The Works Of Messrs. Schneider And Co.

SCHNEIDER-CANET QUICK-FIRING GUNS. 193 so arrangée! thai they act together in resisting botli these strains, the breech-screw being fittecl in the tube itself. There is, therefore, between the varions parts constituting the gun, as perfect a distribution of material as it is possible to obtain, the strains when developed by firing being taken up by all the elements together. This principle is not wholly in accord with pure theory, which does not consider the necessities of manufacture, and which would point to multiplying the number of jackets placed one over the other. It has, notwithstand- ing, been endorsed in the manufacture of Schneider-Canet quick-firing guns, by a long and repeated practice. Among the large number of guns of this system now in regulär service all over the world, not a single one has shown any weakness under fire in the elements that constitute it. On the contrary, the records of many of these guns indicate that they have sustained, without undue wear, firing at exceptional pressures, reacliing as much as 4800 kilogrammes per square centimetre (30.477 tons per square inch), a strain equal to double the normal pressure in service. Out of a large number of Schneider-Canet quick-firing guns, 10 centimetre (3.937 in.) and 55 calibres in length, built for the French Navy, the Admiralty inspecter selected one at random, with which to make a large number of extreme practice firing trials. The gun and its mounting were placed on board the French training ship Couronne, and it has undergone regulär service for the last six years. Up to a recent date, this gun has fired no less than 4000 rounds, besides being1 used for traininsf drill ; it has done, therefore, an exceptional amount of work, and is nevertheless still in excellent condition. Such an expérience is a sufficient answer to the well- known allégation that quick-firing guns wear rapidly. Many other examples of the strength and endurance of Schneider - Canet quick - firing guns might be given to disprove this statement. From the first introduction of quick-firing ordnance, the Schneider-Canet guns were noted for their great power. In 1892-3, the muzzle velocity of these guns was 800 and even 880 metres, while the muzzle velocity generally obtained in service was 680 to 700 metres as a maximum. In order to obtain these very high results, which were considered exceptional at the time, the Schneider-Canet guns had been most carefully désignée! and were made of exceptional length. It is almost super- fluous to-day to insist upon the advantages that arise from high muzzle velocities, both for firing on board ship and on land ; the time when this was questioned has long gone by, and the universal practice of to-day always tends to obtain still higher velocities. This was not the case, however, when the early types of Schneider-Canet quick- firing high-velocity guns were introduced, and which were made the subject of much hostile criticism. The long lengths of bore were particularly objeeted to, chiefly on the ground that such long guns were not capable of giving an effective service on board ship, and that tliey required mountings of exaggerated dimensions. In spite of these criticisms—which were to be disproved by future ex- périence— Messrs. Schneider and Canet inereased the length of their guns successively to 45, 58, 50, and even 55 calibres. Guns of these, at that time exceptional, proportions were manufacturée! in considérable numbers for varions Governments ; and the results obtained, both as regards efficiency and durability, have been eminently satisfactory. Messrs. Schneider and Canet then proceeded to build 100-millimetre (3.937-in.) and 57-millinietre (2.244-in.) guns, 80 calibres in length ; these formed the most advanced sei-ies of quick-firing Schneider-Canet guns at the time. They gave, in regulär firing service, muzzle velocities of 1,015 and 1,025 metres, the firing mechanism being also extra rapid. They were, therefore, of exceptional power, and as their trajectories were remarkably flat, they gave results which could not be attained by any other quick- firing guns of the same calibres. They were distinguished also by the ease with which the loading, training, and firing operations were carried out. Similar velocities (exceeding 1,000 metres) were ob- tained at a somewhat later date in several countries, not with service guns, but with tubes fixed end to end, and giving a total length of approximately 100 calibres, special means being taken to insure the stability of the arrange- ment. Such trials amounted simply to proving-grounel firing experiments. The 80-calibre Schneider-Canet guns, were from the first tested to the utmost, and their efficiency never left anything to be desired. They were afterwards inspected by a special Naval Commission appointée! by the Ministry of Marine, which decided to purchase them. Since that time the development of the Schneider- Canet system has steadily progresse«!, thanks to the lessons taught by actual warfare, to the accumulated experience of the proving-ground, and to improvements in material and design ; so that at the present time it deservedly occupies a front rank in modern armaments throughout the world. The Schneider-Canet quick-firing guns are now manu- facturée! of various lengths, from 40 to 80 calibres, according to the power required, and the varied conditions of service. This brief review, completed by some detailed de- scriptions, will give a clear idea of the characteristics of the Schneider-Canet quick-firing guns, and the important part played by the manufacturera in the progress made in the construction of ordnance, more especially, perli aps, as regards high velocities, one of the principal require- ments of the present day.