BRITISH AND GERMAN POWDER.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 13491, 21 September 1914, Page 3

BRITISH AND GERMAN POWDER.

The subject -of German and British naval guns and powder was recently dealt with by an American naval officer m a "New York paper. "The German fleet ■f t equipped solely with Krupp guns," he isaid, "Such, a thing as a burst Krupp gun has never been known* There have been Krupp guns purposely fired to destruction, but guns using the charges designed for them have not, it is declared, ever burst. This result is ascribed to the; crucible nickel steel which Krupp invariably uses m ordnance. The German powder is excellent, and m comparison with British powder is regarded generally as superior. There is little doubt imported Krupp guns' can be expected to stand up under a longer fire than Woolwich mens. The British powder is very hard on^gun rifling. This has long been known, but it is cheaper to continue the guns as designed, make them m more plentiful quantities, perhaps, than resort to a change m powder plants. This is the view that many leading British officers have long held. There is no question that British powder is one of the safest and best-keeping powders m, the world, and for this reason more than any other; the British have held oh to it. It is at the same time one of the hardest powders oh guns that is known. It may not matter much where a preponderance of numbers assures a short action. In a long-sustained! action, -nowder characteristics may have a most appreciable bearing on the result, for guns are of little value when they have lost their accuracy by reason of powder abrasions."