched positions provided the aim was good.
Case shot was recorded as having been used four times by the British and just once by the Boers
throughout the war.
Shrapnel was the invention of Lieutenant Henry Shrapnel of the Royal Artillery in 1784 and it
was first used by the British against the Dutch in Surinam in 1804. The shell has a time fuse at the
nose which is set at what is calculated to be the interval between firing and the arrival of the shell
some twenty feet (6m) short of the target. A charge at the foot of the shell goes off and the balls within
are thrown forward in an expanding cone of bullets. Assuming the time fuse has been
home
Anglo-Boer-War
>> next
<< back
Critical USA/EU Defense Intel Item / Threat Reporting Issue (Urgent for USA/NATO/German attention)
US/EU Investment & Security Risk – GBP Crash – ponzi ‘Rainbow Investment scheme ‘ – SEC insider Trading investigation
Additional Intel Details & Forecast(1 Year & 5 Year):
Industry : US & EU Defense
9/11 Attackers & Financiers : England(Prince Philip/Charles & Windsors)/Russia/China
Finance Source (9/11) : Diamonds via Anglo America plc / De Beers extracted SA & Namibia (ex German SWA) – Marketed China USA
Attack Co – Ordinators (9/11) : England -Windsors / Privy Council (UK)
Intelligence Intrusion Mgt/Blowback Suppression (9/11) : UK/England (MI5 & GCHQ – rainbow moles – Erik Ciaramella types )
Proxy Attack team(9/11) : Muslim “rainbow team” (non Christian) led by Mohammed Atta etc
Latest Defense Threat/Opportunity USA : Mi5/GCHQ “intel mole Erik Ciaramella unmasked” attempts to smear President Trump and enable corrupted $400million package to Ukraine
Latest Download Details :