MODERN GUNS AND GUNNERY. THE
KRUPP VERSUS SCHNEIDER COMPETITION.
In January, 1904, the Portuguese Government tried a Krupp field gun against a gun by Schneider of CreusOt. The report of the Cornmittee is of great interest. Both guns fired a shrapnel of 14.3 lbs. with M.V. of 1640 fs. The~/-' Krupp gun weighed 19.5 cwt. in action, the Schneider 21.1 cwt. or 1.6 cwt. more. The Schneider only weighed 35 cwt. limbered up as against 36.5 for the Krupp, but it carried 6 rounds less, and its wh~els were considered too light for Portuguese roads. "Vith wheels similar to the Krupp, and with a limber fitted to carry 6 more rounds, the Schneider would have weighed about 38 cwt. limbered up. The supply in the Schneider limber was however considered sufficient, as the Schneider wagon body carried 8 more rounds than the Krupp.
~t The Schneider gun had a plain buffer, with no piston-valves; had the compressed air running-up gear, separate from the recall gear. The run-up was regulated by a check buffer. The Krupp ~un had a buffer with ports for regulating recoil and with spring runnIngup gear regulated by a spring running-up valve and Vavasseur valve in the piston. . The Schneider gun traversed along the axle, the Krupp on a vertical pivot. The Schneider gun had the independent line of sight, the KruPP had not. The Schneider gun had interrupted screw breech mechanism, the Krupp had the wedge. The Schneider shrapnel contained 290 bullets of 45 to the pound as against 360 of 51 to the pound for the Krupp shrapnel. . The Committee found that the Schneider recoil gear worked rnoh~e smoothly than the Krupp gear, and that the gun was steadier. T IS was ascribed partly to the extra weight of the Schneider. The buffers of both gun worked well. The compressed-air runningup gear never failed to return the gun to the firing position, ~ven when the trail was sunk to allow of 28째 of elevation being glvenJ whereas the Krupp springs become weaker after long firing, and ha to be assisted by hand at 14째 elevation and over. There was absolutely no loss of air from the Schneider in travel~ing or firing, but after prolonged firing it lost a small quantity of glycerIne; u It was estimated that this loss would amount to one litre after abo 2000 rounds. This would reduce the pressure to 19 atmosphe.res, which pressure would still suffice to run the gun up at 20째 e1evat1~n. The glycerine was replaced by pumping in an equivalent quanti y. Time under 5 minutes. The Krupp gun broke two springs-or, according to another ac~ ur count, it broke the same spring twice. On each occasion! of a t r_ broke off the end of the spring. The gun continued to run up COut rectly with the broken spring. Time taken to replace spring, abo 5 minutes.