The Works Of Messrs. Schneider And Co.

326 MESSES. SCHNEIDER AND CO.’S WORKS. For naval and coast service, may be added : Steel conimon shell ... ... Steel body, central charge, copper belt, percussion fuse. Steel armour- piercing shell ... Steel body, hard point, solid head, base plug, copper belt, percussion fuses for calibres below 65 inm. (2.559 in.). (Fig. 1049.) The Schneider-Canet steel common shell will in time completely supersede the cast-iron common shell in war stores. The latter have been found wanting in résistance Orders annually large quantities. Besides this, the pro- duction of cast-steel shells is sliglitly cheaper than that of foro-ed steel shells. Armour-Piercing Shell. -These are projectiles spec'ally used with naval and coast-defence guns. The difficult task they have to acconiplish is the attack and destruc- tion of ironclads and the perforation of the belt of protected cruisers. Messrs. Schneider and Co. supply two types : a. Holtzer chrome-steel shells. b. Schneider steel armour-shells, forged and hardened. Interiør of Fuse Factory. Fig. 1047. in inany circumstances ; their explosive charge is also comparatively a small one. Except for motives of economy, they may be considérée! obsolete. Two distinct classes of projectiles are made ; those of forged steel, and those of cast steel. The latter are made according to the Hadfiekl pro- cesses, for tlie use of which in France Messrs. Schneider and Co. have purchasecl the exclusive license. Cast-steel has this advantage over forged steel, that it gives, bv bursting, fragments of regulär size and of sufficient weight to have a great destructive effeet. Cast-steel shells are greatly in favour with the British Admiralty, which The Company has the monopoly for the supply to foreign governments of Holtzer chrome-steel projectiles, the reputa- tion of which is now universal ; they are so well known that it is not necessary to enlarge upon their merits. They are particularly suited for firing against ironclads of modern construction, and more especially against cemented armour-plates, As, however, their manufacture is surrounded with many intricate operations, their price is comparatively high, and several governments store projectiles made of Schneider steel instead. The armour-piercing shells of more than 65 millimétré (2.559 in.) in calibre are not fitted with a percussion fuse,