8 pound gun. French army

TOOLS

Guns.

In French field artillery, as in Russian, the guns were cast from bronze with a composition of 11±1 parts of tin to 100 parts of copper.

There were 5 types of guns: the Gribovalevsky 4-, 8- and 12-pounders, adopted for service in 1765, as well as the 6- and 12-pounder systems of the 11th year (according to the republican calendar, i.e. 1803 according to the Gregorian). New 12-lb. the gun was 278 pounds (136 kg) lighter than the old one.

The Gribovalev guns had the usual division for those times into a muzzle, swivel and breech, and they weighed 150 cannonballs, and in the XI year system, the appearance of all guns was simplified as much as possible - almost no decoration was left, and their weight was equal to 130 cannonballs. I note that the 6-pound guns were completely new, and were not obtained as a result of drilling out the 4-pound Griboval guns, as Nilus writes. We tried to drill only long Valer 4-lb. guns.

Channel ended with a flat bottom with a 1/8 caliber rounding. The fuse has a diameter of 2.5 lines. Note that the French inch was duodecimal, as opposed to English decimal) drilled at an angle in the seed screw.

Diameter trunnions was equal to the diameter of the kernels, and they all had shoulders. The axis of the trunnions of the Gribovalev guns is 1/12 of the core diameter below the axis of the gun.

Dolphins had the form of a rectangular octagonal bracket.

Vingrad was 1 caliber in diameter.

Front sight usually had the appearance of a tide on the rear slope of the muzzle thickening, which did not protrude beyond the dimensions of the latter, but was sometimes indicated by engraving.

Torel- frustum.

Aim was simpler in design than even Markevich’s sight. It consisted of a copper plate embedded in a torel with a vertical cutout and a moving bar in it, which was fixed with a screw at the required height.

The relative length of all guns is 17 3/4 cores. The length of the channel for the Gribovalev guns is 16 5/6 cores, for the guns of the XI year system - 17.

Each French cannon had its name stamped in a band on the front of the gun's muzzle. On the breech, first the monogram of Louis XVI was stamped, then the French Republic and, finally, the coat of arms of Napoleon. On the left trunnion is the weight of the gun, on the right is the weight in pounds, and after the adoption of the metric system - in kilograms. On the torel belt there is the date, place of manufacture and the name of the craftsman. France had many more foundries than Russia; the main ones were, in order of decreasing importance, in Strasbourg, Douai, Metz, Turin and Paris.

The system of the 11th year, like the Gribovalev system in its time, had many opponents. Even under Napoleon, in 1810, it was decided to change the design of the 6-pounder. guns according to the Gribovalev model, but it seems that it was never implemented. After the Restoration 6-lb. the guns were completely cancelled.

Table 1. Dimensions and weight of guns.

		Gribeauval system				Year XI system
		V parts	12-lb.	8-lb.	4-lb.	V parts	12-lb.	6-lb.
			f. d.l. T.	f. d.l. T.	f. d.l. T.		f. d.l. T.	f. d.l. T.
Caliber		C	0.4.5.9	0.3.11.0	0.3.1.4		0.4.5.9	0.3.6.6
Core diameter		D=12p	0.4.4.9	0.3.10.0	0.3.0.4	D	0.4.4.9	0.3.5.6
Length	guns without propeller	L = 17 3/4 D	6.6.0.0	5.8.0.0	4.6.0.0	17 3/4 D	6.5.11.3	5.1.4.11
	channel	16 5 / 6 D	6.1.11.8	5.4.5.10	4.3.2.9	17D	6.2.8.9	4.10.9.6
	breech	1/3 L	2.2.0.0	1.10.8.0	1.6.0.0
	swivel part	1/6L	1.1.0.0	0.11.4.0	0.9.0.0
	muzzle without head	1/2 L - 2D	2.6.2.6	2.2.4.0	1.8.11.4
	heads	2D	0.8.9.6	0.7.8.0	0.6.0.7	2D	0.8.9.6	0.6.11.0
	all vingrad	1 6 / 12 D	0.6.7.1	0.5.9.0	0.4.6.6		0.6.5.0	0.5.2.3
			2.6.5.3	2.2.6.0	1.9.1.8		2.6.11.1	2.0.0.3
	from the axle of the trunnions to the axis of the gun	1/12 D	0.0.4.6	0.0.3.10	0.0.3 1 / 3			0.0.3.5
Thickness walls	at the end of the breech	9 5 / 8 p.	0.3.6.4	0.3.0.11	0.2.5.1
	at the beginning of the breech	8 15 / 16 p.m.	0.3.3.4	0.2.10.3	0.2.3.0
	at the end of the swivel part	8 1/4 p.	0.3.0.3	0.2.7.7	0.2.0.11
	at the beginning of the swivel part	7 1/3 p.	0.2.8.3	0.2.4.1	0.1.10.2
	at the end of the muzzle	6 3 / 16 p	0.2.3.3	0.1.11.9	0.1.6.9
	at the head frieze	4 5 / 18 p.	0.1.6.10	0.1.4.5	0.1.0.11
	at the head	7 1/3 p.	0.2.8.3	0.2.4.1	0.1.10.2		0.2.7.9	0.2.0.6
	at departure	4 5 / 18 p.	0.1.6.10	0.1.4.5	0.1.0.11
Diameter	at the toreli	34p	1.0.5.6	0.10.10.6	0.8.7.4		0.11.9.9	0.9.4.7
	at the head	26 2 / 3 p	0.9.10.3	0.8.7.3	0.6.9.8		0.9.9.3	0.7.7.6
	Wingrad necks	8p	0.2.11.2	0.2.6.8	0.2.0.2
	in the middle of the vingrad's hand	D	0.4.4.9	0.3.10.0	0.3.0.4	D	0.4.4.9	0.3.5.6
	and trunnion length	D	0.4.4.9	0.3.10.0	0.3.0.4	D	0.4.4.9	0.3.5.6
	seeds		0.0.2.6	0.0.2.6	0.0.2.6		0.0.2.6	0.0.2.6
Thickness	dolphins	8 / 24 C	0.1.5.0	0.1.3.0	0.1.0.0
	shoulders near the trunnions	4p
	shoulders near the gun	1 1/2 p.
Weight of guns, lbs.			1808	1186	590		1530	790

Howitzers.

The field artillery was armed with 3 types of howitzers: the 6-inch Gribovalevskaya and the elongated one of the same caliber (along) a howitzer adopted outside any system, and a 24-pounder of the XI year, the model for which was the 7-pounder (by stone weight) Austrian. Since the elongated howitzer appeared in the period between the adoption of the Gribeauval system and the XI year, its appearance was appropriate: the barrel had the same friezes as the Gribeauval guns, and the carriage was similar to the carriages of the XI year. By the way, in the literature, 6-inch howitzers are often mistakenly called 6-pound howitzers, which gives rise to the illusion that they are smaller in caliber than 24-pounders, the caliber of which was equal to the caliber of 24-pounders. guns. The history of the appearance of these howitzers is as follows: at the beginning of the revolutionary wars, the French noticed the insufficient power of the Gribovalev howitzers, so very quickly, in 1795, they copied the Prussian 10-pound (by stone weight) howitzer. That's what they called her - a l "instar des prussiens, those. “Prussian model” (other names: a grande portee- “long-range”, de la garde- “guards”). True, very few of them were made (about 20), and the French made up for the deficiency with the same Prussian howitzers - of the 20 large-caliber howitzers that Napoleon took on his campaign to Russia, most, if not all, were Prussian.

In documents of that time, 24-lb. howitzers, together with howitzers of similar caliber from other countries, were collectively called obusiers de 5 pouces 6 lignes(howitzers caliber 5 inches 6 lines), although they had a caliber of 5 "7" "2"", and large-caliber howitzers were called obusiers de 6 pouces 4 lignes.

The chambers of all howitzers were cylindrical. Length of howitzers without turrets and wings in grenade diameters:

1. 6" Gribovalevskaya - 4.75
2. 6" long-range - 6.5
3. 24 lb - 6.75

Since the length of the 24-pound howitzer was too long to be loaded by hand, in 1810 it was decided to shorten it to 4.5 calibers, while maintaining the weight of 600 pounds, but, as with the cannons, this decision was not implemented.

French howitzers, unlike cannons, did not have names.

Table 2. Dimensions and weight of howitzers.

		6"	24-lb.	6" extended
		f. d.l. T.	f. d.l. T.	f. d.l. T.
Caliber		0.6.1.6	0.5.7.2	0.6.1.6
Length	channel	1.6.4.6	2.3.9.1 1 / 2	2.2.2.3
	channel in calibers	3	5	4 1 / 3
	chambers	0.7.0.0	0.7.0.0	0.9.8.6
	without wingrad	2.4.4.6	3.1.5.1 1 / 2	3.3.6.6
	all vingrad	0.4.9.6	0.5.0.3	0.7.0.0
	general	2.9.2.0	3.6.5.4 1 / 2	3.10.6.6
	from the torsion to the rear of the trunnions	1.1.6.6	1.2.5.5 1 / 2	1.4.7.0
	trunnions	0.3.9.0	0.3.9.0	0.4.6.0
	from the axle of the trunnions to the axis of the gun	0.0.6.0	0.0.2.0
Diameter	chambers	0.3.0.0	0.2.11.0	0.3.10.6
	trunnions	0.3.9.0	0.3.9.0	0.4.9.2
	seeds	0.0.2.6	0.0.2.6	0.0.2.6
	at the toreli	0.11.0.0	0.9.4.7 1 / 2	1.1.9.0
	at highest point heads	0.11.1.6	0.9.4.7 1 / 2	0.11.7.6
Distance between the last two diameters		2.3.9.6	3.1.0.0	3.3.1.6
Weight, lbs.		650	600	1368
Charge to full chamber, lbs. un.		1.12	1.10	4.8

CARRIAGES

The carriages of the French guns had two features: firstly, all of them, with the exception of the 6" Gribovalevsky howitzer, had iron axles; secondly, a simpler lifting mechanism consisting of a vertical screw rotating in a bronze bushing, on which rests a board connected hinge (hooks and loops for carriages of the XI year system) with a front cushion. Such a lifting mechanism was more reliable and made it possible to quickly move from the traveling position to the combat position and back by turning the bushing with the screw 90°. At the same time, carriages 12 and 8 -pounder guns had an additional traveling pair of sockets for the trunnions, which facilitated transportation, but made it difficult to move into a combat position. This was one of the reasons for the adoption of 6-pounder guns, which did not have such sockets. Another reason was that the opposing powers had precisely such calibers, which made it possible to use captured ammunition, which was facilitated by the fact that the caliber 6-lb. French guns was almost the largest among similar guns from other countries. To finish this topic, I will also say that French artillery was completely re-equipped with guns of the XI year system only by the end of 1808, and Napoleon did not take a single 8-pounder and only 32 4-pounders during the Russian campaign. guns (4 companies of artillery of the Young Guard). All these calibers were transferred to the army that fought against the Spaniards, who at one time adopted the Griboval system.

The carriage adopted in 1803 for the new 12-lb. guns were not suitable for old ones, because the new guns had 16 lines less distance between the ends of the shoulders. This flaw was then corrected.

There were 4 types of axes in total:

1. for 12 lb. guns;
2. for 8-, 6-lb. guns, 6" long-range and 24-pound howitzers;
3. for 4-lb. cannons, charging boxes, carts and forges;
4. wooden for 6" Gribovalevsky howitzer.

5 types of big wheels:

The guns had a carriage box in which several shells were stored.

The French artillery did not have any special mounted guns. The horse artillery initially used Gribovalev howitzers and 8-pounders. guns, then 24-lb. howitzers and 6-pound. guns of the XI year system. 4-lb. the guns were never used in horse artillery, despite repeated mentions in modern publications.

All guns except the 4-pounder. guns, had 4 rules. Two of them, as usual, were inserted into brackets on the trunk cushion, and the other two into special brackets on the frames. At 4-lb. guns there were only 3 rules.

Each weapon was assigned one transportation 44 feet long, 11 lines in diameter, and weighing 18 pounds. LENDERS

The limbers of the French guns had almost the same design as the Russian ones: two wheels, an axle (iron, unlike the wooden Russian one), a drawbar, two lugs. The difference between the Gribovalevsky limbers was the absence of a box and the fact that the king pin was located above the axle. In the Gribeauval system there were 3 types of limbers:

1. for 12-, 8-lb. guns, howitzers and charging box
2. for 4-lb. guns
3. for forge and cart

They were supplied with 2 types of small wheels: with a diameter of 3" and 2" - for 4-pound limbers. guns and 3" 6" - for everyone else. The low height of the forward wheels was one of the shortcomings of the French artillery - largely for this reason Napoleon lost Waterloo.

As you can see, the French artillery used 7 types of wheels. In this respect, it was inferior to the Russian one, which had only 2 species.

A limber with a box was developed for the guns of the XI year system, but it was never introduced, and the old Gribovalevskie limbers from 12-lb. were used for the new guns. guns.

Gribeauval believed that for a 4-lb. 3-4 horses will be enough for a gun, for an 8-pounder. and 6" howitzers - also 4, and for a 12-pounder - 6 horses. But experience has shown that the team of the last three guns should be increased by 2 horses.

CHARGING BOXES

French charging boxes were a long narrow box with a gable iron lid and 4 wheels. Initially there were three charging boxes:

1. for 4- and 8-lb. guns,
2. for 12 lb. guns and
3. for 6" howitzers.

They differed from each other in the height of the sides and internal division into sections. Later only one was left - for 12-lb. guns. The same charging boxes were also used to transport ammunition for infantry.

In the year XI system, a new charging box was proposed, but the Gribovalevsky one was retained with corresponding changes to the internal space for the new 6-lb. and 24-lb. shells.

In 1791, a “flying” flight was organized. (volante) artillery, armed with 8-pound cannons and 6" howitzers, in which the servants were seated on charging boxes specially adapted for this purpose. These boxes had handrails, footrests and a leather-covered rounded lid, on which 8 people sat, and such boxes were called " wurst" (from German "Wurst" - sausage). With the introduction of normal horse artillery in 1792, "wurst" were abolished.

Napoleon considered it necessary to carry one and a half ammunition with him, i.e. about 300 shells per gun: full ammunition at the guns and half in the artillery park.

Table 4.

gun	When	Stock		1/2 stock		Total snar.	Of them		In the charging box				In the fire monitor box
		charger boxes	snar.	charger boxes	snar.		cores or pomegranate	buckshot	cores or pomegranate	buckshot		Total snar.	cores or pomegranate	kart.
										far	near
12-lb.	Gribeauval	3	213				153	60	48	12	8	68	9
	1812	3	224	1,5	108	332	278	56	60	12		72	6	2
8-lb.	Gribeauval	2	199				139	60	62	10	20	92	15
	1806	2	199	1	92	291	231	60	72	20		92	15
4-lb.	Gribeauval	1	168				118	50	100	26	24	150	18
	1806	1	168	0,5	75	243	198	45	120	30		150	18
6" howitzer	Gribeauval	3	160				147	13	49	3		52		4
	1812	3	160	1,5	78	238	220,5	17,5	49	3		52		4
6-lb.	1812	1,5	231	0,75	105	336	279	57	116	24		140	18	3
24-lb. howitzer	1812	2	156	1,5	112,5	268,5	256	12,5	72	3		75	4	2

Wurst charging box for 8-lb. The gun contained 66 shells, and for a 6" howitzer - 30 shells.
AMMUNITION

French gunpowder was slightly different in composition from Russian: 75 parts of saltpeter, 12.5 parts of sulfur and 12.5 coal versus 75:10:15.

The minimum clearance of the French guns was less than that of the Russians - only 1 line, the maximum - 2 lines, so the average core diameter is 1.5 lines less than the caliber.

Cores they were not lubricated to the pins, but were attached using two strips of tin nailed crosswise to the pins. The spies looked like truncated cones. The depth of the cup in the spiegel was approximately 1/4 of the diameter of the core. French spies for 12- and 6-lb. cores were 1.7 and 1.4 times lighter than Russians, respectively.

Unlike the Russians, in French caps they did not put tow on top of the gunpowder, but tied the cap in two places: around the groove in the spigot and under the sppiel; and the cap was not tied on top of the core.

The French artillery did not have much artillery weight, and the mass of the cannonball corresponded to the caliber, i.e. A 12 pound cannonball weighed exactly 12 pounds, etc.

Table 5. Cores.

		12	8	6	4
		fun. un.	fun. un.	fun. un.	fun. un.
Powder weight		4	2 1 / 2	2	1 1 / 2
Finished charge weight		16.11	11.2	8 1 / 2	5.12
		d.l. T.	d.l. T.	d.l. T.	d.l. T.
Powder charge height		8.3	6.9	6.3	6.1
Total charge height		13.6	11.6	10.8	9.11
Spiegel diameter	up	4.0.9	3.6.0	3.4.0	2.9.4
	at the bottom	3.7.0	3.0.6	3.2.0	2.7.6
Spiral height		2.0.0	1.10.0	1.10.0	1.6.0
Spiegel cup depth		1.1.0	0.11.0	0.10.0	0.8.0
Tin strips	length	14.0.0	12.0.0	11.0.0	10.0.0
	width	0.5.0	0.5.0	0.5.0	0.4.0

Grenades (obus, where obusier- howitzer; actually grenades - grenades- in the French army they were manual) had the same design as the Russians.

Composition for the tube channel: 5 parts pulp, 3 saltpeter and 2 sulfur. A whole tube for a 6" grenade burned for 30-40 seconds.

The 24-pound grenade had a spigot, since the large length of the channel did not allow the grenade to be installed correctly by hand.

The French field artillery did not have special incendiary shells, instead they used grenades with pieces of incendiary composition placed inside.

Buckshot, as in Russian artillery, consisted of a tin cup with an iron bottom, and wrought iron bullets poured in a special order, and was also divided into long-range ( grande- large) and near ( petite- small). Actually, Russian grapeshot was copied from the French after the campaigns of 1805-1807.

The experience of military operations showed that the need for short-range grapeshot was small, and it was canceled. And in general, throughout the Napoleonic wars, there was a tendency towards a decrease specific gravity buckshot in the total number of shells, which indicates a change in tactics - the predominance of long-range combat.

Buckshot for 12-pound and 8-pound. the guns were not connected to the charge in the cap, since together they would be too long and heavy, so that the armored bag could tear, and for 6- and 4-lb. guns powder charge tied to the buckshot using a wooden shpiel, unlike Russian buckshot, which did not have shpiels. Buckshot for 6" howitzers was nailed to a spiegel, which had the shape of a wooden hemisphere.

Table 7. Buckshot.

			12		8		6	4		6"	24
			d.l. T.		d.l. T.		d.l. T.	d.l. T.		d.l. T.	d.l. T.
Bullet diameter	№1		1.5.0		1.2.9		1.1.6	0.11.10		1.5.0	1.2.9
	№2		1.0.0		0.10.9			0.10.6
	№3		0.11.6		0.10.2
Tin cylinder	sheet length		13.11.3		12.2.6		11.1.0	9.9.3		18.9.0
	height for buckshot	large	9.0.0		7.6.0		7.9.0	6.4.0		8.0.0
		small	8.4.0		7.5.0			7.3.0
Diameter of tray and lid			4.3.0		3.8.6		3.5.0	2.11.0		5.10.0
Pallet thickness			0.3.6		0.3.0		0.3.0	0.2.6		0.4.0
Cover thickness			0.1.0		0.1.0		0.1.0	0.1.0		0.1.0
Height	finished buckshot (without sppiegel for 6- and 4-lb.)	large	8.3.0		6.9.0		7.0.0	5.7.0		7.4.0
		small	7.6.0		6.8.0			6.6.6
	powder charge		8.7.0		7.4.0		7.1.0	7.0.0		6.6.0
Number of bullets	for large buckshot No. 1		41		41		41	41		60	76
	for small buckshot	№2	80	112	80	112		4 №1	63
		№3	32		32			59 №2
			fun. un.		fun. un.		fun. un.	fun. un.		fun. un.	fun. un.
Empty glass weight with tray			1.12		1.9			0.14
Pallet weight			1.5					0.6
Approximate weight	finished large buckshot		20.14		14.6			7.8		32.8
	finished small buckshot		20.4		14.7			8.9
Powder charge			4.4		2.12		2.4	1.12		1.6	2.0

ORGANIZATION

The organization of French artillery was radically different from Russian. When in Russia guns, service personnel and convoys were brought together, in the French army all this was separated.

1792. Field artillery is divided into reserve and regimental. In reserve - 12-, 8-, 4-lb. guns and 6" howitzers, in the regimental - only 4-pounder guns. All guns are divided into divisions of 8 guns of the same caliber, each division is served by one company of artillerymen. In total - 7 artillery regiments, each regiment has 20 companies. 9 companies are formed horse artillery.

1793. New 11 horse batteries were created, making a total of 20. The number of howitzers was increased, instead of 1/6 - 1/3 of the total number of guns. They are no longer combined into special batteries.

1799. The French armies consist of: 693 cannons, 173 howitzers, 2262 charging boxes. Regimental guns were abolished. A cavalry company of the guard was created.

1803. Year XI system adopted. By decree of the 10th floreal (April 30) of the XI year, 1 company was added to each foot artillery battalion, and the 7th company was also added to the 6th horse artillery regiment. Now each of the 16 battalions now has 11 companies, and the foot regiment has 22 companies. In total there were 8 regiments of foot and 6 regiments of horse artillery. All 17 additional companies were intended for service in the colonies.

1806. The horse artillery of the guard was consolidated into a regiment of 6 companies in 3 squadrons.

1808. Guard foot artillery was created - 6 companies of 84 people each. Horse Guards Artillery consists of 2 squadrons of 2 companies each. In this composition it will exist until 1815.

1810. Foot artillery - 9 regiments. The 7th Horse Artillery Regiment was created, but it was soon disbanded and its companies were distributed between the 1st and 4th regiments.

1811. Napoleon recreated the regimental artillery, transferring to it a huge number of captured 3-pounder cannons, mainly Prussian and Austrian. Each regiment was usually assigned 4 such guns.

1812. The Grand Army had 1372 guns. Most of them remained in the fields of Russia. After the end of the war, 875 captured or abandoned guns were taken to Moscow to create a monument, which, fortunately, was not built. Of these 875 guns, only 41% (358) were of French origin. The rest, in order of decreasing number, are Austrian, Prussian, Italian, Neapolitan, Bavarian, Dutch, Saxon, Württemberg, Spanish, Polish, Westphalian, English (Hanoverian) and Baden.
The regimental artillery ceased to exist.
The foot companies consisted of 6 cannons and 2 howitzers, but there were also pure cannon companies, for example, all 4 companies of the Young Guard were equipped with 8 4-pounder cannons. Horse companies had 4 cannons and 2 howitzers. Each division was assigned 1 infantry and 1 cavalry company, each heavy cavalry division - 2 cavalry companies, each light - 1. The corps usually had 2 companies of reserve artillery with 12 pounds. cannons and 6" howitzers.

1813. The 1st and 3rd regiments of horse artillery each had 7 companies, and each of the 9 infantry regiments had 28 companies. The foot artillery of the guard has 16 companies. In 1813-1814 there was a cavalry company of the Young Guard.

During the Empire, the number of guns in the French artillery increased by exactly 50%:

Table 9. Development of field artillery during the Empire.

Quantity	Initial state			Absolute increase			Relates. increase	Final state
	Guard.	Lin.	Total	Guard.	Lin.	Total		Guard.	Lin.	Total
Foot company	-	176	176	16	76	92	52 %	16	252	268
Mounted mouth	2	36	38	4	6	10	26 %	6	42	48
Guns	15	1 624	1 639	175	644	819	50 %	190	2 268	2 458
Artillery convoy company	2	40	42	14	30	44	105 %	16	70	86

God of War 1812. Artillery in Patriotic War Shirokorad Alexander Borisovich

Chapter 11 ARTILLERY OF THE GRAND ARMY

GRAND ARMY ARTILLERY

1. French artillery

French artillery in the 18th century is considered by most historians to be the best in the world. In 1732, Lieutenant General de Volliers introduced a system of guns that became the most advanced in the world. It consisted of 4-, 8- and 18-pounder field guns, 24-pounder siege guns, and 8- and 12-inch mortars.

In 1776, a new system under General Jean Baptiste Gribeauval was introduced in France, which lasted from minor changes until 1827

The length of the field guns of the Gribeauval system is 18 calibers. The gap in the channel between the wall and the core was halved - from 5 mm for aviary tools to 2.5 mm, due to which the starting speed projectile and shooting accuracy. On the other hand, reducing the gaps prevented the use of hardened cores, that is, a very effective incendiary that time.

The gun barrels were cast solid to avoid shells, and then a channel was drilled into them. The Aviary decorations on the trunks have disappeared. The fuses were made in copper seed rods to save the guns from the rapid flare-up of the ignition hole. Sights and front sights, previously absent, were introduced.

Field guns of the Gribeauval system

The trunnion axis was raised slightly closer to the channel axis to reduce impacts of the breech on the carriage's lifting mechanism.

Gribeauval significantly lightened the carriages and replaced the lifting wedge with a lifting screw mechanism. The front end (without a box) is made with a drawbar (instead of the previous shaft) to make it easier for the native horses.

A team of six horses carried a 12-pounder cannon, four horses carried an 8-pounder, and a pair of horses carried a 4-pounder.

To move the gun into position, Gribeauval introduced straps for servants; for the same purpose, wooden levers were inserted into brackets in the middle of the carriage. 14–15 people were enough to move a 12-pound gun in this way, even on inconvenient ground.

Designation of the main parts of the gun barrel of the Gribeauval system

Gribeauval established the composition of the battery at 8 guns of the same caliber (4-pounder, 8-pounder, 12-pounder guns or 6-inch howitzers), considering that:

1) The battery must be divided into two or four platoons.

2) To service eight guns, one company of 120 servants, which has a reserve team in the park, is enough.

3) For carts serving eight guns, one company of convoy is enough.

4) One experienced captain can command these guns.

4-pound gun Gribeauval had a caliber of 86.4 mm and a barrel weight of 295 kg. Accordingly, the 6-pounder, 8-pounder and 12-pounder guns had calibers of 96 mm, 106 mm and 121 mm, and weights of about 400 kg, 590 kg and 870–880 kg. The greatest effective firing range of the French 8-pounder guns was: cannonball - 900 m and grapeshot - 500 m, and 4-pounder guns, respectively, 800 m and 300 m.

A few words need to be said about the system of the 11th year, that is, 1803. Let me remind you that Napoleon returned the country to the old calendar in 1805.

In 1803, a special commission was created in France under the chairmanship of the First Consul Napoleon. Its purpose was to decide whether Gribeauval’s artillery was still suitable, or whether it was time to change it in accordance with the newly developed military requirements. The commission created a new “Year XI system,” which, although not yet fully implemented in practice, influenced the further development of artillery. This system assumed the following.

Eliminate 4- and 8-pounder field and 16-pounder siege guns, 6- and 8-inch howitzers, and 10-inch mortars. Replace 4- and 8-pound calibers with 6-pound long 17 calibers weighing 130 cores, modeled on Prussian artillery. To replace the previous 6-inch howitzers, introduce a 24-pound howitzer with a bore length of 5 calibers and a weight of 600 pounds with a projectile weight of about 14 pounds. Adopt mountain artillery consisting of new short 6-pounder guns weighing 360 pounds (that is, weighing 60 cannonballs), 24-pounder light howitzers and 3-pounder guns weighing 160 pounds (that is, weighing 53 cannonballs).

Section of a 12-pound French cannon. The presence of a chamber is clearly visible

The fortress artillery was to consist of 24-, 12- and 6-pounder guns; 12-, 8-inch and 24-pound Homer mortars and a 15-inch “stone thrower”.

For special mobile siege artillery parks, a new short 24-pounder gun with a length of 16 calibers and a weight of 120 cores was designed.

Coastal artillery included 24- and 36-pound cast iron cannons, as well as 12-inch long-range mortars (charged 12 kg of gunpowder). The coastal cannons were supposed to accept explosive shells with thickened bottoms and spikes.

Field carriages were accepted with straight frames and a box on the front, tied and easily removed.

Gribeauval's charging box was replaced by another - with wheels rolling under the body, but without reducing the diameter of the wheels and without raising the body. The ammunition was located in special boxes that could be easily inserted and removed.

Howitzers of the Gribeauval system

There are three types of iron axles - for the 12-pounder gun and howitzer, the 6-pounder gun and for other carts. Three types of wheels were used. 3-pounder cannons and a special forge were adapted for packing, as were boxes of ammunition. Gribeauval's fortress and siege carriages were replaced by a new type of "boom carriage" with a trunnion axis height of 5 feet 9 inches (1.75 m).

Finally, Colonel Villantrois designed long 8-, 9- and 11-inch howitzers with a bore length of 7-8 calibers, firing large charges at large elevation angles. These howitzers were intended to protect coastal fortifications and bays intended to shelter the fleet, as well as for bombardment from long distances. The 11-inch Villantrois howitzer weighed 39 pounds (639 kg); projectile - 215 pounds (88 kg); charge - 60 pounds (24.57 kg). With these data and an elevation angle of 42°, the range was 5.8 versts (6.2 km).

As we can see, there were many reasonable ideas in the “XI year system”. The replacement of 4- and 8-pounder guns with 6-pounder ones (by drilling out the 4-pounder ones) was caused by the experience of the war. Thus, 8-pound guns turned out to be insufficiently mobile for horse artillery and required a large convoy, which lengthened the marching columns. And the 4-pounder guns were too weak and could not operate at long ranges. The 6-pound caliber was used by opponents - Austria and Prussia. By increasing their caliber a little, it was possible to prevent the enemy from using their shells, and at the same time it was possible to use the enemy’s shells. The experience of using 6-pounder guns captured by the French from the Austrians gave good results in terms of reality and mobility. 6-pounder guns were introduced into the French artillery and were used in the Napoleonic Wars.

The howitzers of the Gribeauval system were too short and light, quickly wore out the carriages and had poor accuracy. Their ammunition required a large number of boxes. The 24-pound howitzers were long and more weight, fired large charges, and the accuracy of shooting from them was higher. And also, these howitzers did not damage their carriages. The same caliber as the 24-pounder guns made it possible to use the same shells as howitzers if the bombs were accepted for long guns, but in practice this turned out to be impossible at that time.

The 10-inch mortar occupied a middle position between the 12- and 8-inch mortars and could replace both of them. Mountain artillery is especially necessary when crossing mountainous terrain, for example, when crossing the Alps.

Straight carriage frames were cheaper and easier to manufacture. Front boxes were already accepted by everyone in all the armies of the world by that time. Changing the design of the charging boxes increased their maneuverability and ease of delivery of ammunition to the guns. Finally, Villantrois howitzers performed well in practice - during the bombardment of Cadiz, and began good remedy for coastal defense from long distances.

But constant wars, the inability to carry out long and serious tests new systems, as well as a number of other difficulties that arose in the process of using new projects in combat conditions, did not make it possible to accept the “XI year system” in its entirety. Only 6-pounder guns, 24-pounder howitzers and a few Villantrois howitzers were accepted. The 6- and 8-inch field howitzers were slightly lengthened, following the Prussian model. The remaining guns remained in service. So the result, instead of simplification, was an even greater variety of material.

Drawing of a French howitzer

In addition to cannons, the French army also had howitzers. Moreover, they were not intended for mounted fire, as in the twentieth century, but exclusively for flat fire as reinforcement weapons.

In 1812, the Grand Army was armed with three types of howitzers: the 6-inch Gribeauval system, the 6-inch “extended” howitzer and the 24-pound howitzer of the “XI year” model. Their caliber was approximately the same - about 152 mm, and all howitzers had cylindrical chambers. The 6-inch Gribeauval howitzer of 162 mm caliber had a length of 4.75 calibers. Its barrel weight was 330–355 kg, and the carriage weighed 590 kg.

"Long" howitzers were introduced in 1795, modeled on Prussian howitzers. The length of the howitzer was 6.5 calibers. There were relatively few such howitzers in the Great Army.

The 24-pound howitzer of the “Year XI System” had a caliber of 160 mm, a barrel length of 6.75 calibers, a barrel weight of about 350 kg, and a carriage weight of 573 kg.

French howitzers were transported by four horses.

During the French Revolution, one-pound guns of the Rosten system were also used. They were intended for “light troops”, had a collapsible carriage and could be transported on packs. To the trunk of a carriage with wheels large diameter shafts were attached. The gun was transported by one horse. Its caliber is about two inches, the weight of the barrel is 4.2 pounds (68.8 kg).

Gribeauval left the siege and fortress weapons of de Volliers unchanged, removing only decorations (by turning) and small chambers that did not reach the goal and made it difficult to penetrate. A short 8-inch howitzer was introduced into the siege artillery.

During experimental shooting, Gribeauval found out that the Aviary 12-inch mortars would withstand a maximum of 100 more shots, after which they would become unusable; almost a third of the bombs fired from them would break. Therefore, he proposed a relatively weighted 10-inch mortar and bombs for it with thickened walls. With a charge of 7 pounds (2.87 kg), it threw bombs up to 1,000 fathoms (2,134 m), as did the 12-inch mortar. The mortar is sedentary, with a cylindrical chamber and a retractable seed rod. Cast iron machine. The Aviary 12-inch mortars were left in service until their bombs were completely used up, but from now on their weight was supposed to be increased by 8 pounds (131 kg).

In addition, Gribeauval adopted Homeric mortars of 12, 10 and 8 inches in caliber. A feature of these mortars, proposed in 1785, were large conical chambers, which gave a lower loading density and a more favorable gas effect. The chambers merged with a cylindrical channel. The mortars used triangular lugs that connected the trunnions to the body of the mortar (the muzzle). The 12-inch Homer mortar fired a bomb at a range of up to 1200 fathoms (2561 m).

In addition to the mortars, there were also 15-inch stone throwers, but descriptions of them could not be found.

In field carriages with slightly shortened and lightweight frames, the diameter of the wheels was increased, and iron axles and cast iron bushings in the hubs were adopted. To reduce the increased rollback, the beds were curved in the middle accordingly. Strong shackles and ankle straps slightly increased the weight of the carriage. To more evenly distribute the load on both axles during large movements, traveling sockets were adopted. Between the frames diverging towards the trunk there was an inserted fire monitor box for ammunition with a gable roof and hinges on the sides for inserting levers when carrying. The lifting mechanism consisted of a board rotating on a horizontal bolt (under axles), resting with its notch on the head of a screw screwed into the uterus rotating on axles. To make it easier for the servants to move the carriage, there were hooks in the frontal part at the ends of the axles and at the trunk, which were hooked onto special straps with leather loops. For the same purpose, transverse levers were inserted into special brackets on the frames. To move the carriage, 8–11 people were required for 4-pound guns and 11–15 for 12-pound guns. For horizontal aiming, two rules were used, pushed into the clips on the sides of the pivot funnel.

When retreating and transporting through ditches and rivers, a long rope was attached to the ring near the trunk - the so-called “draw”, by which the limber was pulled. In this case, the gun could continue firing.

The howitzer carriage had a wooden axle and a wedge lifting mechanism with a horizontal screw. There were no traveling nests. Knowing from experience that howitzer carriages cannot withstand firing at elevation angles greater than +20°, Gribeauval limited this angle to +18° (and –5°).

Siege carriages had a device similar to howitzer carriages, and differed little from Aviary carriages. Siege carriages did not have traveling nests, since the guns were transported separately from the carriages on special four-wheeled drays (to transfer the guns, the drogs were removed from the limbers, like the carriages).

For fortress guns, special carriages were adopted, the frames of which, consisting of several beams cut into each other, connected by bolts, had 2 wheels on the front axle and one solid, durable one - between the frames - on the rear. The front wheels rolled when rolling back along the side longitudinal bars of a special turntable; the rear wheel - along the central grooved beam of the platform, which could rotate around the front pivot. The lifting mechanism is wedge, without screw. The height of the trunnions is about 5 feet (1.52 m), instead of the previous 3?. For coastal guns, similar machines were adopted on four wheels, rolling along the beams of a wooden rotating frame (in front there was a pin; in the back there was one solid solid wheel, moving along an arced iron strip fixed on the base).

The field limbers consisted of a fork-shaped frame connected to a drawbar, a slab with a pivot above the axle, and a crossbar or slug that supported the trunk of the gun carriage. There was no box.

The siege limbers had thick wooden shafts, tightly fixed to the axle, and did not have a slug. The charging box consisted of a long box with a gable roof, mounted on a wooden frame, with its cutouts superimposed on the rear axle with high wheels and the field front axle with a slug. Wooden partitions formed nests for shells.

A field forge on four wheels with a fur, an open forge and two boxes for accessories was added to the number of carts. Triquebals and jacks were used for moving and transporting guns.

At the beginning of the 19th century, the Prussian general Scharngorst assessed Gribeauval’s artillery as follows: “French artillery, which was the first in Europe in the previous period, became again the most advanced in 1774; It is true that the basic ideas of its design and organization were borrowed from the Prussian artillery, but they were implemented in such a way that the French guns are still not inferior to any others... everything that was borrowed received the highest possible degree of perfection. The French artillery corps took the most outstanding part in the development of artillery science and technology... when in other states artillery was a craft, in France it has already become a science... French equipment and French institutions now serve as examples for all other artillery.”

The main disadvantage of the French field artillery was the impossibility of landing servants on limbers and charging boxes, which allowed only walking.

The French army also paid great attention to horse artillery.

Initially, horse companies (six 4-pound cannons and one 6-inch howitzer) were attached to foot artillery regiments. However, by order of the War Ministry of February 7, 1794, a new branch of artillery was officially created, receiving special organization. The companies were organized into regiments of horse artillery. Each regiment had 6 companies and a depot.

On April 15, 1806, a horse artillery regiment of the Imperial Guard was formed, consisting of 6 companies.

French cannons and howitzers had the date of manufacture and the name of the maker stamped on the torel belt. Guns cast before 1793 bore the monograms of King Louis XIV. The crown of the French kings has eight line flowers above the hoop. Arcs rise from them, which also converge under the blossoming lily.

The cannons, cast in 1793–1803, depict the monogram of the Republic, consisting of two intertwined letters RF—Republic of France, topped with an inscription. Some cannons bear the monogram of the National Assembly - “AN”, as well as the image of the “all-seeing eye” and the inscription.

The cannons cast under Napoleon I are decorated with his initials - the letter “N” in a laurel wreath under the crown. In the crown above the hoop are eagles with wings raised high.

The cannons of the Kingdom of Italy (Northern Italy, Piedmont and a number of duchies) depict the iron crown of the Lombard kings with the motto “God gave it to me. Woe to anyone who touches her." The guns of the Italian Kingdom differed little from the French ones, fortunately, since May 1805, Napoleon I was the Italian king. And this good king sent his troops to Russia to help the French Emperor Napoleon I.

2. French Allied Artillery

A complete description of the guns of the allied countries that participated in the campaign against Russia in 1812 is a hefty volume. So I will have to limit myself to the most common systems.

Table 12

Prussian artillery

Weapon data	12-pounder gun	6-pounder gun	3-pound cannon	10 lb howitzer	7-lb howitzer
Caliber, inch/mm	4,68/448,9	3,71/94,2	3,0/76,3	6,7/170,2	5,84/148,3
Barrel length, club	18,0	18	20	6,3	6,4
Barrel weight, pud/kg	55/901	30/491,4	14/229,2	36/589,7	25/409,5
Carriage weight, pud/kg	49/802,6	37/606	?	49/802,6	41/671,6
Front weight, pud/kg	26/425,9	28/458,6	?	26/425,9	28/458,6
	130/2129	95/1556	?	111/1818	104/1704
	55/901	55/901	?	55/901	55/901
Gun crew, people	13	9	?	15	12
	95	195	?	48	85
	8	6	?	8	6
	6	6	?	6	6

The attentive reader has already noticed the discrepancy between the names of the Prussian howitzers - 10-pounder and 7-pounder - with the weight of their shells and caliber in inches. This is not a typo. The fact is that in Prussia, howitzer calibers were measured by the weight of a stone (!), and not a cast iron core.

Prussian 24-lb howitzer

The Prussian cannons, cast in Breslau in 1780–1801, depict the Prussian coat of arms - a single-headed eagle with a sword in one paw and “peruns” in the other. The eagle is crowned. Above the inscription: “For glory and homeland!”

The breech bears the monogram of King Frederick with the motto: "The King's Last Argument."

Table 13

Data Austrian guns

Weapon data	12-pound battery gun	12-pound light gun	6-pounder gun	3-pound cannon	7-lb howitzer
Caliber, inch/mm	4,66/118,4	4,66/118,4	3,72/94,5	2,99/75,9	5,87/149,1
Barrel length, club	25,0	16,0	16,0	16	6,1
Barrel weight, pud/kg	80/1310	48/786,2	23,5/385	14,7/240,8	16,8/275,2
Carriage weight, pud/kg	40/655,2	30/491,4	29,5/483,2	19,5/319,4	29/475
Front weight, pud/kg	20/327,6	20/327,6	17/278,5	17/278,5	17/278,5
Weight of the gun with the limber, pud/kg	140/2293	98/1605	70/1147	51,2/838,6	62,8/1028
Weight of charging box without ammunition, pd/kg	27/442,3	27/442,3	27/442,3	27/442,3	27/442,3
Gun crew, people	12	12	11	8	11
Number of shells carried in one charging box	90	90	176	144	90
Number of horses in a cannon harness	8	6	4	2	4
Number of horses in a charging box harness	4	4	4	2	4

It is worth noting here that the calibers of a number of Austrian cannons are expressed in the small Nuremberg scale and therefore, with the same name, are smaller than in the artillery of other countries. For example, a 12-pound Austrian is equivalent to an 8-pound French, and a 6-pound is equivalent to a 4-pound.

Since the Austrian Empire included many territories, Austrian guns were distinguished by a wide variety of coats of arms and monograms. Thus, on the cannons with the coats of arms of Bohemia, Burgundy and Lombardy, images of eagles with the order chain of the “Golden Fleece” are minted. Cannons from the time of Empress Maria Theresa adorn the coat of arms of the Duchy of Tuscany, which includes the coats of arms of Austria, Parma, Hungary, Bohemia, and Jerusalem.

The artillery of the Great Army also included English cannons. Moreover, they were not trophies of the “villain Bonaparte.” The fact is that Napoleon annexed Hanover - the personal possession of the British kings.

Accordingly, the Hanoverian cannons feature the monogram English king George VII with the chain of the Order of the Garter and the inscription: “Shame on him who thinks ill of it.”

Saxon 20-lb howitzer

The Great Army also included Dutch cannons, cast in The Hague in 1797. They depict the coats of arms of Flanders with the inscription “Watch, trusting in God.”

The cannons, cast in 1788, bear the coat of arms of Zealand - the “swimming lion”. On the shield under the ducal crown is the inscription: “I fight and fight out.”

The Polish cannons depict the coats of arms of King Stanislaw Augustus, Prince Sapieha, Prince Potocki, surrounded by a chain of the Order of the White Eagle with the inscription “For faith, law and flock.”

On the cannons with the coat of arms of Prince Sapieha there is a mantle, in the oval there is an arrow, around there are laurels intertwined with an order ribbon, and the title of Prince Nestor-Kazimir Sapieha: the chief chief of artillery of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The cannons are engraved with the motto “For Faith, Tsar and Law” and the inscription: “A citizen sacrificed me to the Fatherland.”

The cannons with the coat of arms of Count Potocki also depict a mantle, and on them there is an oval shield with a seven-pointed cross and the coat of arms of Pilyava. The laurels are intertwined with the mite of the Order of Stanislaus. On the oval is the inscription: “Count Theodor Potocki of the Crown Artillery, Major General.” On top are a helmet and a count's crown, and above it are ostrich feathers with the same cross as in the coat of arms. Above the coat of arms is the motto “For war, but not at all for civil” and the year “1767”.

Table 14

Artillery data from Napoleon's allies

Type of gun	Caliber, inch/mm	Channel length, club	Length without wings, mm	Barrel weight, kg	Projectile weight, kg	Charge weight, kg
Neapolitan
6-pounder gun	3,7/94	16	1448	352	3,2	1,02
howitzer	6/152	5,3	1016	295	6	0,6
Westphalian
6-pounder gun	3,7/94	16	1626	376	3,34	0,836
Bavarian
6-pounder gun	3,7/94	18	1626	410	3,34	0,836
howitzer	6/152	5	1016	295	6,5	0,72
Saxon
4-pounder gun	3,25/83	16	1321	278	1,7	0,72
6-pounder gun	3,7/94	18	1626	376	3,33	0,83
howitzer	6/152	5	1016	295	6,5	0,72
Polish
6-pounder gun	3,7/94	18	1524	393	3,2	1,02
3-pound cannon	3176	18	1245	229	1,2	0,6

author Shirokorad Alexander Borisovich

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The result of the work of the commission chaired by Inspector General of Artillery d’Aboville was a new proposal proposed on May 2, 1803 artillery system, called "System XI of the Year". (According to the Revolutionary calendar in force at that time in France, the 12th floreal of the XI year of the republic corresponded to May 2, 1803. The Revolutionary calendar was abolished by Napoleon on September 22, 1805).

The new nomenclature of French artillery was reduced to guns with a bore corresponding to the caliber of 6, 12 and 24 pounds. According to Marmont, the new main field artillery guns, the 6-pounder guns, were made with a caliber slightly larger than the corresponding 6-pounder guns of other European countries. This allowed the French to use captured ammunition. At the same time, the French charges could not be used by the enemy. The 11th year system involved some lightening and simplification of the guns while optimizing their firepower, as well as the introduction of improved transport equipment.

U new system XI year in the artillery environment of France there were both supporters and opponents. The main argument of the opponents was: significant material costs to replace the existing Gribeauval system, which was still considered quite perfect. There were 2,700 4- and 8-pound Gribeauval guns in service and about 3 million cannonballs cast for them. To replace the old guns and approve the new system of the 11th year, it was necessary to carry out the necessary practical tests and several years of peaceful life, but the continuous wars waged by France from 1803 until the end of the Empire did not allow the reform that had begun to be fully completed. As a result, the French army had to use old and new artillery material simultaneously. Instead of a single caliber, Gribeauval's 4- and 8-pounder guns and limbers were supplemented by 6-pounder guns and a whole range of new carts and limbers. In order to somehow solve the problem, almost all the guns of the Gribeauval system were sent for combat operations in Spain, and mainly new guns of the XI year system were sent to the German and Russian theater of operations - 6-pound guns (as well as 12-pound guns and 24-f howitzers).

The French 6-pounder gun was recognized as the main and most successful weapon of the new system of the 11th year. She was casting enough large quantities from 1803 to 1808. The bronze gun barrel weighing 380 kg had a caliber of 96 mm and was devoid of decorative reinforcing friezes and belts. The monogram “N” was engraved on the breech of the barrel, framed by oak and laurel branches under the imperial crown. On the muzzle there was a ribbon stamped given name guns. The place and date of manufacture were minted on the torel belt. The carriage of the XI model, compared to the Gribeauval carriages, had straighter frames with rounded curved ends of the trunk. The iron wheel axle was built into a wooden beam. The vertical aiming screw mechanism, like most of the metal fittings and parts, was from the Gribeauval system. The wooden parts of the carriage were painted olive green, and the metal parts were painted black. The new charging box was not inserted between the carriage frames, but was installed on the front end.

The gun's rate of fire was 2-4 rounds per minute. Maximum range– 1500 m. Effective fire distance when firing a cannonball – 800 m; long-range buckshot – 500 m; close-range grapeshot - 300 m. Number of servants - 9-11 people. The foot artillery company had 6 cannons (and 2 howitzers), transported by teams of 4 horses. The horse artillery company had 4 cannons (and 2 howitzers), transported by teams of 6 horses.

In 1812, upon entering Russia, the French artillery, among other guns, had approximately 260 6-f cannons. In the Battle of Borodino, Napoleon's artillery numbered only about 590 guns. Almost half (275) were 6-pounder guns, of which probably 180 were directly French 6-pounder guns of the Year XI system. In 1817, among the 874 captured guns from various European countries brought to Moscow, there were 195 French 6-pounder guns.

Since this question, to be honest, is simply SICK of me, and there are a bunch of “experts” who very often poke me into land instructions on the firing range of guns and other similar issues, I decided to make a post to solve this problem once and for all.
First of all, a little theory - if you do not take fortress artillery, then a land cannon in battle encounters rather flimsy protection. These can be earthen fortifications, lunettes, barriers using wood or stone, but the distinctive property of these fortifications will be their relative low strength. That is, if these are wooden spears, then they are dug into the ground. If the stones are piled up, but not cemented, etc.
At sea, in linear battles (or in battles between fortresses and ships), cannon cores had to overcome quite serious protection in the form of the “armor” (hull) of the ship, and often this protection was multi-layered, as for example is clearly visible here:

This protection had a total thickness of 60 to 100 centimeters (that is, up to a meter). Most often, even the most powerful guns could not penetrate it, and shooting at ships essentially came down to maximum hits in the hull (if we are talking specifically about causing critical damage/sinking the ship). This maximum of hits gradually undermined the protection, potholes appeared somewhere, chips appeared somewhere, connections were broken somewhere, the wood gradually sagged and broke, most often in the area of ​​the upper deck or gun ports, and finally the critical moment came when " the armor" stopped holding.
If we talk about analogies, then perhaps the most accurate imitation of this explanation I came across in the film “Death Race” with Statham:

In the film, the role of armor is played by a 6-inch armor plate at the back of Statham’s car, which competitors shoot at with all types of weapons. Sooner or later, this plate receives critical damage and can no longer withstand hits. The meaning is absolutely the same.

Now let's move on to the numbers. First of all, we note that the Gribovalevsky land cannons could fire as much as 2-2.5 km, but absolutely no one used such a range. Why? Yes, for two simple things - there were no sights for such distances yet, and the dispersion of fire was very high. Therefore, in the Gribovalevsky instructions for ground artillery we see the following figures

Effective fire distances for guns of various calibers

If we open the English naval shooting manuals (for example, from 1832), we will see the following figures:
For long guns:
The maximum sighting range is 500-400 meters (sorry, here and below I am simplifying the English yard to an ordinary meter; for those who need it, they will convert it into exact values)
Effective target firing range - 200 meters
Pistol range - 50 meters.
For carronades:
maximum sighting range - 200 meters
effective sighting range - 50 meters
pistol distance - 10 meters.
Why do the values ​​of land and sea systems differ so much? Really naval guns were they worse?
No, they were no worse, and sometimes even better. It’s just that the admirals laid down such values ​​because it was not about maximum, A sighting range, and secondly, from these ranges could cause damage to enemy ships. That is, in reality, naval guns could fire much further, but the accuracy of the fire and the damage from it were very bad at distances above the recommended ones. The question is - was it possible to use guns beyond the maximum effective range? The answer is why not? For example, the accuracy of a carronade over 200 meters is non-existent. But who prevents, for example, from conducting unaimed fire with carronades not on the sides, but on the sails of ships? Nobody! The area of ​​the sails is much larger than the part of the side being hit, therefore, according to the theory of probability, such fire may well be effective. Yes, the speed of the cannonball at this distance is not enough to break through a bulwark or something wooden, but tearing a sail or knocking down a yard is quite enough.
One more thing should not be forgotten - ground artillery fires from a fixed platform (ground, fortress wall, etc.) at a target that is stationary or slowly moving relative to the gun/battery. Even the galloping speed of a horse is 15-18 km/h, in sea terms - 8-8.5 knots, that is, the speed of an ordinary frigate. But most often the cavalry goes to the battery(speaking nautical term- into "longitudinal fire"), and does not jump along the battery(the meaning of the cavalry attack is clear - to suppress this very battery, and not to run away from its fire). The walking speed of infantry (110 steps per minute at a step of 70 cm) is significantly lower - approximately 4.6 km/h or 2.5 knots, but again - infantry goes towards the battery, not along it.
Naval artillery has a completely different task - there the enemy moves precisely along the battery, since the movement is most often parallel relative to each other, and this leaves an additional imprint on the accuracy (or, if you like, inaccuracy) of shooting and on the effective combat distance.
Oddly enough, but land artillery, operations against ships, most often used naval instructions. This is understandable - ships, especially battleships, are a very specific enemy. And here it is necessary to introduce such a concept as the probability of hitting the target, which directly depended on the number of guns firing at the target. It is clear that an airborne salvo creates a kind of “cloud” of nuclei, which covers the target. As far as I understand, in the case of long distances this probability distribution of hits is akin to Gaussian, at short distances it is linear and uniform. That is, as is the case in the movie with Statham decisive role What matters is the number of hits per unit of time.
Now let's move from theory to practice.
The first debate on this topic arose for me a long time ago, regarding Toulon of the 1793 model. Let me remind you that Bonaparte then captured the forts of Eguiet and Balaguier, located on one side of the exit to Toulon harbor. The width of the passage from the harbor itself is 1200 meters. The question is: could the guns of these forts clearly block the exit of ships from Toulon?
The answer is obvious - no, they couldn’t. And this is even though (according to Nilus) "A 12-pound core with a charge of 4 pounds at a distance of about 300 fathoms goes deep: into the ground by 7-9 feet, into a tree by 2.5 feet, into a stone by 4 inches. 300 fathoms is about 650 m; 2.5 ft. = 0.75 m." Still, the sides of the ships are clearly not land, and we will leave what kind of tree Nilus had in mind - to the author’s conscience.
The next issue of our program was my supposedly delusional ideas of shelling the brig "Mercury" with grapeshot. And again, the author of the opus about my nonsense gave a breakdown for land buckshot (the weight of one bullet is 23 grams). Well, how many times have I said - such buckshot was never used at sea!
In the same Russian fleet there were the following types of buckshot: short-range and long-range buckshot. The charge for both buckshots is 1.64 kg. The weight of the long-range buckshot was 10.9 kg, it had 48 bullets (each weighing 227 grams). The weight of the short-range buckshot is 11.2 kg, it contains 94 bullets (each weighing 119 grams). The maximum firing range of short-range buckshot is up to 400 meters, long-range up to 700. The British and French used bullets weighing 384 and 452 grams in buckshot on 32-pound and 24-pound guns! So it’s one thing to have buckshot in a hunting rifle for birds, and another thing to have buckshot for battleship. She is also on board any small ship (for example, brig) can cause quite a lot of damage, tearing sails, breaking yards, etc.

Fully machined, copper plated and blackened cast guns made Dmitry Shevelev, gold champion of the world and Russia in ship modeling. The author has his own outstanding style, his works are distinguished by historical authenticity, artistic taste and the effect of antiquity.

To cast the guns, a dental alloy with a melting point of 105 degrees is used, then the casting is mechanically processed to lathe, the channel is drilled, brushed, copper-plated and only then blackened. The process is not easy, but the result is amazing. There’s no need to even stutter about historical authenticity; a mosquito won’t hurt your nose. The master model of this gun was made according to drawings from the monograph Le Cygne by the French publishing house Ancre.

Technical characteristics of the gun:

• length 59 mm; - scale 1:48;
• caliber 8 pounds;
• channel diameter 2.2 mm;
• France, 1806;
• initial development for the Le Cygne brig model. Requires 2 pieces.

The price of the product is quite high, but these are tools for which no shame at any price. We are proud the fact that we can offer work Dmitry Shevelev.

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