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How shrapnel works, WW1
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How shrapnel works, WW1
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Media ID 32388042
© The Keasbury-Gordon Photograph Archive / Mary Evans
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This vintage lantern slide from The Keasbury-Gordon Photograph Archive Collection, available at Mary Evans Prints Online, offers a fascinating glimpse into the inner workings of a shrapnel shell during World War 1. Shrapnel, a type of ammunition developed in the late 18th century by Henry Shrapnel, was a significant advancement in artillery warfare. Unlike solid shot, which caused extensive damage upon impact, shrapnel was designed to explode in mid-air, scattering metal balls or pellets over a wide area. The image shows a cross-sectional view of a shrapnel shell, with its distinctive hollow body and bursting charge visible. The outer casing is filled with small iron balls, known as bullets or pellets, which are held in place by a bag or fabric liner. When the shell was fired from an artillery gun, a time-delayed fuse was ignited, causing the bursting charge to explode. This explosion forced the iron balls out of the casing, creating a deadly shower of shrapnel that could devastate enemy troops in the open. The Edwardian era, during which this photograph was likely taken, saw the widespread use of shrapnel in the trenches of the Western Front. The image serves as a poignant reminder of the brutal realities of trench warfare during World War 1, and the devastating impact that new technologies, such as shrapnel shells, had on the battlefield.
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