MR. REDMOND’S ATTITUDE

Gisborne Times, Volume XLV, Issue 4008, 14 August 1915, Page 5

MR. REDMOND’S ATTITUDE

RFRLY TO BISHOR OK LIMEIUCK f Received Aue. 13 7.0 p.rn.) LONDON. Auk. 13. - Replying to Rt. Rev. Edward Thomas O’Dwyer, Oat-hoi i<r Bishop of Limerick, who urg* d film to use his efforts to support the Pope’s peace appeal, Mr. Redmond (Nationalist Loader) says ho would not he justified in asking the Government to enter into ;V a'-.- tmgoi mt ions when the German aggressors have not shown any disposition to repair i lie wrongs inflicted on Belgium and other Allies. WATCHWQ R O 01- THE DAY. ! NKRI) FOR AMPLE St'PRLJF.R OK .MIKXITJi! XA. I DIFFERENCE L.N THE AM ELL - l .-■]<:f> BY THE RIVAL .-IDES. : AN ILLUMINATING ARTICLE. j The- munitions question still occupies ; a goc.fi deal of consideration and rami. \ hoi tig the case the following article hy .' Troupe;- .{. \Y. J-’o-ter. formerly of the ' "Gisborne Tittle.-" .--tali', will he. read I with interest:- — j The watchword of the dav i> "nigh expinsivos.’ ! The cry from our troops j at the front is for high explosive uro- j jectiles, and the unmaking and tnak- j ing of a British Government are i partly centred upon our lack of devas- i tat ing lyddite and trinitrotoluol shell, j Yv'hilst it i- unnecessary ‘to say that : the deficiencies of our fighting forces j in this respect will soon he—if they j leave not already bout —adequately • met. it is to he noted that the Ger- j mat; is equipped witlt a powerful pro- \ jectilo of which little has. as yet. L on ! said. It is v. ell that we -holtld under- j stand the nature of this new pro.jec-, tile, which is called Liiivevsal Shell. r i'ho idea is to combine the. efioet .«’■ j bolts .shrapnel and high explosive m i one shell, and the tic'-v->ity tor sif h a j comhination may now be discussed, j Shrapnel shell, as is well known, von- • sists of a light steel case, winch contains a number of bullet-. UJicn tit" shell burst if in the air hv time fuse. j unpror ted infant rv sttcii shell is very.' t'lfei-l ie. I;tit against gun detachment.:-, ensconced behind shrapnel has little effect, as tue but lets do not possess great penetrative velocities. When u<ed to act upon ; percussion, slira.jmel is not of very j great use.' If a hit is obtained on the ; axle or the wheels of an enemy’s guns j a certain amount of da triage, is done, j On tile other hand, if it passes i through the cun shield it does not- | burst "until it lias proceeded some dis- j tance, and the desired effect is very j p-.-o'oahlv lost. High explosive is near- j iv always very deadly;. This nature of , projectile is simple in construction—-- j much more simple than shrapnel. It eonsists only of a ildck-walled shell lifted witlt a fuse, and completely u> ! ~ cd with a high explosive such as lyddite or trinitrotoluol. 1\ non it m burst the shattering effect is very marked, but somewhat !o(;al. Againstexposed infantry, tor instance, it woukl not luive such a great radius of action as shrapnel. Against guns with shields, high-explosive shells are however particularly destructive. It detonates and makes a large hole as it passes through the shield, destroying the gun and its crew hy the iiagmeats. It is also most useful in destroying emplacements, wire entanglements, etc., and thus prepaiing the way for an infantry assault. At first tffo-ht it would seem to be a very simple thing to carry both shrapnel and high-explosive slit'll with the ammunition supply, and to use either as occasion demanded. It is possible to do this, hut them are serious objections which bait', to ho considered. The French nrtnlety. for instance, at one time had both kinds of shell included in its equipment. The two shells were not or same weight and consequently two gradations of guusights were necessary. Even if'the weights were made identical, the lengths of shell would be different: and a lengthening of one projectile would mean that the two natures could not range a nice. Again, as we leave seen, each kind of shell is required for use against a particulai target, anci unless great care is taken there is the likelihood of contusion arising. This contingency cannot be overlooked, as time is frequency °f utmost importance in the heat of an engage me ill. Apart from this them is the question of relative proportion of shrapnel and high explosive to bo carried in the limbers which has to be taken into account-. Both Germany and Austria among other Continental nations have- given much serious thought to the question thus involved. After a long period of experimenting a successful pattern or sliell, which combines the qualities of shrapnel and high explosive, was evolved. Iwo ox three years ago both Germany and Austria- were known to have adopted cue universal shell as the sole projectile for their light field howitzers, L is as likolv as not that other of their field artillery weapons have since been si mi I igly provided in the matter of ammunition. There are several types of universal shell. That in use with the German 1.13-inch field howitzer is, at first sight, very similar in appearance to a shrapnel sliell. The body is filled with shrapnel bullets, which. However, instead of being embedded in resin in the ordinary way, are encased in a mass of 141 b of tnnifcrotnluol. They could not, the he embedded in lyddite, because' <>l formation of “picratcs/' which an dangerously sensitive to detomiu.ou At the base of shell, below the bullets, is the bursting charge for expelling [ them. Situated above the bullets is n steel cup, which, together with th< ! fuse, constitutes the head of shell This cup, in the case of 4.10-mcl ' howitzer shell, contains a- charge o: • . about one-third of a pound of lyddite and thus comprises by itself a. separate high-explosive shell. When th< fuse of universal shell is set to burs 1 in the air at a particular range, tin hash from the fuse acts upon on ’ bursting charge in the case, causing ■ tile head to bo blown off and the bul lets to be expelled. The ordinal 1 ' . shrapnel effect is thus attained witl the, bullets. In addition, the high explosive head flies forward and ex