Q&A ยท 1:09:47-1:11:07

Royal Navy shell supply and explosive fillings in World War I

The Navy faced supply pressure, although apparently less severely than the Army, and broad use of Amatol in large shells remains unconfirmed.

Question

Did the Royal Navy suffer the same shell shortage as the Army, and did it substitute Amatol for Lyddite?

Short answer

The Navy faced supply pressure, although apparently less severely than the Army, and broad use of Amatol in large shells remains unconfirmed.

Notes

The Royal Navy was affected by wartime shell demand, although its position appears to have been less severe than the Army's shortage. No one could recall evidence that Amatol broadly replaced Lyddite in large naval shells. Destroyer-ammunition trials may have involved alternative fillings, but that point remains tentative. Broad Amatol substitution in naval ammunition is therefore an open research question rather than an established policy.