For the practice which took place today a target, consisting of two barrels moored together and carrying flags, was sent afloat. Commander Collins occupied the conning tower, and Captain Thomas superintended the operations generally from the quarter deck.
The order was first given for broadside firing on the port beam. A concentrated broadside from the Cerberus would have a destructive effect upon any object it struck. There are in the two turrets four 18-ton guns. Seventy pounds of powder are used in each charge, and the weight of the projectile is 4001b. The weight of metal discharged would therefore be 1,600 1b. [725 kgs], and if the shots struck in the same spot they would make an impression upon the most heavily armoured ironclad, whilst they would at once sink any vessel of ordinary calibre. The distance given for the first shot was 1,000 yards. The projectiles fell a few yards beyond the target; but the direction was good, and if a Russian iron clad had been there it would have received the whole weight of the charge, which, unless it was a vessel of great strength, would have disabled or sunk it.
The second broadside was fired with even better result. One of the flags was struck, and the projectiles dipped in the water only five yards beyond the target. The concentration was so complete that all the shots would have hit a target 10ft. square. One of the projectiles was seen to burst over the object. It is probable that it collided with another of the shot, and that the impact caused the explosion. The projectiles do not at once sink. In this instance they made two long hops after they first came into contact with the water, and then when their momentum was spent they disappeared.
The Cerberus literally trembled when the broadside was fired. A cloud of smoke and burnt saltpetre enveloped the ship, soot and paint were shaken from the tunnel, and the shield deck around the turret was blackened.
Captain Thomas, being satisfied with the results obtained, gave the order for independent firing on the port beam. In this practice the gunners themselves sight and fire the guns; but the distance was ascertained by Captain Thomas by a trial shot from the Nordenfelts. Only three shots were fired, the distances varying from 1,650 to 1,700 yards. The target was not hit; but two of the projectiles fell close to it, and would have struck a vessel lying in the same position. The target was drifting with the tide. Had it been stationary the results would have been better.
The Australasian, 7 April 1888
GUN PRACTICE ON THE VICTORIAN FLEET.
On Saturday afternoon a very interesting naval exhibition of shot and shell firing took place. The weather was beautifully, fine, the wind being from the east, but very light, the water remarkably smooth, and all conditions in favour of good shooting. The Premier (Mr. Gillies), accompanied by Mr. Lorimer, M.L.C, Minister of Defence, and Colonel Sargood were present. The Ministerial party first visited the Nelson, the flag-ship of the Victorian fleet, and sat down to luncheon, after which the crew of that vessel were put through a number of exercises in truck-gun and other drills; and then the torpedo boats, which were in attendance gave an exhibition of their powers of steaming going at the rate of about 19 knots an hour. General surprise was expressed at the rate at which they travelled. The party next proceeded in the Nelson's steam cutter to the Cerberus, which was under the immediate command of Captain Thomas during the test of the day. The Cerberus slipped her moorings at 3 p.m., and the gunboats Victoria and Albert got under way at the same time, and followed in her wake in the order of "line-ahead" proceeding to Laverton Bay, about three miles from the lightship.
Three targets had been moored early in the morning by Lieutenant Gough at some distance apart, and two buoys had been placed with a flag flying from each staff to mark the spots from which firing was to commence. The firing from the turrets' crew was carried out by numbers of the Permanent Force and Naval Brigade. The Permanent Force under
Lieutenant Gough and Chief-Gunner Smith, manned the after turret, and the Naval Brigade, under
Lieutenant Scott
and Gunner Cockle
the fore turret, and there was a little friendly rivalry as to which would make the best shots. On the fleet arriving at their destination a signal was made for the gunboats to take up their positions for firing. The Cerberus which headed to the westward brought her port beam towards the targets, and the bugle having sounded the call to action, the guns and turrets were cast loose, and the guns loaded with battery charges, the right guns with chilled shot and the left guns with studless common shell with automatic gas-checks. Captain Thomas passed the order to the fore turret for independent firing, the targets being on the port beam 2,000 yards distant, and the right gun was ordered to be fired first. Almost immediately after the bugle had sounded the commence the right gun was fired, but the shot fell rather short. The left gun was then fired the shell bursting splendidly in front of the target. The turret was next trained on the starboard beam, and the guns were reloaded-reversing the order of projectiles in the guns. The firing in this instance was very close, with the exception that the shell from the left gun did not burst until having ricochetted some distance beyond the target.
The Victoria (under Captain R. Fullarton) now took up firing position. The 10in. gun was the first one fired. It has a battery charge of 215 lb., made up in half-charges of 107½ lb. each, the projectiles weighing 400 lb. The shot was a splendid one. It struck just in front of the target, causing it to roll about, and passing right under the attached flag. She then steamed round. bringing her two 13-pounder stern guns to bear, and these were quickly fired in succession. The Albert next took up the firing discharging her 8in. breech-loading gun and, steaming round, fired her 6in. gun. Both shots were very close. The Cerberus having only fired four shots-eight being her compliment-again took up the firing. The first shell from the right gun exploded immediately in front, of the target, making it appear as if the target had been carried away. The next shot was even better causing Captain Thomas to speak highly of it. Two more shots having been fired, the Victoria again discharged her 10in. and 13-pounders, the same manoeuvres being observed as formerly, after which the order was given to cease firing.
During the time when the gunboats were firing Captain Thomas carried out a few rounds of rapid firing from one of the Nordenfelt guns on board the Cerberus, allowing what destructive weapons they are against any exposed parties of men or boats. The firing on the whole was very good and with more target practice a splendid record would be made. The expense of firing modern breech-loading guns, however, is very great and no doubt accounts for its being rarely practised.
The battering charges with studless common shell, fitted with the wooden time-fuzes and automatic gas check, were tried for the first time from the Cerberus muzzle-loading guns, were found to act admirably with regard to the igniting of the fuzes.
The distribution of the officers and men was as follows: -
Cerberus- Captain A. B. Thomas, R.N.; Lieutenants
J. Scott and
Gough, Sub-Lieutenant Lane, Dr. J. C. Stewart (senior medical officer) Chief Gunner J. Smith, and Gunners
J. Cockle and
Prideaux, Midshipman Weir,
Chief Engineer Huysman, and 130 men.
In addition to 140 men under Lieutenant Robertson, Gunners Tubbs, Frazier, Jackson, and
Libbis were exercised at the various drills on board the Nelson, and others under Lieutenant Tickell and Gunner Jackson on the hopper barges, on which they were instructed at the breech loading gun drill by Gunners Hayes and Seabridge.
Lieutenant Hely-Hutchinson had charge of the torpedo boats during the afternoon.
The vessels of the fleet returned to their moorings at about half-past 5.
The Argus, 20 September 1886
Studded Shot & Shell
Mk I Studded Common Shell fired from Cerberus over 100 years ago. Two rings of 7 studs can be seen above & below the hole.
Studded Shot on Floor & Shell Behind Girl. Victorian Naval Forces War Trophy Material at the Engineers' Exhibition Click the image for a hi-res version, then click again. The Illustrated Australian News, 23 January 1884 Courtesy of the Rare Books Collection at Monash University.
Studless Shot & Shell
Mk II Common Shell (on left) & Palliser Armour Piercing Shot
