John Breed, Diary and Training diary, item 130

• March 30, 2017 02:39:19 Cheryl Ellsworth

  High-Explosive Shell
  

       This is the ideal projectile for making

  direct hits on shielded guns.

  A H.E shell is a thick steel case filled with "Picric acid"

  also called Lyddite, Melinite, Pertite, or shimose.

  
  

  A percussion shrapnel, if it strikes the shield but not the

  gun or carriage, bursts several feet in rear, and is

  comparatively ineffective. But a H.E. shell if it strikes

  any part of the equipment detonates on impact, it disables

  the gun and possibly the wagon beside it, and kills the who

  of the detachment, on the other hand the effect against troops

  in the open is very slight as the effect is only local, and

  if the shell bursts on the ground most of the splinters go up

  in the air. It is therefore a very open question whether Field G

  should carry HE shell, most foreign nations have decided

  in the affirmative, and carry only from 15 to 30 per cent of

  HE Shell.

  We rely upon our powerful 18 Pt shrapnel and expect to disable

  guns with it even if it takes twice as many hits to do so as with

  HE shell. By this we simplify our ammunition supply and are

  able to carry an increased number of shell which are effective against

  troops in the open

Description