AT FORT BALLANCE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 410, 20 January 1909, Page 9

AT FORT BALLANCE.

'.. . EXCELLENT SHOOTING. The:6-in. B L. guns at ;Fqrt Ballanoe were raaiuiod by their respective gun detaphments. under Potty ■ Oflicers Calnaii: (Q.f1.0. at' No. 1- sun) and HishoE (Q.G.O. at %. 2 -gun), yesterday morning, when, the;first of class' firing series (the results, of which.decide the competition for shooting and efficiency, which is, carried out annually among the "various garrison, artijery corps of Ncr Zealand) was completed. ,iho ranges, from 4700 to 4950 yards,; were the longest yet used for classfiring in. Now Zealand, .and- .the' results must be. considered excellent, ; Qwipg to the long range,, tho. permissible error was-'B3' yards oyer, or "plus," and 32 ■ ykrda short, ' cr--4.minuß. .; In. other.=words, if a shell hit the water over .83-.-ya.rds beyond, but jn- a line- between the , Hon.grKqgg 'targets,' it would'.be counted, as- a-.misa; for the' projectiles trajectory, would clear'the deck and superstructure: of! the vessel; If short the I ricochet, withjn.32 yards, would be offec-' t;ve. At. the . practice, yesterday moniins only: two mi3ses—on No, -i ; gun—were recorded. Twelve rounds altogether were fired from hoth guns, ten .hits being scqred- in thq excellent time of 4nuV33s.ec. , No" I'deteohment at .Bl gun- pufup a'now' record tor. of fire frqni th?s class of gun by firing six rounds .in ■ 4min. lOsep. The best recprd/previgusly made was, by tho Dunedin in December la.st,-.whon, under similar conditions, six.■ rounds'.were.fired in 4min.' 2osec, v, ■' ■~ ■ •■... ■■" ' '" '. '■.'■■■■'■ ■ ■■- "•; ;.! The following 'diagrams, show the, effect of the series r-^. , ; ' -V , " .' ■' ■■■■;'■ ,: :', : AJ;B|g;GMn":Taraet/ ; '■•■■'

Note,—The two 6-in. B.L, ?un s at Fort Ballanoe fired 12 rounds, s-wing , ip hits (a? shown' in, the a,bove diagram), in fmin.'i6sec."Ranae from 4700 to 4950 yards. Eesult s: -^'No. , l giinp--1; plus 30;-2j plus 100 (a miss))3;'plus lojl p)us 50; s,nlus 100 (s> r.iss); 6,' plus 30. No minus-30; 2, plus; 30; 3,"plus 10; 4 plus 20; -5,. plus 60; 6, minus 30. - Permissible prrorrrSS yards over, md 32 yards ihort.-"' In tho aboye diagram.the space'ppinpie'il by Mβ complete rectangle - represents the vulnerable area of a warship—amidships, from" the water-line, tp the deck and superstructure, Ihe pmall. squares at-the lower righf. and left-liand cqrners are the Hongkong targets, v> liipli,. jri actual practice, arp the only yisibla parts of the target, the risstbsins imaginary. A shell £rod' between the HopEr-Kongs Trinld in'war be registered nm:dship.i of the attacked vessel, tha effect of the shot depeiidinj, of cqune,. upon the accuracy, of ,the ianje; if tho./s.hell lit, tlie Winter in a dead line between the two the' ship would be hjt pn' thp' \\-^. T , hue; if the pl|ell is ''pliis, , ' or brer,'thi'Tes- , sel'a bulk abore irater f ould meet the' proieoti|«; at B higher point in the Utter , ! trajecterj-; if "minus, or slwrt, the she)} would ripjchet from-the water.,*! .an. angle, and hit' (hp-Vea-sel. The , of B L ■utn practice ;by;; the AVellinftw arß l s y e ry clearly demonst.ratpd by the above' diajjVi!. ; n.