The best-known and most widely used systems of rapid-firing breech mechanism are the Fletcher, navies of Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. The best speed of firing of guns of different calibres is about as follows; 13.5-ineh, 2 minutes; 13-inch, 2 minutes; 12-inch, 1 minute and 30 seconds; 11-inch, 1 minute; 10-inch, 1 minute; 9.2-inch, 25 seconds; 5.3-inch. 20 seconds; 8-inch, 10 sec Dashiell. Hotchkiss, Driggs-Schroeder. Vickers Maxim, Canet, Armstrong, Krupp, Skoda, Norden feldt, and Bofors. The first five kinds are used in the United States Navy; in England the Vickers Maxim and Armstrong are chiefly used; in France the Canet and modifications of it and of other types are used; in Germany the guns are of Krupp model; in Russia various types have been used, but nearly all new guns have Canet onds; 6-inch, 7 seconds; 5.5-inch, 7 seconds; 5-inch, 5 seconds; 4-inch, 4 seconds; 3-inch, 3.5 seconds; 2.24-inch (6-pounder), 3 seconds; 1.8-inch (3-pounder), in automatic 3-pounder. 1 second; 1.4-inch (1-pounder), in Maxim 1 pounder automatic gun, about 200 rounds per minute. In the larger calibres the speed depends chiefly upon the mechanism of the mount and drill of the crew; in the smaller pieces, the speed depends chiefly upon the drill alone.
The rapid firing of modern guns has had a most marked effect upon battle tactics (see Tao TICS. NAVAL) and design of ships. So far as the effect upon the former is concerned, naval critics are not fully in agreement, but in regard to the latter there is wore unanimity- of opinion. Battle ships and armored cruisers are now thinly armor-plated over a very large portion of their sides, the plating being of sufficient thickness to keep out all shells from very raptd-working, guns except those of the larger sizes at close range. Were it not for this armor the sides of battleships and the interior arrangements above water would soon be wrecked by the vast number of small projectiles which the numerous gulls of a modern ship can deliver in a short space of time. The effect of this armor is to separate more widely the armored from the unarmored vessels and to render many old battleships unfit for modern fighting; but it likewise tends to de crease the differences between battleships and armored cruisers.
Notwithstanding the destruction effected by the rapid-firing guns of small calibre, the damage they inflict is rarely vital and decisive blows can only be delivered by large shells. In the naval battle of Santiago the smaller guns caused much destruction of life, but time damage to the Spanish ships, which caused three of them to surrender in about an hour after the first one was sighted coming out of the harbor, was caused by 8-inch and 12-inch guns. These wrecked the
interior in a manner which was beyond the power of small pieces; two 12-inch shells destroy ed the interior arrangements in the after end of the Infanta Maria Tcrrsa, cut the fire-mains, and set the ship on the so that access to the after magazines and shell-rooms was cut off; 8-inch shell cut the fire-mains and set fire to the Oquendo and Viseaya. and one exploded in the forward turret of the former, killing or wounding every soul in it and destroying the machinery for operating the forward 11-inch gun. A heavy shell (12-inch or I3-inch shell) burst in the after part of the Oquendo. causing enormous damage, and another struck the armor of the Viscaya at the waterline and, while it. did not penetrate, the hlow upon the plate crushed the frames and caused a leak which drove the people from the port engine-room and rapidly reduced the ship's speed. The destruction of life was greatest on the Oquendo and was chiefly due to the rapid firing guns, which pierced the unarmored parts of her side as if they were of paper. On the Cristobal Colon, though she was struck by many small projectiles, the damage was trifling because her side was almost completely armored. She was brought to surrender by the heavy guns of the Oregon, which had just got her range and was rapidly overhauling her when she gave up and ran ashore.
The accuracy of rapid-firing guns as compared with larger pieces has been over-estimated. At long ranges they are less accurate, as the path of a small projectile is more curved than that of a large one having the same muzzle velocity: at short ranges small guns should be more accurate than large ones, as they are more readily handled.
BIBLIOGRAPHY. Annual Reports of the Office Bibliography. Annual Reports of the Office of Naval Intelligence, Navy Department, Wash ington; Proceedings of the U. S. Naval Institute, Annapolis, Md.; Ingersoll, Text Book of Ord nance and Gunnery (Annapolis, 1899) ; Brassey, :Vara/ Annual, Loudon; the Sailor's Pocket Book (annual), London; Annual Report of the Chief of Bureau of Ordnance, U. S. Navy; An nual Report of the Chief of Ordnance U. S. Army. For information concerning rapid-firing and other guns in the United States and abroad, including tables and full details, see NAVAL; ARTILLERY; MACHINE ORDNANCE; etc.