The elements of field artillery

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UF350 .K72 The elements

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THE

ELEMENTS OF FIELD AETILLEEY

THE

ELEMENTS OF FIELD -AETILLEEY DESIGNED FOR THE USE OP

INFANTRY AND GAYALRT OFFICERS

BY

HENEY KNOLLYS CAPTAIN ROYAL ARTILLERY

Author of Editor of

'

'

Prom Sedan

to Saarbrilck

Incidents in the Sepoy War,' &c.

WILLIAM BLACKWOOD AND SONS EDINBURGH AND LONDON MDCOOLXXVII

PEEFACE.

Opficees of infantry and those belonging to the

cavaby, to

Staff,

especially

whom some

elementary knowledge of the practical working of field-artillery

is

frequently requested

absolutely necessary,

have

me

them

to

recommend

to

a text-book, wherein they might study the sub-

Of standard,

ject.

nature there

is

no lack

beg leave to express

this

officer for

from his to

borrow

mend

acknowledgments to I

have received

I

have ventured

and which

who wish

knowledge of the

on

my

pre-eminent; and

from which

largely,

For amateur

is

the assistance

treatise,

to those

this

—amongst them Colonel

Owen's 'Modern Artillery' I

works of

scientific

I strongly

recom-

to obtain a thorough

science.

artillerists,

who

enter

main

object

however,

this subject as a collateral, not a

of their profession, the standard

books supply

Preface.

vi

information in excess of what are a little too lengthy,

The student

abstruse.

is

will be of practical use to

is

and a great deal too at a loss to sift what

him from what

tended for highly-trained Artillery

draw the

to

line

and garrison

They

required.

is in-

and

officers,

between the departments of field

He

artillery.

is

puzzled with the

and dismayed

technical expressions,

at the intro-

duction of highly interesting but intricate calculations

;

and in nine cases out of ten he gives

up the task

in despair, believing that it can be

grappled with successfully by members of

"

the

scientific corps " only.

With a view

of obviating these difficulties, I

have compiled the present volume. it

is

are it

The bulk

warned

off

;

but

I

have endeavoured to put

in such a shape that

it

may

be easUy under-

by non - artillery officers, and nothing but what is of direct, practical stood

officers of is

of

old matter, and well-informed artillerists

to

insert

utility to

other branches of the service, or what

absolutely necessary to a comprehension of the

elementary principles.

HENEY KNOLLTS, Copf.

17

Eaton Square, London, January 1877.

Boyal

Artillery.

CONTENTS,

PART

I.

GUNS—AMMUNITION— CAEEIAGES.

.......

CHAP. I.

Guns,

PiOE

3

—Construction of muzzle-loading — Breech-loading field-guns. Method of working breech loading guns. — Machine guns. —The mitrailleur. —The Gatling gun. — Definitions of terms used in gunnery. — Principles of laying a gun. —The tangent-scale. — Range-finder. ^Tables of

Different parts of a gun. rifled

9 -pounder guns.

-

field-

guns. II.

Ammunition, Projectiles

.

.

.;

for muzzle-loading

.16

.

.

field-guns

:

Case

— Com-

— Water — Double — Shrapnel — Action shrapnel — Solid shot — Hot Case breeoh-loading — — Shrapnel — Common sheU — Segment —AdRockets. —^Explanation of the action of a

mon

shell

shot.

shell

shell

of

shell

shell

field-guns

Projectiles for

shell

:

shell.

rocket.

vantages and defects of rockets.

muzzle-loading field-guns.

— Fuzes. —Time-fuzes for

—Action of time-fuzes. —Time-

— Percussion-fuzes. —^Action of the percussion-fuze. — Comparative advan— Means of tages of time and percussion &o. — Gunpowder. guns.— The friction-tube.— —Tests gunpowder. — Gun fuzes for breeoh-loading field-guns.

fuzes.

Port-fires,

for

cartridges.

firing

viii

Contents.

III.

COMPAEATIVB AdVAKTAGBS AND DEFECTS OF BeEBCHLOADING AND MUZZLB-LOADINO FlELD-GTJNS, .

IV. Caeeiagbs,

The

.

.

gon-cajiiage.

.

.

—The

gun-Umber,

.

.

—The

43

.49

ammunition-

— Carriages guns of position. —Small —Com—Carriages mountain-guns. — Spare parative advantages of shaft and pole draught. —Amount of ammunition carried with a battery. —Tables of ammu-

waggon.

for

stores.

carriages.

for

nition.

— Models.

PAET

IL

DIFFERENT DESCRIPTIONS OF FIELD-ARTILLERYDRILL—ADMINISTRATION. I.

CoMPOSiTioiT OF Battebibs OF Field-Artillbkt,

.

59

— Duties of the various ranks. —Pace of —Horse-artillery batteries. —Batteries of position. — Mountain-batteries. — Tables showing the

Field-batteries.

field-batteries.

establishment of batteries of field-artillery. II.

Peinoiples of Fibld-Aetillbet Deill,

.

.

.67

—

and explanations of terms. Intervals, frontage, distances, and depths. Positions of ofScers and Nos. 1 when in line. Commands and signals. General rales for manoeuvres. Drill movements. Camps.

Definitions

—

—

—

III.

—

Administration and Inteeioe Economy,

— .

.

— — colonels. — Majors. — Cap-

Composition and strength of the Royal Artillery. First appointments and subsequent transfers. The brigade

— Lieutenant — Lieutenants. — Sergeants. — Corporals, bombarand acting-bombardiers. — Gunners and drivers. Staff-sergeants.— —Rough-riders. —Duties of the orderly — General duties of —Barraekroom duties. — Tables of pay. organisation.

-

tains. diers,

Artificers.

ofiicer.

ofiScers.

76

Contents.

PAET

III.

PRACTICAL EMPLOYMENT OF FIELD-ARTILLERY. I.

Working of a Single Batteky

in

the Field,

.

.

91

—Rules to be —Nature of the selection of under various ciroumstances and ranges. — CommoD — — Case. — Rate of — Shrapnel Rockets. — Mitrailleurs and Gatlings.— Supply of am-

Definitions of difierent descriptions of

for

fire.

projectile

positions.

fired

firing.

shell.

shell.

munition and replacement of casualties in the Marching.

11.

field.

— Transport of artUlery by railway. — Fords.

.....

"Working Aktilleet in the Field in conjunction 116 WITH other Arms,

—

army corps. Frequent employment of artillery. Examples of the employment of artillery. Reserve artilDuties of the brigadier-general commanding the lery. A division of artillery artillery of an army corps. working with other troops. Duties of lieutenant-colo-

Distribution of the artillery of an sources of error in the

—

—

—

— —

nels of artillery in the for artillery.— The

field.

—Transmission

—Duties of —Escorts

conjunction with other troops. lery working with

of orders

individual battery in the field in

cavaliy.

for

horse-artilartillery.

Position of artillery on the line of march with other Means of renderOutposts. branches of the service.

—

ing guns unserviceable.

guns

III.

fit

—Means

—

of rendering disabled

for use.

Examples from Modern Warfare illustrating the .141 Employment of Artillery, .

.

— Wagram. — Fuentes d'Onor. — Sobraon. — Inkerman. — Malakoff. — Sedan. — The Carlist War,

Friedland.

1875.

X

Contents.

IV. GrEADlTAL

......

DEVELOPMENT AND PRESENT CONDITION OF

Aetillbey,

Early history and subsequent progress.

—Eecent

164

remark-

able improvements in artillery. —Practical application of the science of artillery.

—Eeqnisites

for the efiFective

employment of artillery. -^Comparison between English and foreign field-artillery.

*

Indkx,

.....

177

LIST OF ILLUSTEATIONS.

"Wkought-Iron Rifled Muzzle-loading 9-Pottnder,

6 cwt.

To face page 12-PoirNDBE Bkeech-loading Rifled

Gun

TofoAiepage

Gatling Batteey-Gun,

To

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Illitsteate Definitions,

Tanuent-Soalb,

.

.

Shot, R.M.L. Case, 9-Poundee,

.

.

Shell, R.M.L. Common, Q-Pounder,

.

.

.

Hale's Rocket,

To faxe page

.

.

.

17

.

.17

.

.

.

.

Fuzes, Time, Wood,

Boxee M.L. Oednance,

Time-Fuze fixed in Shell,

.

.

9 Seconds, .

Peeoussion-Fuze, Feiction-Tube,

.

12

.13

.

.... ....... B.L.,

8

.10

.

Shell, R.M.L. Boxee Sheapnel, Q-Poundee,

Segment Shell,

4

(Aemsteong),

20 23

.

24

.

28

.

.30

.

.

.

32 38

Weought-Ikon Fibld-Gun Caeeiage foe 16-Poundee Gun, Ammunition-Waggon,

...

Formations of Aetilleey,

.

.

•

....

To face page

50

n

52 70

"

Aktilleet Encampment by Subdivisions,

.

75

Effects of Shrapnel,

.

104

WOEKS EEFEEEED TO IN THIS VOLUME.

The Principles and Practice

of

Modem

Artillery.

By

Lieutenant-

Colonel Owen, B.A.

The Manual

of Artillery Exercises.

The Manual

of Field- Artillery Exercises.

The

Soldier's Pocket-Book.

Third Edition.

By

Major-General Sir

Garnet Wolseley. Short Notes on Field-Batteries.

The Blue-Book Eeport

By

of Artillery

Captain Orde Browne, R.A.

Experiments carried on at Oke-

hampton, 1875.

Army

Estimates, 1876 and 1876.

Instructions for

Infantry Outposts,

Autumn Manoeuvres &c., &c., &c.

of 1872.

issued

provisionally for

the

PAET

I.

GUNS-AMMUNITION-CAEEIAGES

NOTE. The

in this volume have been Three Parts, each of which may be studied independently of the others, though of course a more thorough knowledge will be gained by a perusal of the whole.

various subjects treated of

classified into

THE

ELEMENTS OF FIELD-AETILLEEY.

CHAPTEE

I.

GUNS. DIFFEMNT PARTS OV A

— —

GTTN CONSTIlirCTION OP MtrZZl;E-LOADING 9-POTJNDBK GUTTS BREECH - LOADING FIELD-GUNS METHOD OF WORKING BREECH-LOADING GUNS— MAOHf^B GUNS THE MITRAILLEUR THE GATLING GUN DEFINITIONS OF TERMS USED IN GUNNERY PRINCIPLES OF LAYING A GUN THE TANGENT-SCALE RANGE-FINDER TABLES OF FIELD-GUNS.

EIFLED

—

— —

—

—

—

—

DiFFEEENT PAETS OF A GUN.

The muzzle-loading field-gun now British cipal

service

parts

" Breech-con,"

B

use in the

divided into the following

is

1,

(fig.

^

in

G,

Plate

I.)

" Chase/'

:

C B,

prin-

A " Muzzle," D

" Cascable,"

B,

B.

L T was marked two portions by a surface ring, and these portions were called the " First and Second Reinforces." In modem guns the ring has been discontinued, and no recognised term has been adopted to desig1

In the old smooth-boTe gun the space between

off into

nate this part of the gun.

4

Guns.

The

projection in rear is called the " Button,"

the " Breech,"

F H,

F

extends from the

strictly speaking,

bottom of the bore to the junction of the button.

The gim

supported in

is

its

^X,

called "Trunnions,"

carriage

placed a

by

little

projections

in front of

the centre of gravity of the piece, in order that

on the

rest steadily

is

may

This excess of weight

carriage.

in rear of the trunnions

it

the " Preponderance," and

should be as small as possible, to facilitate raising the breech

when

additional depression of the muzzle

The

is required.

" Vent," L, is the small

means of which the gun

channel by

The increased

fired.

is

thickness at the muzzle, adopted to check its tendency to droop

long

after

-

continued

firing,

called the

is

"Swell of the Muzzle," and the patch immediately above

it

the " Dispart

ever, exist in heavier

Patch," M.

the 16-pounder a trunnion-sight (see p. 12) It forms

tuted.

the "

how-

It does not,

guns than the 9-pounder.

one of the

sights,

a Hne,

In

is substi-

L M,

called

Line of Metal," drawn from the breech to the

dispart patch, being parallel to the axis of the bore,

5

and thus

0,

piece.

the

The

thickness

muzzle

facilitatiag aiming,

or " laying " the

" Dispart " is half the difference

—

that

of the

is to say, it

three " Grooves," a

the " Lands."

gun

;

The

the

at

equals

breech

P M.

between

and the

The bore has

the intervening portions are called " CaUbre,"

R

S, is the

diameter of

the bore measured across the lands, and the slight

WROT IRON RIFLED MUZJ

12

P?

B,

L.

RIFLED

01

Tig. 2,

V Santion,of Grooves of 12 Pr. twice.

fiM

size^.

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