Why did early antiaircraft guns use shrapnel shells against aircraft?

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Early antiaircraft guns utilized shrapnel shells because the scattered lead balls contained within them were sufficient to damage the aircraft of that era.1

Because early fire-control systems struggled to track targets moving at high speeds in three dimensions, these projectiles provided a wider area of effect than a single solid round. By using a time fuze to scatter high-velocity debris near an enemy target, the shells increased the probability of scoring a hit against vulnerable early-model aircraft. As technology progressed, these were eventually replaced by high-explosive shells and more advanced fire-control methods, such as radar and the proximity fuze, which rendered the use of traditional shrapnel balls unnecessary.12