Quota Quote

Here’s something a bit different – a quota quote.

The heaviest armour afloat, when attacked by an 18″ gun, would not appear to be, metaphorically speaking, much better than cardboard.

Sir Robert A Hadfield, 1925

Hadfield was referring to these armour-piercing shells, made in Sheffield and used extensively to great effect during the First World War:

Hadfield‘s was the only firm in the UK to make 18 inch shells. Between 1916 and 1919 only 500 were produced.
The shell could penetrate up to 1.2m of steel plate – rendering it effectively useless as a defence and hence his likening heavy armour to cardboard.

This shell is held at Sheffield’s brilliant Kelham Island Industrial Museum. [photos]