BIG-GUN FIRING

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 119, 21 May 1914, Page 8

BIG-GUN FIRING

AT WRECKED LINER DEVON WHAT THE GUNS CAN DO. After ha\ing stood the battering of tho waves since she went ashore at Pencarrow Heads on, 2sth August last and being now very much Ices than a A\hole e>hip as i\ result, the wrecked eteamer Devon will be called upon to-morrow to put up with a further ordeal in the form of a bombardment with lyddite and* common armour piercing shell from the big guns, the Gin mark Viii.'s, at Fort Dorset. The -cannonade will be commenced, at 10 o'clock in the presence of Sir lan Hamilton, Inspector-General of the_ Overseas Forces, and if the weather it, fino should prove an impressive s-pec-ta,cl6, which can be viewed by tlie public at large from tho hills overlooking tho fort, near Sealoun. The practice will give some idea of the olfect of modern gun fire on ships. Owing to the fact that the Devon is now practically a shell, the effect will not be such as would be expected were she an armoured vessel, but it is hoped, by aiming at the nngines to obtain the resistance necessary for the best results possible. The following is a short description of the gun, shells, and, ammunition that will bo used :—: — The gun is known as B.L. 6in Mftrk VII. ; its weight is. approximately, 7 tons, length over all about 22ft 6in'.' It is h wire gun on the most modern type, the breech being closed by an interrupted screw breech block provided with a lock suitable for firing by means of electric wireless. The" breech mechanism is actuated by a single motion lever, a shot guide, tube extractor, and the lock working automatically. This enable 3 a high rate of fire, to be attained, from 6 to 10 rounds pev minutes, as against one round with older types of 6in guns. With full charges the projectile leaves the gun at the rate of about 2500 ft per second. When using armour-piercing projectiles this would give a penetration of about 15in of wrought iron, or about half that thickness of modern armour at 4000. The weight of the projectile for this gun is lOOlbs. The charge consists of 231bs. of M.D. (modified) cordite, contained in a silk cloth bag. with a small ignite of gunpowder at the base. Lyddite shells are forged steel projectiles, having a hollow interior which contains about lllbs of lyddite (which is about four times as powerful as tjie same weight of gunpowder), with an exploder of picric pbwder on top to ensure detonation of the lyddite. A percussion fuse is screwed into the nose of tho shell. On striking an object the fuze is set in action, .and t;he flash from il passes into the shell and ignites the bursting charge. This shell depends principally for its effect on the strength of the bursting charge. Uncapped armour-piercing shells -are made ot cast or forged steel. The points are made extremely hard for penetrating, while tho bodies are softer, to enable tho shell to hold together when they strike hard faced armour. These shells are pointed, hollow in the centre, and contain a charge of about 61b gunpowder. A fuze is screwed into the base of the shell, and on the projectile striking an object of sufficient resistance the fuze is set in action, as in the case of lyddite. Capped A.P. shells are similar to the above, but are fitted with a cap of mild steel. This cap prevents the point of the shell breaking when hard armour is struck, and enables the penetration of the projectile to be considerably increased. / After tho bombardment of J,he 'Devon the whole of the forts— Dorset, Kelburne, and Balance— will engage in battle practice. The Janie Seddon, towing t wo ll (tagkong targets, representing U hostile cruiser, will shape a course from well outside the heads and pa3s Within range of tho Dorset. Ballance, and Kelburne guns. At a range of about three miles the 6in Mark VII. Guns at -Fort Dorset will open lire with twenty rounds of practice shot. As soon aa the target comes within the arc of fire of the Ballance Fort twelve-pounders, a number of rounds will be fired from that battery, after which the same fort will come into action With its 6in T5.0.0. guns. The target; having run the gauntlet of the two outward fortifications, will be towed towards Pet-one, and be finally dealt with by the old, Petone Navals, who from Fort ICelburne, above Ngahauranga, will fire 20 rounds from their 6in E.O.C. guns.