LOCALLY-MADE SHELLS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2524, 27 July 1915, Page 2

LOCALLY-MADE SHELLS

FIRED AT TRENTHAM

A TEST WITH SHRAPNEL

Th'e first practical test of the kind in New Zealand was mado at Trentham yesterday; when three locnlly-mado shrapnel shells- were fired, in the presence of members of Parliament and the Defence authorities. The test was a success, so far as the" effect of the firo was concerned, ana those who saw tho experiment, and the maker of tho shells, were highly satisfied. Mr. George Birch, an engineer- of Blenheim, mado the three.shells tried, and ho states that New Zealand, with the material at hand, could turn out 100,000 of them. Ho was present at the test yesterday. with his foreman, Mr. C. Martin. Tho testing party were met by Brigi-<lier-General Robin, Commandant of the N.Z. Defenco Forces; Lieut.-Colonci Potter, Camp Commandant; Colonel Campbell, Coast Defence Commander; and other officers. The test took place at 10.30 a.m., and in all six shots were fired from m 18-pouiuler quick-firer, the saino weapon as is used by the British Force?.- A section from th© Oth Artillery .Reinforcements, under Lieut. Tomlin, liad charge of the gun, and the firing was conducted by Captain Bradley, Artillery Instructor ftt Trentham Camp. The range wag 1.700 yards, and the target (a line of scrim with a white cloth centre) was placed in a clearing on the hills to the right of the rifle range. The first three shots were with the English shrapnel shells, in order ti> allow the gunners to get right on the target before the. New Zealand shells were used. Before firing commenced General Robin explained the general effect of shrapnel fire, aud showed how tho fuses we-e timed in the shell to-make it burst in tho air just in front of the target, and then throw tho enclosed bullets in a spreading fan down- and outward. Hp eaid ho had no doubt that tho mechanism difficulties of manufacture could be got over in New Zealand, but the question was whether the right material, and in sufficient • quantities could be secured iiero.

The order was then given to fire the first shot. There was a mighty roar from tho gun, a recoil of several feet, and all eyes turned to the hillside a mile away. There,was quite an appreciable pause, before the explosion occurred. flight over tho target the shell had exploded, and a great cloud of white smoke arose. Seconds later the- Sound of the second explosion came back to the watchers by the gun. and after a short wait a message was signalled back from the observers. A slight change was mado in. the elevation, and then , the second and third Imperial shells were_ fired, all bursting in close proximity to the. target, it was now the turn for the New Zealand shell, and ovc-ryone hoped that the result would prove satisfactory. Tho Imperial shells used were quite dingy-looking beside those made by Mr. Birch, for he had polished tho steel like silver. ' This in nowise improved the value of the shell, but it made it easiev to discover tho easel afterwards, and compare -them. The first 6hot of the' ■ New , Zealand three burst apparently' right on the target, for tho cloud of smoke that arose completely shut out the long line of scrim and sheeting. An involuntary cheer was raised by the observers. The second shot appeared to be a ; good deal off the target and away to the right,' but tho third one was as close as any of tho Imperial shots. V

It looked as if the experiment had been in every way a success, so the party visited the target to see the effect made at that, the most important end. The shooting had been' very good, as was shown by the fact that the hillside round the target, for roughly one-eighth of an acre, was scarred in all directions with shot-holes, while tho scrim composing tho, targets had numerous bullet-marks m it. A search was made for. the shrapnel cases, and one complete Efiglish ; one was found, and one almost complete of .the New Zealand make. Tho cap only'of the English shell had been forced off, leaving perfect screw marking's visible, but Mr. Birch's shell was broken several inches down. He contended that the Imperial shell could not have contained'a diaphragm, (which acts as a driving-rod to the shrapnel bullets), and when one was located buried in tho hillside it was found that the base wonld not g<o in the top of the English shell. Several broken bits of the other Imperial shells were found, proving that they must have completely burst. A search was then made, and wherever a little hole was discovered souvenir-hunters commenced to dig, and in almost all cases succeeded in unearthing one of the small lead pellets which are scattered when the shell explodes. > Tho • portions of the shell cases discovered were kept in order that a test anight be made of the material. Mr. Birch's case had. marks at the,, base from the rifling of the gun barrel, and he explained that this might have been caused through the shejl being a fraction, too large. ... When the party reached town, Mr. Birch was the recipient of many congratulations from those who had seen the experiment. He-was well satisfied witli the result. The' shells -which- were tested wore not mads.of the special steel required by the Imperial specifications, but out of ordinary scrap steel. The maker contends that ordinary steel will be found equally as good, and he said that if the Imperial Government placed an order in New Zealand similar to that given to Australia, he would guarantee to turn the shells out at a The Australian Government were'offered 80s. per shell for tho first 10,000, and .£1 per shell in excess of that number, and Mr. Birch holds that they can easily be made at that price here. At present Mr. Birch is an engineer in Blenheim,- but ho was for two years making high.explosive shells at Sheffield. . Ho can make . all the machinery required to turn, out shrapnel shells, and he says many engineers in New Zealand could be found, capable of supervising the' manufacture of large quantities. The ordinary filling of the cases requires no special training, 6o that labour difficulties, he holds, would not bo hard. to overcome.