Trivia #12 Aim (8/12/2014)

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Aim would be directly at the target.

Edit - Sorry, firefly177, your answer is not correct. Welcome to CivilWarTalk and to the trivia game, anyway.

Hope you'll come back and play again.

Hoosier
 
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From the book Technology and the Civil War "Canister shot usually was fired into a group of soldiers. ... During Civil War, some artillery commanders aimed at the ground ..." "During the Civil War, some artillery commanders used a technique in which cannons were aimed at the ground in front of advancing enemy troops. The exploded canisters struck the ground, and balls ricocheted off the ground, expanding the target area. Union artillery effectively used this technique at the Battle of Gettysburg against the Confederate troops who were attempting to take Seminary Ridge."
http://books.google.com/books?id=wk0AFSPu1OoC&pg=PA46&lpg=PA46&dq=civil war cannon aimed canister at enemy troops&source=bl&ots=NtQrsXP4Tv&sig=08a8vixv6CEEeRHm8G51QDqjfdM&hl=en&sa=X&ei=GpTsU6LEEo72yQSRjIDgCw&ved=0CB8Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=civil war cannon aimed canister at enemy troops&f=false

"Canister shot usually was fired into a group of soldiers." "During the Civil War, some artillery commanders used a technique in which cannons were aimed at the ground in front of advancing enemy troops. The exploded canisters struck the ground, and balls ricocheted off the ground, expanding the target area. Union artillery effectively used this technique at the Battle of Gettysburg against the Confederate troops who were attempting to take Seminary Ridge." http://weaponsandwarfare.com/?p=34946

I'm finding "into" and "in front of" with equal reference. But since "into" is always prefaced in the articles with usually, I take that to mean it was the norm to fire directly at the troops.
Directly at
 
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Usually, below the troop formation.

"During the Civil War, some artillery commanders used a technique in which cannons were aimed at the ground in front of advancing enemy troops. The exploded canisters struck the ground, and balls ricocheted off the ground, expanding the target area. Union artillery effectively used this technique at the Battle of Gettysburg"

"Good results can be obtained at from 300 to 600 yards, but the maximum effect is produced at from 300 to 450 yards. When firing at very short distances over hard, dry ground, a suitable dispersion of the balls may be produced by firing very low, and allowing the balls to ricochet."

-ARTILLERIST'S MANUAL
 
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