01/1824 AD demonstrated
Henri-Joseph Paixhans first demonstrated the devastating effect of explosive shells lodging into wooden hulls and then detonating in trials against the two-decker Pacificateur, in which he successfully broke up the ship.
Two prototype Paixhans guns had been cast in 1823 and 1824 for this test. Paixhans reported the results in Experiences faites sur une arme nouvelle.
The shells had a fuze that ignited automatically when the gun was fired; they lodged in the wooden hull of the target, and exploded a moment later:
The shells which produced those very extensive ravages upon the Pacificator hulk in the experiments made at Brest, in 1821 and 1824, upon the evidences of which the French naval shell system was founded, were loaded shells, having fuzes attached, which, ignited by the explosion of the discharge in the gun, continued to burn for a time somewhat greater than that of the estimated flight, and then exploded; thus producing the maximum effect which any shell is capable of producing on a ship. — A treatise on naval gunnery by Sir Howard Douglas.
Subjects Who or What demonstrated?
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France Nation -
Henri-Joseph Paixhans French artillery officer...
Objects To Whom or What was demonstrated?
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Paixhans gun The first naval gun desi...
Events in 1824 MORE
