Shrapnel was a type of artillery shell invented by Lieutenant (later, Lieutenant General) Henry Shrapnel (1761-1842). The shell contained a number of balls and a charge of powder that burst the shell. The British Army used the first shell of this type in Suriname in 1804. During World War I (1914-1918), shrapnel was considered one of the most reliable and effective antipersonnel shells. Since World War II (1939-1945), the word commonly refers to the steel fragments of the shell casing hurled by an explosive charge, though some types of shells filled with metal fragments are still used. See also Ammunition ; Artillery .
