Part 17

Small shells, as 4⅖ inches, and hand grenades were quilted into grape for 13 inch mortars at Gibraltar. The fuzes were turned inwards next the iron tampion, and leaders of quick match for communicating fire to the fuzes were introduced through holes made in the wood bottom, and placed as near the fuzes as possible in the center of the grape. These answered very well for short ranges.

SHAND.

_Hot Shot._—The powder for firing with hot shot must be in strong flannel cartridges, without any holes, lest some grains should remain in the bore, in putting the cartridge home. Over the powder must be rammed a good dry wad, then a damp one, and then the hot shot; and if the gun lays at a depression, there must be a wad over the shot, which may be rammed home. If the above precautions be attended to, the gun may be pointed after being loaded, without the smallest danger; as it is well known that the shot will grow cold in the gun, without burning more than a few threads of the wads next it. This is not the mode usually taught of loading with hot shot, but is that which was practised during the siege of Gibraltar. Mr. Durtubie proposes putting the shot when heated, into a tin cannister, as an effectual method of preventing accidents.

The grates usually made for heating shot will generally make them red hot in ¾ of an hour.

_SINES._—See table of _Natural Sines_, at the end of the word _Gunnery_.

_SOUND._—The medium velocity of sound is nearly at the rate of a mile, or 5280 feet; in 4⅔ seconds; or a league in 14 seconds; or 13 miles in one minute.—But sea miles are to land miles nearly as 7 to 6: therefore sound moves over a sea mile in 5¾ seconds nearly; or a sea league in 16 seconds.

HUTTON.

Sound flies 1142 feet in one second.

FLAMESTEAD.

It is a common observation, that persons in good health have about 75 pulsations at the wrist in a minute, consequently in 75 pulsations sound flies about 13 land miles, or 11¹/₇ sea miles, which is about 1 land mile in 6 pulsations, and 1 sea mile in 7 pulses; or a league in 20 pulses.

HUTTON.

The velocity of sound does not very much vary, whether it goes with the wind or against it. As sound moves vastly swifter than the wind, the acceleration it can thereby receive can be but inconsiderable; and the chief effect we can perceive from the wind is, that the sound will be carried to a greater distance by it. Sound will be louder in proportion to the condensation of the air. Water is one of the greatest conductors of sound: it can be heard nearly twice as far as on land.

HUTTON.

_STOPPAGES._—There shall be stopped out of the pay of an artillery soldier, (beer money included,) the sum of 5 shillings and one penny _per_ week, to be applied towards the expense of his mess, (including vegetables, &c.) A sum not exceeding one shilling and six-pence _per_ week shall be retained for necessaries to be accounted for, as usual, monthly. The remainder amounting to 3_s._ 10¾_d._ _per_ week, shall be paid to the soldier, subject to the accustomed deductions for washing, &c. or articles for cleaning his cloaths and appointments. Stoppages for rations for man and horse. See the word _Ration_.

_TANGENT._—See the table of natural tangents at the end of the word _Gunnery_.

_Tangent Scale._—.21 of an inch is the tangent of 1 degree to every foot of a gun’s length, from the base ring to the swell of the muzzle: Therefore if the distance in feet, between these two points be multiplied by .21, the product will be the tangent of 1 degree; from which the dispart being subtracted, will give the length of the tangent scale above the base ring for one degree of elevation for that particular gun. If the scale is to be applied to the quarter sight of the gun, of course the dispart need not be subtracted.

_Tangent of 1 Degree to the following Ordnance._

+-------------------+------------+-----------+--------+ | | Length. |Tangent, 1°|Dispart.| +-------------------+------------+-----------+--------+ | |Feet. In. | Inches. | Inches.| |12 Pr. Medium | 6 6 | 1.365 | 1.475 | |12 Pr. Light | 5 — | 1.05 | 1. | | 6 Pr. Heavy | 7 — | 1.47 | 1.32 | | 6 Pr. Light | 5 — | 1.05 | 1. | | 3 Pr. Heavy | 6 — | 1.26 | 1.08 | |10 Inch Howitzer | 3 11½ | .84 | — | | 8 ” ” | 3 1 | .64 | — | | 5½ ” Light | 2 2¾ | .47 | — | | 4⅖ ” ” | 1 10 | .384 | — | +-------------------+------------+-----------+--------+

_Tangent of 1 Degree to the following French Guns._

+-------------+---------------------+---------------------+ | Nature | Siege. | Field. | | of +----------+----------+----------+----------+ | Ordnance. | Tangent | Dispart. | Tangent | Dispart. | | | of 1° | | of 1° | | +-------------+----------+----------+----------+----------+ | |In. Li. P.|In. Li. P.|In. Li. P.|In. Li. P.| |24 Pounder | 2 1 5 | 1 2 4 | — | — | |16 ” | 2 — — | 1 1 — | — | — | |12 ” | 1 10 6 | 1 — — | 1 4 — | 1 3 2 | | 8 ” | 1 8 3 | 1 — — | 1 2 — | 1 2 — | | 4 ” | — | — | 1 — — | 1 — — | | 6 In. How’r.| — | — | 0 5 6 | — | +-------------+----------+----------+----------+----------+

As the French tangent scales are marked off in inches and lines, the above dimensions are given in the same, for the more ready turning the French elevations into degrees, and thereby comparing their ranges with the English.

_TENT for Laboratory Works._—Weight complete with poles, pins, &c. 3 cwt. 24 lbs. length of ridge pole, 18 feet; length of poles, 14½ feet.

_Bell Tent_, now used for infantry or cavalry; weight, complete with poles, 43 lbs. length of pole, 9 feet, contain 12 men each, require 40 pegs.

_Common Infantry Tent._—Length of ridge pole 7 feet; length of standards 6 feet. They hold only 5 men each. Weight complete 27 lbs.

_Marquee._—Weight complete,1 cwt. 17 lbs. ridge pole, 7 feet; standard, 8 feet.

_TONNAGE._—The usual method of finding the tonnage of any ship is by the following rule: Multiply the length of the keel by the breadth of the beam, and that product by half the breadth of the beam; and divide the last product by 94, and the quotient will be the tonnage.

Ship’s keel 72 feet: breadth of beam 24 feet.

(72 × 24 × 12) ------------- = 220.6 tonnage. 94

The tonnage of goods and stores is taken sometimes by weight and sometimes by measurement; and that method is allowed to the vessel, which yields the most tonnage. In tonnage by weight, 20 cwt. make 1 ton. In tonnage by measurement 40 cubic feet equal 1 ton. All carriages, or other stores to be; measured for tonnage, are taken to pieces, and packed in the manner which will occupy the least room on board ship. All ordnance, whether brass or iron, is taken in tonnage by its actual weight. Musquet cartridges in barrels or boxes; all ammunition in boxes; and other articles of great weight are taken in tonnage, according to their actual weight.—See also the word _Embarkation_.

The following is the tonnage required for some of the most material ordnance stores.

_Tonnage of Ordnance._

Nature. Nᵒ. | T. ct. qr. -----------------------------------------+-------------- Pole 264 | — 10 0 Axes, complete with Pick 100 | — 9 0 handles Felling 176 | — 14 0 -----------------------------------------+-------------- Barrows—Wheel packed 20 | 2 2 0 ” unpacked 7 | 1 0 0 Hand, single 20 | 0 18 0 Budge barrels 32 | 1 0 0 Bricks 1000 | 2 5 0 Buckets of leather 20 | 0 2 0 -----------------------------------------+-------------- Pontoon and carriage complete, | 11 0 0 with its appurtenances | -----------------------------------------+-------------- Carbines.—A chest with 25 stand | is 11 feet cubic | -----------------------------------------+-------------- Carriages.—Standing 42 Prs. | 1 13 0 32 Prs. | 1 10 0 Howitzer 10 Inch. | 1 10 0 24 Prs. | 1 9 8 -----------------------------------------+-------------- 18 Prs. | 1 7 0 Howitzer 8 Inch. | -----------------------------------------+-------------- 12 Prs. | 1 4 0 9 Prs. | 1 3 0 6 Prs. | 1 0 0 4 Prs. | 0 17 0 -----------------------------------------+-------------- Carriages.—Travelling, 24 Prs. | 5 10 0 complete with limber 12 Prs. | 4 10 2 boxes, ladles, sponges 9 Prs. | 4 7 2 and rammers 6 Prs. | 3 7 2 3 Prs. | 2 19 0 -----------------------------------------+-------------- Medium 24 Prs. | 2 9 2 12 Prs. | -----------------------------------------+-------------- 6 Pr. light, with ammunition boxes | 5½ Inch howitzer, ” ” | 2 3 0 -----------------------------------------+-------------- 5½ Howitzer of 10 cwt. | 3 2 0 8 Inch Howitzer Carriages | 3 7 2 -----------------------------------------+-------------- Sling cart, complete | 3 0 2 Forge cart, with limber | 4 0 0 Ammunition waggon | 4 18 1 Gravel cart | 2 16 2 Duke of Richmond’s close bodied waggon | 5 0 0 Road waggon, with upright sides | 7 10 0 Gin; triangle | 0 14 0 Grate for heating shot | 0 4 2 Handspikes 120 | 1 0 0 Handcrow levers, of 5 feet 120 | 1 0 0 Handscrews, large 15 | 1 0 0 small 17 | 1 0 6 Helves, pick or felling 300 | 0 14 0 ” sledge 300 | 1 0 0 ” pinmaul 360 | 1 0 0 Junk 20 cwt. | 1 5 0 Linstocks, with cocks 600 | 1 0 0 without cocks 1000 | 1 0 0 Musquets.—A chest with 25 is 16 feet. | ” ” with 20 is 11 feet. | Match 6 cwt. | 1 14 0 -----------------------------------------+-------------- Powder { 11 whole barrels | 1 0 0 { 22 half ” | 1 0 0 -----------------------------------------+-------------- Pitch or tar.—1 barrel is 7 feet. | Pistols.—A chest with 50 or 60 = 10 feet.| Park pickets 40 | 0 9 1 Pikes 280 | 1 0 0 Sheep Skins 12 dozen | 1 1 0 Shovels of iron 100 | 1 0 0 Spades 180 | 1 0 0 Shovels, shod with iron 138 | 1 0 0 -----------------------------------------+-------------- Bushel 500 | 0 12 0 Sand bags ½ ” 500 | 0 7 1 Bales 2 Bushel 250 | 0 8 1 -----------------------------------------+--------------

The following is the tonnage allowed to the military officers of the ordnance embarked for foreign service, for their camp equipage and baggage:

For a field officer 5 tons. For a captain 3 ” For a subaltern 1½ ” _12th June, 1799._

_TRANSPORTS._—See the word _Embarkation_.

_TRENCHES._—A general term for all the approaches at a siege of a fortified place.

The approaches at a siege are generally carried on upon the capitals of the works attached; because the capitals produced are of all other situations in the front of a work the lead exposed to the fire of either the cannon or musquetry; and are the least in the line of fire between the besieged and besieger’s batteries. But if, from particular circumstances, these, or other advantages do not attend the approaches upon the capitals, they are by no means to be preferred to other positions.

The trenches of communication, or zig-zags, are 3 feet deep, 10 feet wide at bottom, and 13 feet at top, having a berm of one foot, beyond which the earth is thrown to form a parapet.

The parallels or places of arms of the trenches are 3 feet deep, 12 feet wide at bottom, and 17 or 18 feet wide at top, having a banquette of about 3 feet wide, with a slope of nearly as much. See the word _Sap_.

The first night of opening the trenches, the greatest exertions are made to take advantage of the enemy’s ignorance as to the side of attack; and they are generally carried on as far in advance as the first parallel, and even sometimes to the completion of that work. The workmen set out on this duty, each with a fascine of 6 feet, a pick ax, and a shovel; and the fascines being laid so as to lap one foot over each other, leaves 5 feet of trench for each man to dig.

The usual method of directing the trenches or zig-zags, is by observing during the day some near object in a line with the salient parts of the work, and which may serve as a direction in the night; or if the night be not very dark, the angles of the works maybe seen above the horizon; but as both these methods are subject to uncertainty, the following is proposed, to answer every case: having laid down the plan of attack, the exact positions of the flanked angles of the works of the front attacked, and particularly of those most extended to the right and left, mark on the plan the point of commencement for the first portions of zig-zag; the point where it crosses the capital; and the point to which it extends on the other side of the capital: this last point will be the commencement of the second branch; then mark off the point where this branch crosses the capital and its extent on the other side; and this will give the commencement of the third branch; and so on for the others. Thus provided with a plan ready marked off, it will be very easy, even in the darkest night, to lay down the points where the zig-zags are to cross the capital, and the points to which they are to be produced beyond them. The first parallel is generally run about 600 yards from the place, and of such extent as to embrace the prolongations of the faces of all the works which fire upon the trenches; and each end has a return of about 30 or 40 yards.

The second parallel is constructed upon the same principles, and of the same extent as the first; at the distance of about 300 yards from the salient angles of the covert way. This parallel is usually formed of gabions, each workman carrying a gabion, a fascine, a shovel, and a pick ax. After this the trenches are usually carried on by sap.—See that word.

The half parallels are about 140 or 150 yards from the covert way, and extend on each side sufficient to embrace the prolongation of the branches of the covert way.

The third parallel must not be nearer than the foot of the glacis, or it will mask the ricochet batteries. It is generally made rather wider than the other parallels.

Cavaliers of the trenches must not be nearer than 28 yards from the covert way, or they will be liable to be annoyed by hand grenades.

See likewise the words _Approaches_, _Sap_, and _Battery_.

_TROU DE LOUP_—A cone reversed. Diameter of the base 4 feet 6 inches; depth 6 feet; picket 6 feet long, and from 4 to 5 inches square; contain ¾ of a cubic fathom of earth, and are usually placed 2 in 3 fathoms.

_TUBES_—of tin plates are the best for service. Tubes must pass through a gauge of ²/₁₀ of an inch diameter. The composition is mealed powder, mixt up stiff with spirits of wine. They are made up in bundles of 100 each.

_Length of Tin Tubes._

+-------+----------------------------------------------------------+ | | Nature of Ordnance. | |Length.+------+-------+------+---------+-------------+------------+ | |Heavy.|Medium.|Light.|Howitzer.|Land Mortars.|Sea Mortars.| +-------+------+-------+------+---------+-------------+------------+ |Inches.| Pr. | Pr. | Pr. | Inch. | Inch. | Inch. | | 12.2 | — | — | — | — | — | 13 | | 8.8 | 24 | 24 | — | — | — | — | | 8.2 | 18 | 18 | — | — | — | — | | 7.75 | 12 | 12 | — | — | 13 | 10 | | 6.8 | 9 | 9 | — | — | — | — | | 6.5 | 6 | — | 24 | 8 | 10 | — | | 5.9 | 3 | 6 | 12 | 5½ | — | — | | 5.0 | — | — | — | — | 8 | — | | 4.75 | 1½ | 1½ | 6 | — | — | — | | 4.2 | — | — | — | 4⅖ | 5½ | — | | 3.6 | — | — | — | — | 4⅖ | — | +-------+------+-------+------+---------+-------------+------------+

=Note.=—If tin tubes get damaged by wet, the composition may be cleared out of them, and they may be fresh filled. If spirits of wine cannot be had, good rum or brandy will answer the purpose.

_UNIFORMS._—

_Principal Colour of the Military Uniforms of the different Powers of Europe._

---------------+--------+----------+----------+------------------ NATIONS. |Cavalry.|Infantry. |Artillery.| Remarks. ---------------+--------+----------+----------+------------------ Imperial |White |White |Grey | ---------------+--------+----------+----------+------------------ Russian |Blue |Green |Green | Black cockades. Danes | — |Red | — | ---------------+--------+----------+----------+--------------- English |Blue |Red |Blue | French |Blue |White |Blue | Nati’l. cockades. Poland |Blue |Blue |Blue | Prussian |White |Blue |Blue | Drag. light blue. Sardinian |Blue |Blue |Blue | Sweden | — |Blue | — | Yellow cockades. Bavaria | — |White |Grey | Hanover |Blue |Red |mixt Blue | Green cockades. Mayence | — |White | ” | Palatine |Crimson |clear Blue| — | ---------------+--------+----------+----------+------------------ Saxon |White |White |Green | Dragoons red; | | | | white cock. ---------------+--------+----------+----------+------------------ Anspach |Blue |Blue |Blue | Bade | — |Blue | — | Brunswick | — |Blue | — | Hesse |White |Blue |Blue | Nassau Sarlz | — |Blue | — | Saxe Cobourg | — |Blue | — | Saxe Gotha |Blue |Blue |Blue | Saxe Hildburg | — |Blue | — | Saxe Meemingen | — |Blue | — | Saxe Weimer |Blue |Green |Green | Wurtemburg | — |Blue |Blue | Holland |White |Blue |Blue | ---------------+--------+----------+----------+------------------ | | | | Black and red Berne |Red |Blue |Blue | cockades. ---------------+--------+----------+----------+------------------ Mecklenburg |Blue |Blue |Blue. | ---------------+--------+----------+----------+------------------

_VELOCITY._—Initial velocity of military projectiles, as ascertained by the experiments with the Ballistic pendulum at Woolwich, in 1788, 1789, and 1790. These experiments were made with shot of equal diameters, powder of equal strength, and under a mean height of the barometer; and shew,

1. That there is very little difference in the velocities of shot fired from guns of the same length, but of unequal weights; the advantage being sometimes in favour of one and sometimes of the other.

2. That velocities arising from firing with different quantities of powder, are nearly in the proportion of the square roots of the quantities or weights of powder.

3. That the velocities decrease as the distances increase, arising from the resistance of the air, which opposes the progress of the shot, in a proportion somewhat higher than the squares of the velocities throughout; and only to a small variation.

4. That very little advantage is gained in point of range, by increasing the charge more than is necessary to attain the object, the velocities given by large charges being very soon reduced to those by moderate charges: those for instance given by half the shot’s weight are reduced to an equality with those by one third, after passing through a space of only 200 feet.

5. That very little advantage is also gained by increasing the length of guns; the velocity given by long guns of 22 calibers length of bore, being reduced to an equality with those of the short guns of 15½ calibers with similar charges, after passing through the spaces as follows:

With ½ the shot’s weight 285 feet. ⅓ ” ” 200 ¼ ” ” 150 ⅙ ” ” 115

6. That the resistance of the air against balls of different diameters with equal velocities, is very nearly in the proportion of the squares of their diameters; or as their surfaces.

7. That the velocity is not affected by compressing the charge more or less; or by heating the piece in different degrees.

8. That a very great increase of velocity arises from a decrease of windage; it appearing, that with the established windage; of ¹/₂₀ between ⅓ and ¼ of the force is lost.

9. It also appeared, that by firing the charge in different parts; by varying the weight of the gun to lessen the recoil; or even by stopping the recoil entirely, no sensible change is produced in the velocity of the ball.

10. That though the velocity of the shot is increased only to a certain point peculiar to each gun, (a further increase of powder producing a diminished velocity,) yet the recoil of the gun is always increased by an increase of charge.

11. Velocity of a light 6 Pr.—length, 4 feet 8 inches; charge, ⅓ the weight of the shot; 1558 feet _per_ second.—6 Prs. heavy; 6 feet 8 inches; charge ⅓ = 1673 feet.

Velocity of a light 3 Pr. length, 3 feet 4 inches, charge ⅓—1371 feet _per_ second.

Do. Heavy 3 Pr. length, 5 feet 9½ inches, charge ⅓ the shot—1584 feet.

HUTTON.

_Velocity of French Ordnance._

24 Pr. charge 8 lbs. the eprovette mortar giving 125 fathoms, the initial velocity is 1425 feet _per_ second; with the eprovette at 90 = 1209 feet; with a charge of 12 lbs. and the eprovette at 125; the initial velocity will be 1530.

Charge. Eprovette. Velocity. --------------------------------------------------- 16 Pr. 5 lbs. 125 1415 ” ” 8 ” 1510 --------------------------------------------------- 12 Pr. 4 ” 1520 8 Pr. 2½ ” 1418 ” ” 3 ” long guns 1460 4 Pr. 1 ” 1335 ” ” 1½ ” 1508 --------------------------------------------------- 12 Pr. 4 ” 1442 8 Pr. 2½ ” field guns 1422 4 Pr. 1½ ” 1446 --------------------------------------------------- 8 Inch How’r. 1 ” 390 ” ” ” 1 2 oz. ” 516 --------------------------------------------------- 6 Inch How’r. 1 ” 532 ” ” ” 1 12 ” 704 --------------------------------------------------- _Lombard’s Tables._

_VENT._—The vents of English guns are all ²/₁₀ of an inch diameter.—See remark 9 of the article _Velocity_.

_WEIGHTS._—See _Measures_.

_WINDAGE._—The usual windage of English guns is ¹/₂₀ of the caliber. It appears by experiments, that ¼, or nearly ⅓ of the force of the powder is lost by this windage.—See remark 8 of the word _Velocity_.

_Windage of Guns and Carronades._

+--------+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ |Natures.| 68| 42| 32| 24| 18| 12| 9| 6| 4| 3| 2| 1| +--------+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ |Guns | --|.33|.30|.27|.25|.22|.20|.17|.15|.14|.12|.09| |Carrona.|.15|.15|.15|.14|.12|.12| | | | | | | +--------+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

_Windage of Mortars and Howitzers._

From the 13 to 5½ inch the windage is .15 of an inch, and that of the 4⅖ is .2 of an inch.

_Windage of French Guns._

_Field Guns._—All one line of windage; about ¹/₅₀ in an 8 pounder.

_Siege Guns._—All 1½ line; about ¹/₄₈ in a 24 Pr.

_Mortars._—12 Inch; 4 lines of windage. 10 Inch; 1 line, 5 points ” 8 Inch; 1 line, ”

_Howitzers._—All; 2 lines ”

_WOOD._—Artillery carriages are generally made of elm, ash, and oak. The bed and house of a sea mortar are made of oak, and the bolster of elm. The bottoms of land mortar beds are of oak, and the upper parts of elm.

_Carriages_—_Ship._—The cheeks, transoms, and trucks of elm; the axle trees of oak. ” _Garrison._—The whole of oak; trucks, iron.