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''Mr. Conan Doyle and High Angle Fire'' is a letter written by [[Arthur Conan Doyle]] first published in [[The Westminster Gazette]] on 26 february 1900.

== Mr. Conan Doyle and High Angle Fire ==
[[File:the-westminster-gazette-1900-02-26-mr-conan-doyle-and-high-angle-fire-p3.jpg|thumb|250px|right|[[The Westminster Gazette]]<br />(26 february 1900, p. 3)]]

''To the Editor of The Westminster Gazette.''

Sir, — My attention has just been called to an interview in the
''Westminster Gazette'', concerning my failure to induce the War Office
to listen to my views on the question of high angle fire, or to
examine the means by which I propose to regulate it. In this I
observe that Captain Kenyon declares that I have received three
letters upon the subject. of which I have only. published the last
He adds that this will be the official answer if a question on the.
subject be asked in the House. I trust that this is not so, as Captain
Kenyon is entirely mistaken in his statement.

I have received two letters from the Ordnance Department
upon the subject, of which the one published is the first. The
reason why the second was not published also was that it was
almost a verbatim reproduction of the first. save that after the
words "will not trouble you in the matter of an apparatus for high
angle fire from rifles" there is added "as it was not considered
desirable to adopt that means of fire." I have therefore had two
letters which were practically the same letter. What, then,
becomes of the three letters which were said to have been sent to
me?

The Westminster Gazette misquotes me when it says that I claim
success for my idea. On the contrary, I state that there may be a
fallacy. But I do claim that the principle is right, and that the
detail is worthy of careful examination. If such a use of rifle fire
were in vogue, and if approximate accuracy could be attained, it is
quite certain that Cronje's force, surrounded in a confined space
by 20,000 Lee-Metfords, could not possibly have held out. Every
square yard of his position could be searched by a dropping fire,
while each Boer had only to dig a hole in order to be safe from a
direct one.

As to Captain Kenyon's statement that a wind would render the
fire uncertain, and possibly unsafe, it is perfectly correct. But as
the rifle remains with its present sights intact, it would not be used
for a dropping fire unless the conditions were favourable. A special
cartridge with a heavier bullet and less cordite would of course
ensure greater accuracy. The height to which the bullet goes with
the ordinary service cartridge is such that 55 seconds elapse before
its return to earth.

No doubt Captain Kenyon would claim that the replies from his
office are in the usual official routine form; but I object, not merely
in my own name, but in that of every man who wishes to try to aid
his country, that this form should be so offensively curt.

Yours faithfully,

A. CONAN DOYLE

The Reform Club

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* [[Sir Arthur Conan Doyle:Complete Works|Back to Complete Works]]
* [[Sir Arthur Conan Doyle|Back to Conan Doyle]]

Mr. Conan Doyle and High Angle Fire - Revision history

TCDE-Team at 08:02, 5 July 2020