8 pound gun 1 26 model. Boris Yulin Battle of Borodino
Shotgun AN-IX
French 6-pounder gun and 6-inch howitzers
However, even such a magnificent gun had drawbacks, such as insufficient reliability and a tendency to corrosion of some components. But the main thing was some difference in caliber of the guns produced and the need for individual fitting of parts. This created certain difficulties in creating and arming a mass army. Therefore, in 1801 the French adopted the AN-IX gun, which became the main one by the time of the invasion of Russia. This gun was almost identical to the gun of the 1777 model and differed from the old one by greater unification of parts and the replacement of corroded, but not load-bearing, iron parts with copper ones. In addition, it was possible to slightly reduce the weight of the gun.
Perhaps the excellent capabilities of the 1777 model gun had an effect, but less attention was paid to rifled weapons in France. The main type of rifled weapon was the "Carbine de Versailles" model 1793 in infantry and cavalry versions. It was only in 1804 that a slightly improved AN-XII carbine was developed, which differed only slightly from the Carbine de Versailles. The saturation of the French army with rifled weapons was somewhat lower than the Russian one. Non-commissioned officers, sergeants and sappers from light infantry and 6 riflemen in a voltigeur company were mainly armed with rifled carbines.
The characteristics of the main guns in service with the French army were as follows.
Shotgun AN-IX. Its weight (without bayonet) is 4.375 kg, length 151.5 cm (bayonet length 46.5 cm). Caliber – 17.5 mm, bullet weight – 27.2 g, gunpowder weight – 12.24 g. Maximum range shooting 300–400 steps, effective aimed shooting range (probability of hitting a standard target is more than 1/2) – more than 100 steps.
Rifled carbine "Carbine de Versailles": Its weight (without bayonet) is 3.45 kg, length is 102.5 cm. Caliber is 13.5 mm, bullet weight is 17.5 g, gunpowder weight is 4 g. Maximum range is approximately 1 thousand steps, effective aimed shooting range (probability of hitting a standard target is more than 1/2) - more than 500 steps.
In the field of artillery, the French army held a leading position for a long time, which was not lost in the quarter century that passed after Gribeauval's reform. But Napoleon, himself an excellent artilleryman, noted the presence of excessive calibers in the Gribeauval system. For example, Napoleon pointed out that in most cases, when firing, commanders do not make a difference between 8-pounder and 4-pounder guns. At the same time, the 8-pounders are too heavy, and the 4-pounders have weak ammunition. As a result, it was decided to settle on a 6-pound gun, which should replace both calibers.
It was also decided to switch to a new howitzer with a longer barrel length and a smaller caliber. This made it possible to increase the flatness of the trajectory and more effectively use these weapons in maneuverable field battle. In addition, this made it possible to unify the ammunition with the 24-pound siege gun.
Finally, Colonel Villentroy created heavy long-range howitzers with an increased powder charge and barrel length. These howitzers had calibers of 8, 9 and 11 inches. At the same time, the most powerful 11-inch howitzer could fire at a distance of up to 5.8 versts. The 8-inch howitzer was also used in field battles. In addition to changes in the calibers used and barrel lengths, the guns of the new models were lightweight and simplified in design.
The reform was supposed to bring French artillery to a new qualitative level. In fact, it was not carried out as decisively and effectively as in Russia. The reason was the slight superiority of French artillery over the artillery of most opponents, which already existed at the time the reform began. The “patchwork” nature of Napoleon’s empire and the lack of clear management of military production also had a negative impact. Many factories of Napoleon's empire, especially in conquered territories such as the Confederation of the Rhine, produced according to old models and in the old caliber system. So, in the end, the reform not only did not reduce, as required, the number of calibers in the army, but, on the contrary, increased it. Of the new guns, only the 6-pounder gun and the 24-pounder howitzer were fired in significant quantities. The “Grand Army” entered the war with more than two dozen artillery systems.
The characteristics of the main guns in service with the French army were as follows.
12-pounder gun of the Gribeauval system:
Gun weight - 860 kg (54 pounds), system weight - 2160 kg (135 pounds), caliber - 4.76 inches (121 mm), barrel length - 16.5 calibers.
Firing range: cannonball – 2.7–3 km, grenade – about 1.2 km, buckshot – up to 600 meters.
8-pounder Gribeauval gun
Gun weight - 580 kg (36 pounds), system weight - 1760 kg (110 pounds), caliber - 4.1 inches (104 mm), barrel length - 16.5 calibers.
Firing range: cannonball – 2.7 km, grenade – about 1 km, buckshot – up to 500 meters.
4-pounder Gribeauval gun
Gun weight - 280 kg (18 pounds), system weight - 1120 kg (70 pounds), caliber - 4.76 inches (121 mm), barrel length - 16.5 calibers.
Firing range: cannonball – 2.6 km, grenade – about 1.1 km, buckshot – up to 400 meters.
6-pounder gun of the new system
Gun weight - 400 kg (25 pounds), system weight - 1440 kg (90 pounds), caliber - 3.9 inches (96 mm), barrel length - 16.5 calibers.
Firing range: cannonball – 2.3 km, grenade – about 1 km, buckshot – up to 400 meters.
6-inch extended howitzer
Gun weight - 320 kg (20 pounds), caliber - 6 inches (164 mm), barrel length - 4 1/3 calibers.
Firing range: cannonball – 3 km, grenade – about 3 km, buckshot – up to 400 meters.
24-pound howitzer of the new system
Gun weight – 320 kg (20 pounds), caliber – 6 inches (155 mm), barrel length – 5 calibers.
Firing range: cannonball – 3 km, grenade – about 3 km, buckshot – up to 500 meters.
Although in general French artillery looked worse than the Russian due to the wide variety of calibers and the large number of low-power regimental guns, it had an advantage when fighting fortifications and manpower at long distances due to the presence of large-caliber howitzers and with a steep trajectory, which made it possible to hit the enemy behind the fortifications.
When comparing the characteristics of Russian and French weapons, you need to take into account several general points related to their use.
During the Napoleonic Wars, volley rifle and artillery fire dominated. Only rangers and voltigeurs in loose formation could fire differently. This was caused, among other things, by the black powder used. When there was a discrepancy in the salvo, those who were late fired at the smoky cloud, which after each salvo clouded battle formations.
The maximum rate of fire largely depended not on the characteristics of the weapon, but on the training of the soldiers. A well-trained soldier, as practical shooting has shown even today, could easily ensure a rate of fire of 3-4 rounds per minute from a smoothbore gun using a cartridge. This pace could not be maintained for long, but allowed 10–12 salvoes to be fired at a battalion column attacking briskly, 7–9 for attacking running and 2–3 for attacking cavalry at a gallop. Given the low accuracy of fire even against close battle formations, rifle fire alone was usually not able to stop the attack of battalion columns or cuirassiers.
Field artillery had a longer firing range than smooth-bore shotguns. At the same time, the field gun had a maximum rate of fire thanks to cap loading of 7–9 rounds per minute. At the same time, the accuracy of artillery fire at equal distances was also higher. Here, too, the high tempo could not be maintained for long, but it made it possible to fire 25–35 volleys of grapeshot at a battalion column attacking at a fast pace, 15–20 against an attacking run and 7–10 against a cavalry attacking at a gallop. This rate of fire was a powerful stopping force against both infantry and cavalry, provided there were a sufficient number of guns along the length of the attacked front. Such superiority of artillery usually made it possible to win a firefight with infantry even at short distances. The power of artillery on the battlefield in relation to other types of troops was, perhaps, greatest precisely at the beginning of the 19th century.
Pounder
Pounder
Pounder
Cannon - depending on the difficulty level 8-pounder, 12-pounder and 16-pounder - Boss living in the Thicket.
Bandit Cannon - Ancestor's memories
| “ |
Simple folk are by their nature loquacious, and the denizens of the hamlet were no exception. It was not long before rumors of my morbid genius and secretive excavations began to fill local legend. In the face of my increasingly egregious flaunting of public taboos, awe turned to ire, and demonstrations were held in the town square. The whisper wilds of heresy roused the rabble to violent action. Such was the general air of rebellion that even my generous offer of gold to the local constabulary was rebuffed. To reassert my rule, I sought out unscrupulous men skilled in the application of force. Tight-lipped and terrifying, these mercenaries brought with them a war machine of terrible implication. Eager to end the tiresome domestic distraction, I instructed my newly formed militia of hardened bandits, brigands and killers to go ahead and do their work. Compliance and order were restored, and the noisesome population of the Hamlet was culled to more managable numbers. |
„ |
Story
When rumors of the Ancestor's experiments reached the ears of the local residents, they became furious. In order to contain them, the Ancestor hired a gang of robbers who brought with them a huge cannon of incredible power. Now that the Ancestor has died, the robbers continue to use it, terrorizing the village.
Behavior
Bandit Cannon appears in the second position, with three bandits in the other three positions. The most dangerous of them is the Rogue Pyro, who makes the Cannon fire. If the Pyro is able to act on its turn, the Cannon will use one of its two attacks. The first one, BOOOOOM! (“BOOOOOOOM!”) is a long-range attack that hits the entire squad with huge damage and also causes a lot of stress. The second attack is a misfire! ("MISFIRE!") does no damage and gives the party stress treatment. The Cannon itself cannot use any of its attacks except the Reinforcement skill! (“Reinforcements!”), which summons another rogue. The cannon will use this skill at the start of each turn until all positions are filled. If you killed the Arsonist Rogue, the Cannon will first summon him, and therefore all other types of robbers. The chance of Cannon using his devastating attack increases depending on the dungeon's level.
Skills
| Apprentice Level | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skill name | Attack type | From the position | Strikes to position | Chance to hit | Crit chance | Damage | Effect | Effect on yourself |
| Reinforcement* | Ranged | 1, 2, 3, 4. | 1, 2, 3, 4. (allies) | 0% | 0% | 0 | Summon Brigands** | No effect |
| BOOOOOOOM!*** | Ranged | 1, 2, 3, 4. | 1+2+3+4. | 83% | 0% | 9-27 | Stress +15 | No effect |
| MISFIRE!*** | Ranged | 1, 2, 3, 4. | 1+2+3+4. | 0% | 0% | 0 | Stress -10 | No effect |
| Veteran Level | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skill name | Attack type | From the position | Strikes to position | Chance to hit | Crit chance | Damage | Effect | Effect on yourself |
| Reinforcement* | Ranged | 1, 2, 3, 4. | 1, 2, 3, 4. (allies) | 0% | 0% | 0 | Summon Brigands** | No effect |
| BOOOOOOOM!*** | Ranged | 1, 2, 3, 4. | 1+2+3+4. | 89% | 0% | 12-35 | Stress +15 | No effect |
| MISFIRE!*** | Ranged | 1, 2, 3, 4. | 1+2+3+4. | 0% | 0% | 0 | Stress -10 | No effect |
| Champion Level | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skill name | Attack type | From the position | Strikes to position | Chance to hit | Crit chance | Damage | Effect | Effect on yourself |
| Reinforcement* | Ranged | 1, 2, 3, 4. | 1, 2, 3, 4. (allies) | 0% | 0% | 0 | Summon Brigands** | No effect |
| BOOOOOOOM!*** | Ranged | 1, 2, 3, 4. | 1+2+3+4. | 103% | 0% | 18-54 | Stress +15 | No effect |
| MISFIRE!*** | Ranged | 1, 2, 3, 4. | 1+2+3+4. | 0% | 0% | 0 | Stress -10 | No effect |
* Bandit Cannon will always use Reinforcements! (Reinforcement) at the beginning of each of your turns, until all positions are occupied by robbers.
** Reinforcements! Reinforcement can only summon Brigand Matchman, Brigand Cutthroat, Brigand Fusilier and Brigand Bloodletter. If the Firebug Rogue is not on the battlefield, he will always be summoned first.
** There can only be 1 robber of each type on the battlefield. This means that the Cannon cannot summon two Arsonists or Thugs.
***The Bandit Cannon will use BOOOOOOOM! and MISFIRE! only after the Pyro skill “The fuse is burning!” (Fire In The Hole) regardless of the effects on it.
*** BOOOOOOOM! and MISFIRE! are mutually exclusive. Only one of these skills can be used after Brigand Matchman uses Fuse Burns! (Fire In The Hole).
NOTE: As the dungeon's difficulty increases, the chance of using BOOOOOOOM! increases significantly, and the probability of MISFIRE! decreases. An approximate table of relationships as difficulty levels increase:
| Apprentice | Veteran | Champion | |
| BOOOOOOOM! | 65% | 70% | 75% |
| MISFIRE! | 35% | 30% | 25% |
Strategy
First and most importantly, kill the Arsonist first! Do not allow him to live until the end of the turn, as his actions have disastrous consequences for the entire squad. It is recommended to take with you heroes that can attack in all positions, as the Pyro can be moved or summoned again to the third or fourth position, where it will be inaccessible to melee attacks. Luckily, the Pyro has very low speed and low health, making him an easy target to kill. Bleeding and Poison can kill the Pyro before he even lights the fuse, and stuns will cause him to miss his turn.
As for the Cannon itself, it has a LOT of defense points and is practically immune to all possible effects. In this battle, it is recommended to take heroes with AOE attacks with you so that you can deal with robbers and Cannon at the same time.
One strategy is to kill all the robbers, after which you can attack the Cannon without support. This is a rather long, but safe battle, since the Cannon will be busy summoning more and more robbers. However, any hero with Stun can reduce incoming damage, leaving the rogue stunned instead of having a new one summoned. Hit the rogue with one attack per turn, then stun him and finish him off when he is under the stun resistance increase buff. This will reduce incoming damage to the squad, without leading to constant calls for new robbers, and will allow you to finish off the Cannon more quickly, freeing up additional attacks for this. The Thug is the most obvious target for this strategy, as he spawns in the first position and his attacks deal more concentrated damage than the Marksman's, making it difficult to control incoming damage with healing.
Another strategy is to ignore the two rogues and focus on the Pyro and Cannon. This is a more dangerous and risky strategy, but it will help reduce the number of Reinforcements. High Damage and Evasion stats are recommended for this strategy.
Actually high level Combat with the Cannon can cause a lot of problems, since the Firestarter's health and evasion increases significantly, the Cannon's health doubles, and it begins to summon the Brigand Bloodletter robber. Due to the increased health and damage of robbers, conventional strategies become less effective. For the last level of difficulty, it is recommended to assemble a squad without a healer in order to quickly destroy the robbers and beat the Cannon in those turns when it only summoned the Arsonist. A good option would be to form a squad based on interaction with the Mark - Savage-Mercenary-Crossbowman-Tamer. However, it is risky to send such a squad into the Thicket without a healer due to the Unclean Giant monster encountered there.
- When entering the boss room, you can surprise two robbers, but not the Cannon or the Pyro.
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:
Maximum sighting range 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(in naval terms - in “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 bird hunting rifle, and another thing to have buckshot on a battleship. She is also on board any small ship (for example, brig) can cause quite a lot of damage, tearing sails, breaking yards, etc.
God of War 1812. Artillery in the 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 existed with 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 guns to 2.5 mm, due to which the initial velocity of the projectile and accuracy of fire increased. 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.
The Gribeauval 4-pounder gun 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 regarding 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 longer and heavier, fired larger charges, and were more accurate. 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 became a good tool for coastal defense from long distances.
But constant wars, the inability to conduct long-term and serious tests of 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 “Year XI 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 service Great Army in 1812 there were 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. Shafts were attached to the trunk of the carriage with large diameter wheels. 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.
U French guns and howitzers, the date of manufacture and the name of the craftsman were minted 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 guns have monograms National Assembly- “AN”, as well as an 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 depict the monogram of the English king George VII with the chain of the Order of the Garter and the inscription: “Shame on him who thinks ill of this.”
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 |
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An important advantage of the Russian cavalry was its excellent cavalry, which, if inferior to anyone, was only inferior to the cavalry of the English army. At the same time, both the horses themselves and their dressage were at their best.
Artillery
And finally, the Russian artillery was most decisively transformed. As a study by the commission of General A. A. Arakcheev showed, artillery had previously been underestimated, and actual artillery fire was 6–10 times superior to small arms fire. And this meant that it was the fire of field artillery that ensured the success of the army that had it in sufficient quantities. But at the same time, major shortcomings in the composition and organization of Russian artillery were revealed. The artillery was extremely varied in caliber, which made it difficult to control fire and supply ammunition. In addition, there were no horses in the permanent batteries. Usually mobilized horses were used, often of questionable condition, which had a bad effect on mobility. In addition, this did not provide sufficient speed for deploying guns into position and removing them from position.Russian foot artillery
To solve these problems, Arakcheev introduced “artillery” horses, which should “never be separated from the company.” In 1803, following the example of the French artillery, standard charging boxes were introduced on the limbers, which made it possible to sharply reduce the time it took to prepare batteries for firing, since the ammunition necessary for battle moved along with the gun and ended up directly in position and in a convenient container. In 1805, artillery was unified with a sharp reduction in the number of artillery systems and calibers used. The carriages, limbers, harness and charging boxes were also unified. The low-powered regimental artillery was effectively eliminated, and its role was now to be filled by light artillery companies of 6-pounders and 1/4-pound unicorns.
Charging box
Old style 6-pounder gun
Organizationally, the artillery was consolidated into artillery brigades within infantry divisions. Such brigades consisted of battery and light companies. In addition, there were horse artillery companies as part of the cavalry corps and separate companies that were not part of the divisions.
In general, Russian artillery took first place in the world in terms of specific power (weight of a salvo per number of barrels). At the same time, it was distinguished by its harmonious organization and, thanks to the constant high-quality horse composition and the reduction in the weight of the guns, excellent mobility on the battlefield and on the march.
Field artillery charging box
Field artillery charging box
French army
The French army improved throughout the revolutionary and Napoleonic wars. And very often she was an innovator in military affairs. For example, it was in the French army that they first switched to the widespread use of shock column tactics. After clashes with the Russian army in 1805–1807, it underwent a smaller scale of reform than the Russian army, as it demonstrated its superiority. Basically, the reform of this period was expressed in the abandonment of semi-brigades and the restoration of the regimental level.
Infantry
The French infantry corps, which was the main strategic and operational unit of the French army, did not have such a clear and fixed structure as the Russian one. In addition, unlike the Russian corps, it was the highest organizational unit (for the Russians it was an army that included several corps) and, including all three types of troops, could conduct completely independent actions in the strategic direction without additional reinforcement. It consisted of 2–5 infantry divisions and 1–2 cavalry brigades or divisions, as well as corps artillery, which partly compensated for the French divisional artillery, which was weaker than in the Russian army.
An infantry division consisted of 3 brigades of 2 regiments each and usually 2 artillery batteries. The regiment consisted of 4 line and one reserve battalion. True, this division was not rigid. For example, in Davout’s 1st Infantry Corps, the regiments consisted of 5 line battalions and 1 reserve, but the brigade consisted of one regiment, that is, in fact, there was no regimental link. The battalion consisted of 6 companies, 1 grenadier, 4 fusiliers and one voltigeur.
Voltigeurs were an analogue of Russian rangers, but, unlike the latter, most often they did not stand out in separate brigades, regiments and battalions, but were dispersed as part of line battalions. This did not make it possible to use them separately as fighting forces on the battlefield. But this order made it possible to better organize the interaction of battalion columns and rifle chains in the division’s battle formations. This also allowed the French to use division formations that were more complex than in the Russian army.
Voltigeurs were considered light infantry. They were armed with both smooth-bore guns and rifled carbines, as well as cutlasses. Voltigeurs, unlike Russian rangers, did not seriously rely on single actions away from their troops and were mainly trained to act in loose formation in the battle formations of divisions and regiments - therefore they were better prepared for such actions.
Their percentage in French units was somewhat lower than the percentage of rangers in the Russian army, which was compensated by a large percentage in allied units, for example in the Westphalian Corps of Marshal Davout.
French line infantry
Fusilier companies were the line infantry of the French army. Linear infantry, as in the Russian army, was intended for a bayonet attack in battalion columns or for a salvo firefight in a deployed linear formation. But unlike the Russian infantry, the French fusiliers deployed not in a 4-rank, but in a 3-rank formation. This difference was due best characteristics French guns and the level of training of the infantry. In practice, this meant that the French battalion, firing in deployed formation, had approximately a 25% advantage in fire performance. The line infantry were armed with smoothbore rifles with a bayonet. In the training of fusiliers, much more time was devoted to drill training and actions in close formation, mainly with an attack orientation.
French voltigeurs
The French grenadiers were noticeably different from the Russians. Grenadier companies were also elite, but differed in the principle of formation - to be enrolled there, a soldier had to have 4 years of service or 2 campaigns behind him. Four privates and one corporal in the grenadier company were sappers. Their distinctive feature was traditionally a leather apron and a large beard (a tradition that continues today in the French army) - they had to be strong and tall, since they walked in front of the assault columns and had to open doors, windows, gates and walls with their large axes. populated areas where the enemy was holed up. However, in practice, those with the thickest beards were often hired as sappers.
In general, the French infantry, in its organization and composition, was maximally adapted to achieve success in active, attacking operations in field battle.
Cavalry
The French cavalry, in contrast to the Russian, was considered primarily as impact force on the battlefield, so its basis was made up of cuirassier and carabinieri units and also horse-jaeger units intended for the battlefield. In addition, there were hussar, dragoon and uhlan regiments. The last ones were mostly Polish.Because of this composition, the French cavalry was used to a limited extent as an independent operational force, but was of greater importance than the Russian on the battlefield. Napoleon again began to use cavalry as a battering ram when breaking through the enemy front, although this was considered unprofitable in the era of the widespread arming of armies with small arms and the high saturation of armies with field artillery. Heavy cavalry made it possible to quickly break the distance and overthrow the enemy. The main thing was to introduce it into battle at the right moment.
"Old Guard", grenadiers
Cuirassiers were practically no different from Russians and also represented men-at-arms, perfectly suited for breaking infantry squares. The weapons were similar, only instead of cuirassier carbines, blunderbusses were used, adapted for firing at infantry at point-blank range at full gallop. The carabinieri of the French army differed from the cuirassiers essentially only in their uniforms and in the same way could successfully attack infantry.
The hussars, whose weapons and uniforms were modeled on the Hungarian cavalrymen, acted as light cavalry capable of pursuing the enemy, engaging with enemy cavalry and performing rapid maneuvers. Actually, the name “hussars” was borrowed from the Hungarian “huzzar”.
The lancers, another part of the light cavalry, were Polish cavalry with their traditional weapons, including the pike. Expectations that the pike would significantly increase the capabilities of cavalry in the fight against infantry did not materialize. But the pike turned out to be useful in battles with cavalry.
Saxon cuirassiers
An important innovation in Napoleon's army was the mounted chasseurs. They were light cavalry, but, like cuirassiers, they were used for action in the thick of battle. Mounted rangers were intended mainly for conducting fire combat both from horseback and on foot.
Napoleon's cavalry demonstrated its capabilities by overthrowing the enemy at Austerlitz and breaking through his front at Wagram.
Cuirassiers and carabiniers were consolidated into heavy cavalry divisions, lancers, hussars and horse huntsmen into light ones. The division included 2–3 brigades of two regiments and sometimes an artillery regiment. But in heavy divisions there were often brigades of the same regiment. Each regiment consisted of 4 squadrons.
The French cavalry corps consisted of 1–2 heavy, 1 light cavalry divisions and sometimes corps artillery. These corps were an important component of attack tactics and were used primarily for rapid frontal attacks and development of success on the battlefield. It was the French who were the first in Europe of that period to use large masses of cavalry in battle.
Despite having excellent training and weapons, the French cavalry had one big disadvantage. Due to the limited capabilities of the stud farms of Napoleon's empire and heavy losses, the French cavalry had, on average, a worse cavalry composition than the Russian cavalry. This limited the mobility of the French cavalry and prevented them from being used on greater depth. Although in a frontal attack on the battlefield this did not matter much.
Artillery
French artillery was at the forefront of its fleet and organization even before the French Revolution. Faced in mid-18th century century with the superiority of the enemy’s artillery, the French were the first to undertake a radical and strictly thought-out reorganization. The great engineer and artilleryman General Gribeauval introduced such generally accepted innovations as limbers with standardized charging boxes, new frame sights, vertical aiming screw mechanisms, “long-range” buckshot in tin caps, and returned to cap loading.In 1803, Napoleon carried out another reform that affected the number of calibers. For example, 8-pounder and 4-pounder guns were replaced with 6-pounder ones, since, according to Napoleon's observations, in battle the guns of both old calibers were used in the same way and the differences between them were not taken into account. A longer howitzer of a slightly reduced caliber was introduced to achieve greater range, which made it possible to unify the ammunition with 24-pounder siege guns.
By the time of the invasion of Russia, French artillery was reduced to 8-gun companies with 6 guns and 2 howitzers, which made it possible to use the battery for a wide variety of purposes, although it complicated fire control and supplying the battery with ammunition. Reserve (or corps) artillery had batteries of 12-pounder and 8-pounder guns and howitzers large caliber and was intended for combat over long distances and the destruction of fortifications and suppression of enemy artillery. Divisional artillery was represented mainly by 6-pound and 4-pound cannons and medium-caliber howitzers (24 pounds) and was used in the division's combat formations at the starting positions for direct fire support. The regimental artillery had a different organization of batteries - 4-guns and was equipped with 3-pounder and 4-pounder cannons. She was supposed to accompany the attacking infantry with fire and wheels.
In terms of mobility and firepower per number of guns, French field artillery was somewhat weaker than Russian due to the large number of light 3-pound and 4-pound guns. But it included both heavy long-range guns and regimental artillery, intended for operations in infantry combat formations not only in defense, but also in the offensive (which allowed it to be used more flexibly), and had more powerful artillery systems in heavy artillery.
Armament of armies
Russian army
At the beginning of the 19th century, the Russian army was faced with enemy superiority in small arms. This fact was all the more unpleasant because since the time of Peter the Russian small arms were at the proper world level. But the very first clashes between the Russian army and the French showed the superiority of the French gun of the 1777 model over Russian guns. But not only did French weapons provide tactical advantage, it was also more monotonous. And in the Russian army by 1808 the situation was such that 28-caliber guns were in service. At the same time, the guns were both domestically produced and foreign.In 1805, a new, very reliable gun was adopted. But due to the unification of the cartridge with the old one, it turned out to be heavy and with powerful recoil with a modest range and accuracy of fire.
Infantry pistol model 1809
In 1808, relying on captured French guns of the 1777 model and purchased English guns of the 1794 model, Tula gunsmiths managed to develop a model that was not inferior to them. The new gun had, following the example of foreign prototypes, a caliber reduced from 19 mm to 17.8 mm and a reduced weight from 5.16 kg to 4.46 kg. Managed to increase initial speed bullets and shooting accuracy. They were also able to increase the number of hits on a standard 1.8 to 1.22 arshin target from 100 steps to more than half the bullets, while when shooting from the old gun the norm was a quarter of the bullets hit. The maximum firing range reached 300 steps. To speed up loading, all types of guns used paper cartridges containing a bullet and a powder charge.
Gun flintlocks
In 1805, new models of screw guns were created for non-commissioned officers and huntsman rifles. These were rifled weapons that provided the ability to fire at a distance of up to 1 thousand steps, and at 500 steps they showed the same accuracy as a gun of the 1808 model at 100. Also, based on the gun of the 1808 model, cavalry guns were developed.
But, despite the successes in rearming the army, only half of the army managed to rearm with the new model guns. Another disadvantage was the use of an old bayonet - shorter than the French ones, and designed for older, longer guns, which was especially noticeable when repelling cavalry attacks. True, the percentage of rangers armed with rifle weapons has increased noticeably. Now screw guns and fittings were available in the Jaeger regiments at the rate of 12 per company and in the cavalry units, except for the hussars, at the rate of 16 per squadron.
6-inch long (left) and 24-pounder (right) French howitzers
In general, the small arms of the Russian army in 1812 can be assessed as somewhat worse than the French, but at the level of the general armament of the “Great Army”, taking into account the armament of the troops of the allied and subject states.
The characteristics of the main guns in service with the Russian army were as follows.
Model 1805 infantry rifle. Its weight (without bayonet) is 5.16 kg, length 145.8 cm (with bayonet 183 cm). Caliber – 19 mm, bullet weight – 30 g, gunpowder weight – 10.7 g. Maximum firing range 250–300 steps, effective aimed shooting range (probability of hitting a standard target more than 1/2) – 75 steps.
Infantry rifle model 1808. Its weight (without bayonet) is 4.47 kg, length 145.8 cm (with bayonet 183 cm). Caliber - 17.8 mm, bullet weight - 23.8 g, gunpowder weight - 9.9 g. Maximum firing range is 300 steps, effective aimed shooting range (probability of hitting a standard target is more than 1/2) - 100 steps.
Model 1808 infantry rifle
Dragoon rifle model 1809. Its weight (without bayonet) is 3.73 kg. Caliber - 17.8 mm, bullet weight - 23.8 g, gunpowder weight - 9.6 g. Maximum firing range is 200 steps, effective aimed shooting range (probability of hitting a standard target is more than 1/2) - 75 steps.
Dragoon rifle model 1809
Model 1805 rifle. Weight 4.26 kg. Caliber - 16.5 mm, bullet weight - 23.8 g. Maximum firing range is 1 thousand steps, effective aimed shooting range (the probability of hitting a standard target is more than 1/2) - 500 steps.
Cavalry fitting of the 1803 model. Weight 2.65 kg. Caliber – 16.5 mm, bullet weight – 23.8 g, gunpowder weight – 7 g. Maximum firing range is 900 steps, effective aimed shooting range (probability of hitting a standard target is more than 1/2) – 300 steps.
Cavalry fitting, model 1803
However, due to the lower rate of fire of small arms (compared to artillery) and the shorter range of smoothbore rifles (compared to buckshot), the role of small arms fire in relation to artillery was small, which smoothed out the effect of the difference in small arms.
Jaeger fitting
In the field of artillery, the picture was more favorable for the Russian army. Thanks to the reform, the most used calibers remained in service. These are respectively 12-pounder and 6-pounder guns and 1/2- and 1/4-pound unicorns. The remaining artillery systems were lightened and standardized across carriages. Maintenance of the guns has been simplified. Artillery companies received a mixed composition of guns and howitzers, selected according to the weight of the artillery system - and this allowed flexible use of firepower and at the same time equal mobility of all guns in the artillery company. The mobility and weight of a volley of artillery companies were considered more important than range. Therefore, from the 12-pounder guns, medium and small-proportion guns were left; 12-pounder large-proportion guns, not suitable for rapid transportation and deployment, remained only for fortress and siege artillery. The same fate befell the 1-pound unicorn.
1/4 – pound unicorn in section
Sectional view of a 12-pounder small-proportion gun
In addition, much attention was paid to maximizing the rate of fire and ease of loading. For this reason, the gap between the core and the walls of the bore was made larger than that of French guns. Also, for guns of small proportions, the barrel was made shorter. This simplified loading the cannon with a cap, which contained a projectile, wad and gunpowder. But at the same time, such measures reduced the accuracy and range of fire due to the worse obturation of the projectile core in the barrel bore.
Lighting shells
Unitary loading shots
Quite a specific weapon of the Russian army were unicorns. The field artillery of other countries included howitzers, which differed from cannons in having a much shorter and thin-walled barrel. They were intended to fire mainly grenades and bombs and had a lower muzzle velocity and a steeper trajectory. In the Russian army, instead of field howitzers, unicorns were used, which, in fact, occupied an intermediate position between a cannon and a howitzer.
The characteristics of the guns in service with the Russian army were as follows.
12-pounder medium proportion gun
12-pounder model 1805 gun
Gun weight - 800 kg (50 pounds), system weight - 1624 kg (101.5 pounds), caliber - 4.76 inches (121 mm), barrel length - 16.5 caliber, harness - 6 horses.
Firing range: cannonball - 2.8 km (1300 fathoms), grenade - 1.1 km (500 fathoms), buckshot - more than 300 meters (150 fathoms).
12-pounder gun of smaller proportion:
12-pounder small proportion gun
Gun weight - 480 kg (30 pounds), system weight - 1210 kg (75.6 pounds), caliber - 4.76 inches (121 mm), barrel length - 13 calibers, harness - 6 horses.
Firing range: cannonball - 2.6 km (1300 fathoms), grenade - 1.1 km (500 fathoms), buckshot - more than 300 meters (150 fathoms).
6-pounder gun
Model 1805 6-pounder gun
Gun weight - 355 kg (22.2 pounds), system weight - 980 kg (61 pounds), caliber - 3.76 inches (95 mm), barrel length - 17 calibers, harness - 6 horses for cavalry and 4 for foot artillery .
Firing range: cannonball - 2.2 km (1 thousand fathoms), grenade - about 900 m (400 fathoms), buckshot - more than 300 meters (150 fathoms).
1/2 pound unicorn
Gun weight - 680 kg (42.5 pounds), system weight - 1810 kg (113 pounds), caliber - 6.1 inches (155 mm), barrel length - 10.5 caliber, harness - 6 horses.
Firing range: cannonball - 2.2 km (1 thousand fathoms), grenade - 1.3 km (600 fathoms), buckshot - 550 meters (250 fathoms).
1/4 pound unicorn:
Gun weight - 345 kg (21.6 pounds), system weight - 950 kg (59.3 pounds), caliber - 4.84 inches (123 mm), barrel length - 10.5 caliber, harness - 4 horses (6 - equestrian).
Firing range: cannonball - 1.3 km (600 fathoms), grenade - about 900 m (400 fathoms).
If we take into account the number of guns in the army and their superiority in rate of fire over small arms (up to 9 rounds/min. versus 4 rounds/min. for smoothbore guns and 1–2 rounds/min. for rifled guns), then it becomes clear that It was the artillery pieces that determined the firepower of the army.
Markevich quadrant
Sight (diopter) of the Markevich system
Kabanov's sight
1/4 – pound unicorn model 1805
Unicorn breech with wingguard and scope mount
As the main tactical system, Russian artillery used those developed by Count Kutaisov “ General rules for artillery in a field battle,” approved by Emperor Alexander I and sent to the troops as instructions. Here is the content of these “Rules”.
"1. In a field battle, shots at 500 fathoms are doubtful, at 300 fathoms they are quite accurate, and at 200 and 100 fathoms they are fatal; for the last three distances our new buckshots can also be used. Consequently, when the enemy is still at first range, you should shoot at him rarely, in order to have time to aim your gun more accurately and make it difficult for him to move with your shots; at the second distance, shoot more often in order to stop or at least prolong his approach, and finally strike with all possible speed in order to knock him over and destroy him.
2. From the beginning of the battle, hide the number of your artillery, but increase it as the case continues, so that your point of attack will be hidden from the enemy, and if he were attacking, he would meet artillery where he might not have expected it.
3. When the real intention of the enemy has not yet been noticed, the batteries should consist of a small number of guns and be scattered in different places. In this situation, you are a small target, and you yourself have more means of harming him with indirect and cross shots and complicating his enterprises.
4. Batteries of a large number of guns should be placed in such cases when it is necessary to make a breach in the enemy’s line or to stop his strong desire to reach some point, or when it is necessary to knock him out of some position.
5. Avoid placing batteries on very elevated, steep places; on the contrary, batteries of unicorns can be placed with great benefit behind small elevations, which would only cover them, for almost all of their shots, except grapeshot, are mounted.
