As another Lame Cherry exclusive in matter anti matter......
One hears a great deal of shrapnel in war, but I will surprise most of you with the reality that General Shrapnel was the namesake of this ordnance meant to kill people. He devised a new explosive beyond grape or canister shot, which would travel 3 times as far in the casing.
The casing was unique in a cast iron ball, which was loaded with round balls or grape shot, and powder packed in. It had a hole for a fuse of cut length in how far it was to project before detonating, and this fuse was lit by the cannon discharging.
It was all quite brilliant with few problems, namely being getting the balls packed in correctly with the powder so it would not detonate by friction the cannon.
The unique thing about the original RPG or rocket propelled grenade was the reality that the velocity of the original shell, would impart to the shrapnel the same velocity when it detonated. Bodies in motion tending to stay in motion.
These shells were the perfect slaughtering implement of men and horses. What could be more wonderful than a shell becoming an entire brigade in firepower, all from the safety of behind the lines.
The perfection of shrapnel was the German engine, called the 88. It was intended an anti aircraft weapon using ack ack or shrapnel to kill bombers, but General Rommel discovered that shooting it horizontally it made a lovely tank killer, the shrapnel becoming the tank killing the crew.
This was one of the greatest achievements in human history as Col. Colt made all men equal and General Shrapnel made all armies equal.
Invention is such a wonderful genius and those who accomplished it deserve full credit. There is no Shrapnel Prize, but there should be as there was no Nobel nuttery in making a fortune off of killing people and then feeling guilt to hand out prizes to other nuts who hate America like Birther Hussein.
I would like to have a Shrapnel Prize. I would like some Koch billionaires to fund this, and then people who are deserving could really be awarded a prize worth something. No gold medals for this, but just a hunk of shrapnel for a pin. I think that would be lovely.
To set the standard I would give the first two to Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher.
nuff said
agtG
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