Civil War History - The Eastern TheaterDiscuss any and all battles, movements, and events occuring in the Eastern Theater here! This includes any actions in tha area east of the Appalachian Mountains in the vicinity of the river capitals of Richmond and Washington D.C.
Would any artilleryman be able to fill me in with a few details here? A bronze smoothbore could fire a shell or case round with a fuse set to between 1 and 5 seconds. At a battle like Fredericksburg, the artillery of both sides were on hills. This would give the guns a longer range. But firing at long range, would a shell with a 5 second fuse explode before reaching the target? Would this mean that only solid shot could be used at long range?
The range is the distance, in a straight line, from gun to gun. Unhill, downhill; it's all the same. I don't know the range, but a shot, shell, or case can go a fur piece in 5 seconds.
Now, I'll await the correct answer from an artilleryman.
Ole
__________________ I never knew a man who wished to be himself a slave. Consider if you know any good thing that no man desires for himself. A. Lincoln
Depends on if one wishes to drop it directly on the target, or to lay it down somewhat short so as to roll toward the target.
Wherever or however you place the round, the range is still the same. That's why mathematically-impaiired individuals didn't get to head up a battery.
Wherever you want to place whatever round, from that distance the trajectories would have little difference. That is, the loft required would not permit rolling a shell or case. Exploding it above a position would require precision calculations and absolute consistency in elevation, charge and fuse performance. Better to place a shot on the gun and hope to break something.
Ole
__________________ I never knew a man who wished to be himself a slave. Consider if you know any good thing that no man desires for himself. A. Lincoln
I overlooked a point, Blockade, you said "smoothbore" 12-pounders. No. You said "bronze" -- not "12 pounder." Most, if not all (I made no claim to being an artilleryman). bronze smoothbores were Napoleons -- 12-pounders.
At the range it must have been between the opposing batteries, the smoothbore gun approximated the accuracy of the smoothbore musket: "It'll get somewhere in the neighborhood, and if we shoot enough, we'll get a good hit eventually." Therefore, shell or case would be more effective, which validates your original question about fuses and time.
Still waiting for the artillery afficianado to chime in with some facts -- and it would help to know the distance between the hilltops in question. A good poser!
Ole
__________________ I never knew a man who wished to be himself a slave. Consider if you know any good thing that no man desires for himself. A. Lincoln
I am on the Stones River National Battlefied gun crew. We fire a 6 pound smoothboore that will fire case shot. The difference in case and shell is that case is a round ball, ans shell is more like a modern bullet designed to catch rifling.
As for firing case or shell you want to it to explode slightly in front of the lines of solldiers so that it will spread and its momentum will carry it forward to rain down on the lines.
Also solid shot was generally bounced along the ground toward the infantry to basically go bowling along the lines, it was genreally not fired that high in the air, unless doing anti-battery work.
I hope this helps to clear up some of the questions.
I still think I need to attend some of Jacksons classes at the VMI. But from the answers, it sounds like only rifled guns were really of any use at long range.
Getting back to my original question on the extent of the stone wall. The reason I asked the question was to work out why attacks were launched against the wall. This was the strongest position of the entire Confederate line. I think the answer must be that this position was closest to the starting point of any Union attack. To attack any other position, the Union troops would have to advance further over open ground without the benefit of artillery support. After the failed attack on the Confederate right, this was the only option available to Burnside. Unless of course he postponed the attack or made another attempt on the Confederate right.
The attack against the wall was originally supposed to be diversionary but Burnsides became obsessed with carrying it. As for artillery support, Hazard's Rhode Island Battery attempted to give support, but its horses were shot down and its men fled (despite Hazard's report that praised the bravery of his men who stood unflinchingly by their guns) and some volunteers from the infantry had to recover them to prevent their capture.
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