MR. PIKE PEASEI beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether any person is officially recognised as the inventor of soft-metal caps for use with armour-piercing projectiles.
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WAR (Mr. HALDANE,) HaddingtonLieutenant-Colonel T. English (late R.E.) was the officer who, in conjunction with the late General Inglis, in 1878, first suggested to the War Department the use of a cap for increasing the penetration of armour-piercing projectiles; trials were made, but it was not considered that any advantage was gained by using the cap, as the low velocity of the guns of that date did not give any advantage to the use of the capped projectile. Recent improvements in guns and armour have, however, changed the conditions, and the cap has been found to possess certain advantages which have led to its adoption. It must be pointed out that Colonel English's suggestion arose out of an official experiment, and was a deduction therefrom of such a nature as might reasonably be expected from an officer selected for the important duties with which he was at the time charged. But although it was not at this time, nor for many years after, of any use, every credit is due to him for making it.