Britain’s Big Guns.

Pelorus Guardian and Miners' Advocate., Volume 29, Issue 44, 8 June 1917, Page 2

Britain’s Big Guns.

THEY CANNOT BE BEATEN. That Britain’s heavy guns—the 13.5 inch and the 15 inch —are of'the highest possible quality is borne out by the world’s artillerists. Sir Robert Hadfleld, President of the Faraday Society, who is one of the greatest authorities on projectiles and guns, tells that whatever the future has in store in the way of development in the power of big guns, our experts may be trusted to produce the world’s best. *’ Sir Robert points out that the muzzle energy of British guns has outranked that of any other nation. So-called big German guns, rbout which there has been so much written, are, as regards their muzzle energy, very small and inferior weapons in comparison with ours.

Sir Robert also reveals the astonishing fact that the life of a modern high velocity gun is not much more than three seconds. By this he means that if one added up the length of time during which the projectile remained in the gun it would be found that under full service velocities the total time, and consequently the life of the inner guh tube, did not amount to much more than three seconds before the erosion set up interfered with the accuracy of aim.