What is a 'cored' shot?

kevikens

2nd Lieutenant
Joined
Jun 7, 2013
Location
New Jersey
I was just reading in Philip Van Doren Stern's 1962 publication, the "Confederate Navy", of the encounter between the USN Monitor Weehawken and the CSS Atlanta. The Atlanta was well respected by the USN and was considered among the best the Confederacy constructed, so much so that when captured she was repaired and put into US service. The Weehawken was armed with two Dahlgrens, one a 15 inch ship smasher. In the 1863 encounter, the Weehawken fired her 15 inch Dahlgren with what is called a 'cored' shot. Now, whatever a cored shot is, it went through the armored casemate and splintered the thick wood backing. The concussion is reported to have knocked 40 of the Atlanta's crew unconscious, wounded 16 others, one fatally, and knocked much of the Atlanta's round shop off her racks to roll around the gun deck. After a few more damaging hits she surrendered.

My question is about the shot or shell the Weehawken was using. What exactly is a 'cored' shot? Did all monitors carry them at all times? Did the wooden sloops and frigates carry some of this shot? Did Confederate iron clads carry them? Shore batteries? I don't recall that any of the USN's shot or shells actually penetrated the CSN 's Tennessee later at Mobile. Was this because none of the Union warships were using this 'cored' shot or was the Tennessee's armor too much even for 'cored' shot? Any help on this kind of shot is greatly appreciated.
 
A "cored shot" is a round shot that has a hollow interior which was supposed to increase velocity of the shot and decrease the strain on the gun allowing a heavier powder charge to be used. Cored shot were designed to be used with Dahlgren Cannon so if you had a Dahlgren then you probably had access to these shot. Since the Atlanta was aground and at an angle preventing her own guns from being used the monitors were able to move in almost to point blank range to deliver their rounds.
 
These rounds were cast with a void filled with sand and the sand was removed creating the core. It was believed that the reduction in weight especially on big naval guns produced more velocity and there for more damage and it also relieved some stress on the big guns. Some of the early one fired at ironclads had the hole plugged with a wooden plug so that the core would not deflect the shell when fired to skip off the water and hit the hull of the ship. It was also believed that the 5 inch solid core wall were indestructible and did more damage to masonry.
 
These rounds were cast with a void filled with sand and the sand was removed creating the core. It was believed that the reduction in weight especially on big naval guns produced more velocity and there for more damage and it also relieved some stress on the big guns. Some of the early one fired at ironclads had the hole plugged with a wooden plug so that the core would not deflect the shell when fired to skip off the water and hit the hull of the ship. It was also believed that the 5 inch solid core wall were indestructible and did more damage to masonry.
One of the ordinance questions from the Civil War that has never been explained is the Dahlgren "Blind Shot"- was it just an extension of the cored shot with the sand left in the cavity or was it something else?
 
One of the ordinance questions from the Civil War that has never been explained is the Dahlgren "Blind Shot"- was it just an extension of the cored shot with the sand left in the cavity or was it something else?

From what I have read on the blind shot, the cavity was filled with the black casting sand and had a copper plug in the nose.
 
Here are some photos from the Civil War EOD manual.

CivilWarExplosiveOrdnance_0042.jpg
CivilWarExplosiveOrdnance_0044.jpg
CivilWarExplosiveOrdnance_0041.jpg
CivilWarExplosiveOrdnance_0043.jpg
 
A "cored shot" is a round shot that has a hollow interior which was supposed to increase velocity of the shot and decrease the strain on the gun allowing a heavier powder charge to be used. Cored shot were designed to be used with Dahlgren Cannon so if you had a Dahlgren then you probably had access to these shot. Since the Atlanta was aground and at an angle preventing her own guns from being used the monitors were able to move in almost to point blank range to deliver their rounds.
I am a bit perplexed by the other postings which seem to show the projectile as something different from a round shot. Are those images of 'cored' shot or something else?
 
I am a bit perplexed by the other postings which seem to show the projectile as something different from a round shot. Are those images of 'cored' shot or something else?
They were also called "Hollow" Shot and they came in rifled rounds also.
 
Back
Top