Replacement by high-explosive shell With the advent of relatively insensitive high explosives which could be used as the filling for shells, it was found that the casing of a properly designed high-explosive shell fragmented effectively . For example, the detonation of an average 105 mm shell produces several thousand high-velocity (1,000 to 1,500 m/s) fragments, a lethal (at very close range) blast overpressure and, if a surface or sub-surface burst, a useful cratering and anti-materiel effect – all in a munition much less complex than the later versions of the shrapnel shell. However, this fragmentation was often lost when shells penetrated soft ground, and because some fragments went in all directions it was a hazard to assaulting troops.
Replacement by high-explosive shell With the advent of relatively insensitive high explosives which could be used as the filling for shells it was found that the casing of a properly designed high-explosive shell fragmented effectively  For example the detonation of an average 105 mm shell produces several thousand high-velocity (1000 to 1500 m/s) fragments a lethal (at very close range) blast overpressure and if a surface or sub-surface burst a useful cratering and anti-materiel effect – all in a munition much less complex than the later versions of the shrapnel shell However this fragmentation was often lost when shells penetrated soft ground and because some fragments went in all directions it was a hazard to assaulting troops