Part 16
19. _Villages._—Observe their situation; ascertain the number of families they contain; the nature of the land; the quality and quantity of their crops; their markets; the suburbs that supply these markets; their beasts of burthen: their flocks, herds, poultry, _&c._ The number of their ovens; quality of the water; stile of houses, barns, stables, and sheep walks. The situation of the church; the nature of the church yard, and its enclosures. The wind and water mills. Observe whether the village is surrounded by hedges, ditches, banks, or walls; whether it can be easily intrenched. Its streets; roads leading to it; and the face of the surrounding country.
20. _Cities not fortified._—Their situation; population; commerce; commodities; manufactures; the succours that may be drawn from them, as to men, horses, _&c._ Their squares and principal buildings. The defence they are susceptible of; whether they are surrounded by walls, old towers, ditches, _&c._ Their gates, and the roads leading to them. The face of the surrounding country.
21. _Fortified Towns._—Their situation with respect to their position, and with respect to other towns in the neighbourhood, whether in the first or second line; the assistance which they can afford each other. The succours that may be drawn from them, or that may be thrown into them in case of a siege. The direction which such relief, whether of men or provisions, ought to take, according to the side attacked; whether they will serve as depots or hospitals. The state of the fortifications (see the word _Fortification_ in the alphabet;) their nature; the strength of each front. The rivers in the neighbourhood; the surrounding country within the range of the guns. The form of investment; what lines will be required considering the nature of the country, and the positions; and the means the country affords of executing them. The advantages which the ground would afford between the glacis and the lines, either to the besiegers or besieged; the means of establishing the most certain communications between the different quarters of the army, and the means of cutting them off.
22. _Positions._—Every military position ought to possess decided advantages of situation, and ought to be commanded in no part of its front, flank, or rear. All commanding grounds ought to be without the range of cannon. There are four principal objects to be attended to in the choice of a position: 1st. The advantages of the ground; 2d. The supplies for the army; 3d. The objects to be attained; and, 4th. The communications with the rear. The front of a position should be intersected by rivers, ravines, or broken ground, or any other obstacles which can prevent the enemy advancing in order of battle, and oblige him to pass through defilés; but a position becomes useless when the front is so covered by obstacles that the army cannot advance or move out of its camp when necessary; but no obstacles can be too great on the flanks. All obstacles which cover a position, or passes which lead to it, must be within the range of the artillery, or the enemy will pass them unmolested. In a flat country, where the ground does not afford commanding situations, a position is only more or less eligible, as being covered or protected by obstacles; these are very thick woods, in which there are very few roads; large rivulets which cannot be forded or passed without bridges; narrow roads; deep and broken ravines; ground much intersected with hedges, ditches, &c. but it is essential that all these obstacles should be under the fire of the artillery. It is always dangerous to occupy a position, which has its rear so covered by swamps, crossed by rivers or ravines, &c. as to render the retreat of the army difficult. The number of passes by which an army can retire must be examined and secured, and should never be less than 5 or 6. The rivers, brooks, &c. in front of a position, should never be depended upon for a supply of water, as the enemy may cut them off. The ground for a camp should not be too much intersected by hedges, ditches, or ravines, which occasion great intervals in the line, and obstruct the communications through the camp.
In an offensive position it is absolutely necessary that the army should not be too much confined by obstacles, but be at liberty to act in every direction; but in a defensive position, the fewer accessible points there are the better: and if the natural difficulties in front and flank are not sufficient to render an enemy’s attack dangerous, they must be increased by redoubts, intrenchments, abbatis, inundations, &c. The obstacles on the flanks, should also be of such extent that they cannot be easily turned, without the enemy makes a very great circuit; and consequently exposes his own flank, and weakens his line of communication. In case the enemy detaches a body to attack a defensive position in the rear; the front must be sufficiently strong to enable the general to oppose the enemy’s detachment, by a strong body from his own army. In short, the enemy must not be able by any manœuvre to force the army to quit its position. The want of wood or water, or other supplies absolutely necessary for an army, renders every other advantage of a position useless; nor, can a position be long tenable, that is far removed from its depots; and has not its intermediate posts perfectly secure from the attacks of an enemy. For further remarks upon positions, see the word _Artillery in the Field_.
_RICOCHET_—Firing is not confined to any particular charge or elevation; each must vary according to the distance and difference of level of the object to be fired at; and particularly of the spot on which it is intended the shot shall make the first bound. The smaller the angle is under which a shot is made to ricochet, the longer it will preserve its force and have effect, as it will sink so much the less in the ground on which it bounds and its tenacity will of course present so much less resistance to the shot’s progress. In the ricochet of a fortification of any kind, the angle of elevation should seldom be more than 10°, to throw the shot over a parapet a little higher than the level of the battery. If the works should be of an extraordinary height, the piece must be removed to such situation, and have such charge, that it can attain its object at this elevation, or at least under that of 13° or 14°, otherwise the shot will not ricochet, and the carriages will suffer very much. The first gun in a ricochet battery should be so placed as to sweep the whole length of the rampart of the enemy’s work, at 3 or 4 feet from the parapet, and the rest should form as small an angle with the parapet as possible. For this purpose the guns should be pointed about 4 fathoms from the face of the work towards the interior. In the ricochet of ordnance in the field, the objects to be fired at being principally infantry and cavalry, the guns should seldom be elevated above 3 degrees; as with greater angles the ball would be apt to bound too high, and defeat the object intended. For ricochet practice see the different pieces of ordnance, as _Gun_, _Mortar_, and _Howitzer_.
DURTUBIE.
See also the words _Platforms_ and _Battery_.
_ROCKETS._—_Composition._
_Old Proportion._ | _New Proportion._ lbs. oz. | lbs. oz. Saltpetre 4 0 | — 4 4 Sulphur 1 0 | — 0 12 Charcoal 1 8 | — 2 0 ---------------------------------+---------------------- _Composition for the Stars._ | Mealed powder 0 lb. 8 oz.| Saltpetre 8 0 | Composition for rains Sulphur 2 0 | to head sky rockets Antimony 2 0 | is the same as the Isinglass dissolved 0 3½ | above for the Spirits of wine 1 pint. | rockets. Vinegar 1 quart. | ---------------------------------+----------------------
_General Table of Sky Rockets._
+---------------------------+--------+---------+--------+--------+ | |2 Pound.|1 Pound. |½ Pound.|¼ Pound.| +---------------------------+--------+---------+--------+--------+ | | Inch. | Inch. | Inch. | Inch. | | Exterior diameter | 2.13 | 1.69 | 1.34 | 1.06 | |Case Interior diameter | 1.529 | 1.214 | 0.961 | 0.761 | | Length before driving| 15.97 | 12.67 | 10.05 | 8.25 | +---------------------------+--------+---------+--------+--------+ |Length of guage | 1.5 | 1.25 | 1.0 | 0.75 | | for the choke | | | | | +---------------------------+--------+---------+--------+--------+ |Cylinders for Diameter | 2.84 | 2.25 | 1.79 | 1.39 | | heading Length | 4.26 | 3.38 | 2.68 | 2.12 | |Cones for Diameter | 2.84 | 2.25 | 1.79 | 1.39 | | heading Height | 4.26 | 3.38 | 2.68 | 2.18 | +---------------------------+--------+---------+--------+--------+ |Mallet for driving.—Weight | 4 lb. | 3 8 oz.| 2 1 | 1 10 | |Nᵒ. of Strokes | 31 | 21 | 18 | 13 | +---------------------------+--------+---------+--------+--------+
_Copper Ladles for filling Sky Rockets._
_Length_, 1½ the exterior diameter of the case. _Diameter_, equals the interior diameter of case. _Circumference_, ¾ the interior caliber of the case.
Sky rockets are driven with composition up to 4½ exterior diameters of the case from the choke; and ⅕ of a diameter above the composition with good clay. They are bored and reamed up to 3½ diameters.
_Dimensions of Sticks for Rockets._—General rules.
For rockets from ½ an ounce to one pound, the stick must be 60 diameters of the rocket in length: for rockets from one pound and upwards fifty or fifty two diameters. Their thickness at top about ½ a diameter, and their breadth very little more. Their square at bottom equal to ½ the thickness at top.
+-------------+-------+------+------+-----+-------+-------+-------+ | Nature of | 6 Pr. | 4 Pr.| 2 Pr.|1 Pr.| ½ Pr. | ¼ Pr. | ⅛ Pr. | | Rockets. | | | | | | | | +-------------+-------+------+------+-----+-------+-------+-------+ | |Ft. In.| F. I.| F. I.|F. I.| F. I. | F. I. | F. I. | |Distance of | | | | | | | | | poise from | 4 1½ | 3 9 | 2 9 |2 1 | 1 10½ | 1 8 | 1 3 | | the point | | | | | | | | | of the cone | | | | | | | | +-------------+-------+------+------+-----+-------+-------+-------+
Rockets of between 3 and 4 inches diameter have been observed to ascend as high as 1000 or 1200 yards; but the height of common rockets is between 450 and 600 yards; and their flight usually short of 7 seconds.
JONES, ROBINS, LAB.
_ROPE_—is always distinguished by its circumference: thus a two inch rope means a rope of 2 inches in circumference.
_Rule for finding the Weight of Ropes._
Multiply the square of the circumference in inches, by the length in fathoms, and divide the product by 480 for the weight in cwt. See also _Drag Ropes_.
_SAND BAGS_—are made about 27 inches long, and 15 diameter; 250 of these are required for each fathom of battery, or about 1680 for two guns or mortars.—See _Tonnage_.
_SAP._—The sap generally commences about the second parallel, and sometimes sooner; and if the fire of the besieged is much slackened, may proceed both day and night. The sappers are usually divided into brigades of 8, and subdivided into divisions of 4 each; being the greatest number that can work at the sap at the same time. The leading sapper excavates 18 inches deep, and as much wide; the second, third, and fourth deepen the trench, each in succession 6 inches, and widen it as much; so that the four make a trench of 3 feet wide and 3 feet deep; after which the common workmen follow, and increase it in breadth and depth equal to the other trenches. The sap may proceed at the rate of 80 fathoms in 24 hours. As this work is very hard, the half brigades relieve each other every hour, and each sapper in his turn takes the lead. The whole brigade is relieved at the end of 6 hours. It is always customary in this dangerous work, to give the wages of those that are killed to the survivors. Sappers are generally armed with a helmet and breast plate. See _Trenches_, _Parallels_.
_SECANT._—See table at the end of the word _Gunnery_.
_SHELLS_—_For Mortars and Howitzers.—Their Dimensions, Weight, &c._
+-------+-------------+-------+---------+--------+--------------+-------+ |Nature.| Weight. | Diam- | Powder | Powder | Diameter of |Thick- | | | | eter. |contained| for | Fuze Hole. |ness of| | | | | in |Burning.+-------+------+ Metal.| | | | | Shells. | |Outside|Inside| | +-------+-------------+-------+---------+--------+-------+------+-------+ | |Ct.qr.lbs.oz.|Inches.| lbs. oz.|lbs. oz |Inches.|Inches|Inches.| |13 Inch| 1 3 2 | 12¾ | 10 4 | 6 12 | 1.837 | 1.696| 2.05 | |10 ” | 3 9 | 9¾ | 4 5 | 2 10 | 1.57 | 1.45 | 1.575 | | 8 ” | 1 11½ | 7¾ | 2 12 | 1 14 | 1.219 | 1.127| 1.2 | | 5½ ” | 15¼ | 5¼ | 1 | 12 | 0.894 | 0.826| 0.822 | | 4⅖ ” | 8 | 4⅕ | 7 | 5 | 0.832 | 0.769| 0.653 | +-------+-------------+-------+---------+--------+-------+------+-------+ | Hand | 3 11| 3.49 | | | | | | | Gren. | 1 13| 2.77 | | 1½ | | | | +-------+-------------+-------+---------+--------+-------+------+-------+ | _French Shells, in French Weights and Measures._ | +-------+-------------+-------+---------+--------+-------+------+-------+ |Inches.| lbs. | | | |Lines |Lines | Lines.| | | | | | | Po. | Po. | | |12 Inch| 150 | 12 | 17 | 5 | 15 9 | 15 | 16 | |10 ” | 100 | 10 | 10 | 3 | 15 9 | 15 | 16 | | 8 ” | 43 | 8 | 4 1 | 1 | 12 | 11 | 10 | | 6 ” | 23 | 6 | 2 8 | 12 | 11 | 10 6| 10 | +-------+-------------+-------+---------+--------+-------+------+-------+
_Dimensions of Shells for Guns and Carronades made with an equal Thickness of Metal._
+------------------------------------+------+------+------+------+------+ | Nature. |42 Pr.| 32 | 24 | 18 | 12 | +------------------------------------+------+------+------+------+------+ | |Inches|Inches|Inches|Inches|Inches| | Exterior| 6.684| 6.105| 5.547| 5.04 | 4.4 | | Diameter of the shell Interior| 4.404| 4.005| 3.767| 3.4 | 2.8 | +------------------------------------+------+------+------+------+------+ | Thickness of metal | 1.14 | 1.05 | 0.89 | 0.82 | 0.8 | |Guns Exterior| 0.894| 0.894| 0.894| 0.832| 0.832| | Diameter of fuze hole Interior| 0.826| 0.826| 0.826| 0.769| 0.769| +------------------------------------+------+------+------+------+------+ | Powder for bursting oz. | 14 | 11 | 12 | 9 | 5½ | +------------------------------------+------+------+------+------+------+ | Exterior| 6.64 | 6.05 | 5.48 | 4.935| 4.295| | Diameter of shell Interior| 4.36 | 3.95 | 3.48 | 3.235| 2.695| | +------+------+------+------+------+ |Carron- Thickness of metal | 1.14 | 1.05 | 1. | 0.85 | 0.8 | | ades Shells Weight lbs. | | 22 | | 12 | | | Contains powder oz. | | 12½ | | 9 | | | Powder for bursting oz. | | 10 | | 7 | | +------------------------------------+------+------+------+------+------+
_The following Shells may also be fired from Guns._
Hand Grenades from 6 Prs. 4⅖ Shells ” 12 Prs. 5½ Shells ” 24 Prs. 8 Inch ” 68 Pr. Carronades.
Shells may likewise be thrown from guns to short distances, in cases of necessity, though the bore be not of a diameter sufficient to admit the shell. For this purpose the gun may be elevated to any degree that will retain the shell upon its muzzle, which may be assisted by a small line going from the lugs of the shell round the neck of the gun. To produce a greater effect, the space between the shell and the charge may be filled with wads or other substance.
LOMBARD.
Shells are likewise sometimes quilted into grape. See the word _Shot_.
For the method of proving shells. See _Proof_.
_To find the Weight of a Shell of Iron._
Take ⁹/₆₄ of the difference of the cubes of the external and internal diameters for the weight of the shell.
_To find how much Powder will fill a Shell._
Divide the cube of the internal diameter of the shell in inches by 57.3, for the pounds of powder.
_To find the size of a Shell to contain a given Weight of Powder._
Multiply the pounds of powder by 57.3, and the cube root of the product will be the diameter in inches.
The Germans do not name their shells from the diameter of the bore which receives them, but from the weight of a stone ball that fits the same bore as the shell. Thus a 7 lbs. howitzer admits a stone ball of that weight; the shell for this weighs 15 lbs. and answers to the English 5½ inch. The 30 lbs. howitzer shell weighs 60 lbs. and is rather more than 8 inches in diameter.
NOTE.—Shells were till lately made thicker at the bottom than at the fuze hole; but are now cast of the same thickness throughout, and are found to burst into a greater number of pieces in consequence.
_SHOT._—_Rules for finding the Number in any Pile._
_Triangular Pile._
Multiply the base by the base + 1, this product by the base + 2, and divide by 6.
_Square Pile._
Multiply the bottom row by the bottom row + 1, and this product by twice the bottom row + 2, and divide by 6.
_Rectangular Piles._
Multiply the breadth of the base by itself + 1, and this product by 3 times the difference between the length and breadth of the base, added to twice the breadth + 1 and divide by 6.
_Incomplete Piles._
Incomplete piles being only frustrums, wanting a similar small pile on the top, compute first the whole pile as if complete, and also the small pile wanting at top; and then subtract the one number from the other.
_Rules for finding the Dimensions and Weight of Shot._
The weight and dimensions of shot or shells might be found by means of their specific gravities; (see the word _Gravity_;) but they may be found still easier, by means of the experimented weight of a ball of a given size, from the known proportion of similar figures, namely as the cubes of their diameters.
1st. _To find the Weight of an Iron Ball from its Diameter_—An iron ball of 4 inches diameter weighs 9 lbs. and the weights being as the cubes of their diameters, it will be as 64, (the cube of 4,) is to 9, so is the cube of the diameter of any other ball to its weight.
2d, _To find the Weight of a Leaden Ball_.—A leaden ball of 4¼ inches diameter weighs 17 lbs. Therefore, as the cube of 4¼ is to 17, (as 9 to 2 nearly,) so is the cube of the diameter of any leaden ball to its weight.
3d, _To find the Diameter of an Iron Ball_.—Multiply the weight by 7¹/₉ and the cube root of the product will be the diameter.
4th, _To find the Diameter of a Leaden Ball_.—Multiply the weight by 9, and divide the product by 2; and take the cube root of the quotient for the diameter.
_Table of Diameters of English Iron Round Shot._
+-------+---+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+----+ |Nature.| 68| 42 | 32 | 24 | 18 | 12 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 1 | +-------+---+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+----+ |Inches.| 8.|6.684|6.105|5.547|5.040|4.403|4.000|3.498|2.775|1.92| +-------+---+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+----+
_Diameters of French Iron Round Shot in English Inches._
+-------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+ |Nature.| 36 | 24 | 16 | 12 | 8 | 4 | +-------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+ |Inches.|6.648|5.808|5.074|4.610|4.027|3.196| +-------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
_Table of English Case Shot for different Services._
+------+--------------------------++-------------------------------+ | | Sea Service. || Carronades. | | +-------+-------+----------++------+-------+-------+--------+ |Nature|Weight |Number | Weight ||Nature|Weight |Number | Weight | | |of each|in each| of each || |of each|in each|of each | | | Shot. | Case. | Case || | Shot. | Case. | Case | | | | | filled. || | | | filled.| +------+-------+-------+----------++------+-------+-------+--------+ | Prs. | oz. | Nᵒ. |lbs. oz. || Prs. | oz. | Nᵒ. |lbs. oz.| | 32 | 8 | 70 | 33 8 || 68 | 8 | 90 | 46 2 | | 24 | 8 | 42 | 22 15 || 42 | 8 | 66 | 32 8 | | 18 | 6 | 42 | 16 8 || 32 | 8 | 40 | 21 4 | | 12 | 4 | 42 | 11 5 || 24 | 8 | 32 | 16 1 | | 9 | 3 | 44 | 8 9 || 18 | 6 | 31 | 12 2 | | 6 | 2 | 40 | 5 2 || 12 | 4 | 32 | 8 2 | | 4 | 2 | 28 | 4 — ++------+-------+-------+--------+ | 3 | 2 | 20 | 2 15 || Tier Shot for Field | | 1 | 1¼ | 12 | 1 2¼ || Service. | +------+-------+-------+----------++------+-------+-------+--------+ | Common Land Service. || | oz. | Nᵒ. |lbs. oz.| | ||12 Pr.| 18 | 15 | 18 8 | +------+-------+-------+----------++Med. | 6½ | 42 | 17 11 | | Prs. | oz. | Nᵒ. |lbs. oz. ||------+-------+-------+--------+ | 24 | 4 | 84 | 21 11 ||6 Pr. | 8½ | 15 | 9 — | | 12 | 2 | 84 | 12 1 ||Med. | 3½ | 42 | 8 14 | | 6 | 1½ | 55 | 5 10½ ++------+-------+-------+--------+ | 3 | 1¼ | 52 | 2 14 ||3 Pr. | 4½ | 15 | 4 10 | | | | | ||Med. | 1½ | 42 | 4 6 | | | | | ++------+-------+-------+--------+ | | | | ||12 Pr.| 14 | 12 | 14 14 | | | | | ||Light | 6½ | 34 | 14 11 | | | | | ++------+-------+-------+--------+ | | | | ||6 Pr. | 8½ | 12 | 7 3 | | | | | ||Light | 3½ | 34 | 7 7 | | | | | ++------+-------+-------+--------+ | | | | ||3 Pr. | 4½ | 12 | 3 10 | | | | | ||Light | 1½ | 34 | 3 11 | +------+-------+-------+----------++------+-------+-------+--------+
+-----------------------------------++-------------------------+ | For Mortars. || Howitzers. | +--------+-------+--------+---------++-------+--------+--------+ | Nature.|Weight | Number | Weight ||Weight | Number | Weight | | |of each|of Shot | of Case ||of each|of Shot |of Case | | | Shot. |in each.| filled. || Shot. |in each.| filled.| +--------+-------+--------+---------++-------+--------+--------+ | Inch. | oz. | Nᵒ. |lbs. oz.|| oz. | Nᵒ. |lbs. oz.| | 10 | 8 | 170 | 91 8 || — | — | — — | | 8 | 6 | 90 | 38 4 || 6 | 90 | 33 8 | | 5½ | 3 | 55 | 12 6 || 3 | 55 | 12 8 | | 4⅖ | 2 | 55 | 8 1¼ || 2 | 55 | 8 2 | +--------+-------+--------+---------++-------+--------+--------+
_Table of Grape Shot, for Sea and Land Service._
+-------------+----------------+-------------------+ | Nature. | Weight of each | Total Weight of | | | Shot. |the grape complete.| +-------------+----------------+-------------------+ | | lbs. oz. | lbs. oz. | | 42 Pounders.| 4 0 | 46 6 | | 32 ” | 3 0 | 34 1 | | 24 ” | 2 0 | 25 5 | | 18 ” | 1 8 | 19 15½ | | 12 ” | 1 0 | 10 15 | | 9 ” | 0 13 | 7 6 | | 6 ” | 0 8 | 5 8½ | | 4 ” | 0 6 | 3 14½ | | 3 ” | 0 4 | 2 10½ | | ½ ” | 0 ⅗ lead | 8¾ | +-------------+----------------+-------------------+