Shrapnel

Shrapnel got its name from General Henry Shrapnel of the British Army's Royal Artillery, who, during the Peninsular War, invented an exploding shell that broke apart when it was detonated; showering a deluge of bullets, or sharp, dangerous shards of metal into anything or anybody in close proximity.

Shrapnel is really a flying cannon, which shoots its charge while in flight or explodes on contact. Its speed of 500,000 feet per second is produced by a pressure of from 30,000 to 35,000 pounds per square inch from the power that expels it from the gun. Its bursting charge exerts a pressure of from 20,000 to 25,000 pounds per square inch. The metal of its case has a tensile strength of 135,000 pounds in the square inch, and an elastic limit of 110,000 pounds per square inch.

The heavy armament of a field army comprises field guns and field howitzers. They all fire shrapnel shell and high explosive shells, the former being provided with either time or percussion fuses. The chief difference between a field howitzer and a field gun is that the shell used in the former is heavier, contains a larger bursting charge, and has a steeper angle of descent. 

Fire from howitzers, therefore, is more searching; the angle of descent of the shell may be as steep as 1 in 1. For this reason they can fire from behind steep cover, and can therefore be well concealed; they can also be very effective against men in entrenchments, and can continue with safety to support the advance of infantry, by firing over their heads much longer than can field guns. Shrapnel shells are hollow, containing as many bullets as possible, together with a bursting charge sufficient to open the shell, release the bullets, and give enough smoke to show where the shell burst. The bullets spread over an area about 25 yards wide by 200 yards long.

Common shells are filled with lyddite, which consists of picric acid, melted, and poured into the shell, where it solidifies. It is detonated by an exploder containing picric powder. The shell breaks into a number of pieces, with jagged edges, and the wounds resulting are more terrible than those from shrapnel bullets. The effect of a high explosive shell is more local than is that of shrapnel, the radius being only 1 about 25ft. Heavy artillery fire bigger shells than do field artillery, and at a longer range. The extreme range of British field artillery using percussion shell is 9,000 yards, and of heavy artillery 10,000 yards. Artillery fire accounted for nearly 70% of the casualties in The Great War.

Fig.1 Shrapnel’s irregular shape did more damage to bone and soft tissue than a bullet. Because each Projectile dragged clothing and dirt into the wound, infection usually followed.

If the word shrapnel doesn’t yet conjure up a feeling of death and destruction, look no further than Shrapnel Valley on the Gallipoli Peninsula. The valley got its name because of the Turkish shells which began bursting over the area soon after the campaign landings commenced.

Shrapnel Valley was the main passage up to the front line by which Anzacs took up supplies and also took up duty in the trenches. As the Turks realised that this had become the road up to the front, their guns rained shrapnel shells down upon the area. These shells were said to make a particular whistle before they burst showering those below with lethal pellets; and that as the shells could be heard coming soldiers passing through the valley had the chance to take cover. What a ‘hot place’ it must have been traversing through the valley and up the steep slopes; with nothing but a hail of shrapnel and rifle bullets along its path.

Each day losses were heavy, as Turkish snipers killed and wounded hundreds of men. They commanded and controlled the valley from high ground 180 metres above sea level at places like Dead Man’s Ridge and the Bloody Angle; which overlooked the whole length of Monash Valley. The Turkish name for both Shrapnel and Monash Valleys was Korko Dere (Valley of Fear).

Along the gully at certain intervals there were stacked sandbags which provided a little cover, and one had to dodge from one lot to another, before the Turkish bullets found their mark. This sniping was at its worst during the early hours of daylight when the sun was behind the Turkish marksmen. It must have been made all the more harder carrying a load of ammunition or water and stepping over dead mates lying right along the gully.

In October 1915, a New Zealand soldier from Gallipoli arrived at Mount Felix Hospital, Wonton-on-Thames with forty nine distinct shrapnel wounds.

Shrapnel Valley Cemetery (also known as Shrapnel Gully Cemetery, Military Burial Ground or West Monash Valley Cemetery) is the largest of the original cemeteries at Anzac (Lone Pine Cemetery contains more burials but it was created after the war). It was established at the head of Shrapnel Valley, near a major thoroughfare to the front line. It covers an area of 2836 square meters. There are 527 Australian burials, 28 British burials and 72 soldiers from unknown troops. As a first cemetery was formed during the Gallipoli campaign but it was enlarged with the addition of the independent graves in 1919. Today there are 683 burials in this cemetery and 598 of them are identified. Lest We Forget.

Sources:

Port Pirie Recorder and North Western Mail, SA, Monday 24 August 1914

Port Pirie Recorder and North Western Mail, SA, Monday 18 October 1915