THE RIVAL GREAT GUNS.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1790, 15 November 1879, Page 3

THE RIVAL GREAT GUNS.

The most remarkable achievement of the 80 ton gun has been accomplished at the Royal Arsonal'proof butts, Woolwich, one of the monster weapons constructed for the Inflexible, and recently enlarged, contriving not only to beat all the previous performances of itself and family, but also to eclipse the doings of/the great German gun which Herr Krupp designed purposely to outrival the Woolwich giant. Herr Krupp’s gun being made of steel, a material in which the generality of English gunmakers have insufficient faith, is necessarily less ponderous than the wrought iron guns, whose immense coils, shrunk one upon another, afford the combined tenacity and elasticity on which the British artillerists place such strong reliance ; and although it is considerably longer than the 80 ton gun, it is ten tons less in weight. In calibre the guns are nearly alike, the German gun being 15.76 in, in the bore, while the English gun has just been increased from 15£ to 16;n. The great length of the former was thought to give it a paramount advantage, and in scientific quarters the results of the late trial at Meppen were almost a foregone conclusion. Firing a projectile of 17091b5„ with a powder charge of 4511 b. Krupp registered a muzzle velocity of 1648 ft. per second, which is calculated as equivalent to an energy of 32,322 foot-tons, or the penetration of 32in. of iron armour. The War office authorities could not conveniently lengthen their guns, but they had long been convinced that their weapons had latent powers to be developed, and no time was lost in setting about improvements. Besides enlarging the bore, the order was given still further to scoop out the chamber, and by this means space was obtained for the effectual and deliberate consumption of the comparatively “ slow ” gunpowder, which experience has proved to be of the greatest service in these enormous charges. The powder was carefully compounded, particular attention was paid to the air spacing of the cartridge ; and altogether it was hoped that if the performance did not quite equal that of Meppen, it would not fall far short of it. One of the altered guns, and they are all alike, was fired on this occasion, and the results were astonishing. At the first round, which was merely a “ warmer,” with 4251 b. of powder, the velocity of the projectile was 1603 feet per second, and the projectiles weigh rather above 17601 b., or about the same as that of Herr Krupp. The full charge of 4451 b. of powder was then tried, and tto electric recording instrument marked a velocity at the muzzle of 1657 feet per second, or a fraction of 9 feet in excess of the German gun’s velocity under almost precisely similar conditions. The officials engaged in the trial, to satisfy any doubts which might exist as to the accuracy of the test, again loaded the gun exactly as before, and again the speed of the great bolt was given in the instrument room as 1657 feet per second. The result of this experiment is of national importance, as proving that this country is in possession of weapons competent to pierce and destroy an enemy’s vessel coated with 32 inches of iron, which it is needless to say is far in excess of any armour-clad ship at present afloat, and that in the race of supremacy the British gunners have not been outstripped by the more elegant but lees reliable steel lightweights of Germany. The other 80-ton guns have to be tried under similar conditions ; but no doubt exists as to their acquitting themselves with equal credit.