Attempts have been and still are being made to adapt an explosive
projectile to this gun, but so far the measure of success
achieved has not proved very promising. There are immense
difficulties connected with the design of an explosive shell of
this class, charged with a high explosive, especially in
connection with the timing. So far as dependence upon percussive
detonation is concerned there is practically no difficulty.
Should such a missile strike, say, the motor of an aeroplane, or
even the hull of the craft itself, the latter would be
practically destroyed. But all things considered, it is
concluded that more successful results are likely to be achieved
by the armour-piercing bullet striking the mechanism than by an
explosive projectile.
The Krupp company fully reahsed the difficulties pertaining to
the projectile problem in attacks upon aerial craft. So far as
dirigibles are concerned shrapnel is practically useless,
inasmuch as even should the bag be riddled by the flying
fragments, little effective damage would be wrought--the craft
would be able to regain its haven. Accordingly efforts were
concentrated upon the perfection of two new types of projectiles,
both of which were directed more particularly against the
dirigible.
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