Εικόνες σελίδας
PDF
Ηλεκτρ. έκδοση

No. 1 points; commands; hands sponge to No. 2.

3, runs up, traverses, provides cartridges, and puts it in; plants pointing rods.

5, assists 8 to prepare shells; fires; runs up; and traverses.

6, prepares shells; brings them

up; and puts them in,

2, sponges; traverses; runs up; wipes shell.

4, attends the vent; runs up, and traverses.

7, at the magazine,

With the smaller mortars, 5, and 43 inch, 3 men are sufficient. The shells ought always to be deposited behind traverses raised for the purpose, or in other sheltered places, and one or two men, according to circumstances, should be appointed to scrape and clean them inside and out, and prepare them for the powder and fuzes.

The following stores are required for the service of Mortars.

One sponge to be placed on the right of the mortar, the sponge head to the front, and supported to keep it free from gravel.

One scraper for two mortars.

One cartridge. case, for bringing up the cartridge; or a paper or leather case, for loading when the powder is loose.

One beam hook, for 13 inch, One pair of hand hooks, for 10 inch. One piece of cord, for 8 inch.

Four-handspikes, for 13, 10, and 8 inch. Two on each side of the platform, as directed for guns.

Two pointing-rods, or pickets.

2 inch plank, 4' long.

If for masonry parapet, set on a

One plummet with line, in charge of No. 1.

A piece of sheepskin or an empty sand bag for wiping the bottom of the shell; to be placed on the right of the sponge.

One quadrant,

One perpendicular,

for every four or five mortars.

One fuze engine,

One tube pocket.

One lanyard with hook, for friction tubes.

One set of priming irons. One filling funnel. One mallet.

Two setters.

One centre bit. Chalk prepared.

Shells, of the calibre of the mortar, and also 43 inch for volleys, in

boxes.

[blocks in formation]

At the Magazine.

One budge barrel. One set of weights and scales.

One set of powder measures.

Cartridges, empty, worsted,

lbs., Scissors.

The mortar is prepared for action on the same principle as guns

are.

No. 1 commands, and regulates the charge of powder and length of fuze.

Laying Mortars.

Mortars are usually fired from behind parapets, the height of which prevents those in the interior of the battery from seeing the object fired at, unless they expose themselves. The mortar is, therefore, laid, not directly on the object, but upon two pickets, called pointing rods, which are placed in front of each mortar, and in the vertical plane, passing between the centre of the platform, and the object to be struck.

These pickets are formed of two ground rods of iron, of about two feet long. For masonry works they must be placed on a fir plank, of about one foot wide, four feet in length, three inches thick, and about. six inches from each end. The plank should be fitted with a grummet or handle at each end. In earthworks two ramrods will answer for pointing rods.

Should there be no banquette, the rods must be placed on the top of the parapet.

Carcasses, and Light Balls.

When carcasses, or light balls are fired, the 13 and 10 inch are brought up in the same manner as shells; the 8, 5, and 43 inch in the palms of the hands. No. 2 wipes the bottom of the carcass, uncovers the holes, and loosens the priming.

Light balls, both ground, and parachute, are fired with very reduced charges.

Pound Shot, and Stones.

When pound shot, or stones are used, they are brought up in a box, or basket, to the front of the mortar, in the same manner as shells. The No. who brings up the cartridge, brings up a wooden bottom, which 3 places over the powder. Nos. 2 and 3 empty the shot into the mortar, and give the empty basket to 6.

ARTICLE XIII.-FIRING BY NIGHT.

To insure as accurate a fire as possible during the night, the following expedients have been adopted":

[ocr errors]

For guns on garrison carriages.-A directing bar, or piece of timber, about a foot or eighteen inches longer than the platform, and four inches by six in thickness, is used. It has a hole at one end, through which a bolt is passed into the platform close to the hurter and in the object line. On this bolt the bar traverses. At equal distances from the axis or middle line of the carriage, two cleats are bolted under each axletree, at a distance from each other equal to the breadth of the bar, and the bar is passed under the carriage and fitted between these cleats. Holes are bored at the tail of the platform, for the reception of bolts, at distances from each other to suit the size of the bar. The gun is laid for the object during the day, and should the bar fall exactly between two holes, the bolts are put in, and the bar remains fixed. When, however, the bar covers a hole, the

[ocr errors]

bolts are put into the nearest holes on each side, and small wedges driven in between them and the bar, in order to keep it in its place. The gun now requires nothing more after each round than to be loaded, run up, and fired; operations which are as easily performed by night as by day.

This arrangement is not suited to guns on rear chock carriages.

For Guns on travelling carriages.-The gun having been properly laid during the day, a bead, or piece of timber of a proper scantling is nailed or screwed to the platform, inside the felloe of each wheel, and parallel to the object line, and two shorter pieces are fastened in like manner outside of the cheeks of the carriage, at the trail.

By a proper application of the scotches, every description of traversing platform can be made available for night firing.

When the foregoing expedients cannot be resorted to, the platform and the carriage should be chalked in different places, and when the gun is run up, these chalk marks should be made to correspond. A lantern, in this case, is always required.

The elevating screw must also be clamped, or the quoins lashed.

For Mortars.

After the mortar has been accurately laid, a plank, thin enough to go under the running-up bolts without touching them, is placed against the outside of one of the cheeks of the bed, and nailed or screwed to the platform, and the mortar, after every round, run up to it. If a suitable piece of plank cannot be procured, the platform must be chalked close to the mortar bed.

ARTICLE I.-SLEDGES

PART III,

are constructed of beams 10 inches in depth, 6 inches in thickness, and 10 feet 3 inches in length, parallel to each other, at the distance of 1 foot 5 inches apart, and connected by wooden transoms. They are easily put together, and have been found of great service in small expeditions, in which recourse has been had to the Navy for ships' guns, to carry on operations on shore.

If the ground be of a marshy, or shingly nature, the under part of the sledge must be covered with planks to prevent mud, stones, &c., from accumulating in front of the transoms; and, if there be time, the under part of the side pieces should be shod with iron, to prevent them wearing away.

There is a narrow description of sledge, which is made use of to move guns along sally ports and similar narrow passages, and up the ramps of fortifications. Guiding ropes are made fast to the rear of the sledge, and manned towards the rear, crossing each other, so that the men haul upon that which is fixed to the side farthest from them.

ARTICLE III.-SLING CART.

This cart is used for moving heavy ordnance, not exceeding 65 cwt., on hard, level roads.

The cart weighs 15 cwt.

N

[ocr errors]

One non-commissioned officer and six men are required to work it. They are numbered as for gun drill.

Articles required with the cart:—

One sling, of six inch white rope, two fathoms long, with an eye splice at each end.

One sling tie.

One inch tarred rope, two feet long.

One prypole, fitted with a prypole rope, 24 inch, three fathoms. Two levers, six feet nine inches long, fitted with two lever ropes, two inch tarred, two fathoms long.

Two pawls.

Two common handspikes.

One piece of short skidding, 4 feet long, five or six inches square. The detachment halts about three yards (the position of "Detachment rear"), in rear of, and facing the cart, which is supposed to be provided with its stores-viz., the sling on the windlass, the handspikes and levers lashed to the prypole. The gun to be slung is on a short skid. No. 1 gives the words "Form the order of exercise," "right face-left wheel-quick march." The ranks open out; the front rank discovering the left wheel; the rear rank the right. They are halted at one pace from them.

Disposition, and Duties of the Men.
No. 1 attends to the pawls, and commands.
Left side.

3 has charge of the left lever, and skids the gun when neces

[merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small]

Right side.

2 has charge of the right lever, and skids the gun when neces

[blocks in formation]

Words of command.-"Unlash. Slew the gun, raise the trunnion on the right. Halt, cast off. Back the cart. Fix sling to right of windlass. Overhaul, and sling gun. Heave in the slack. Work levers. Halt, out levers. Lash up the breech. Heave. Trap, and make fast. Lash levers, and handspikes."

Unslinging.

In Unslinging, each No. undoes what he has done.

Words of command.— .-" Prepare to unsling. Levers take purchase to lower. Bear down.

Unsling."

Ease off.
Slinging a Mortar.

A Mortar is slung with the muzzle towards the rear. It is slewed like a gun. The sling is then put on close to the trunnions.

[ocr errors]

Unslinging a Mortar,

See-Unslinging a Gun.

Slinging a Mortar Bed.

The windlass for raising Mortar beds is generally of a different construction from that of guns, being square in the middle, and cylindrical at each end. Both ends of the sling are put on the pins placed for that purpose on the square part of the windlass, which in this case bears the whole weight. The bed is slung with the front part towards the rear of the cart.

Unslinging a Mortar Bed

is just the reverse of slinging; each No. undoing what he had previously done.

ARTICLE IV.-SLING WAGGON.

The sling waggon weighs about 29 cwt., and is employed for moving heavy ordnance, standing carriages, and traversing platforms It requires a detachment of one non-commissioned officer and eight

men.

The following articles are required with the waggon

One sling of six inch white rope, 24 fathoms long, and having an eye-splice at each end.

[ocr errors]

One sling tie of one inch tarred rope, two feet long.

One breech rope, or carriage sling, of 2 inch tarred rope, six fathoms long.

Two levers, six feet nine inches long, fitted with

Two lever ropes, two inch tarred rope, 2 fathoms each.

Two pawls.

Four common handspikes.

Two pieces of skidding, about four feet long, and six or seven inches square.

One pair of strong dragropes.

One wrench hammer.

The detachment is numbered in the usual manner, and takes post for exercise as at the sling cart.

Disposition, and Duties of the Men.

No. 1 attends to the pawls and commands, keys, and unkeys keep chain.

[blocks in formation]
« ΠροηγούμενηΣυνέχεια »