Frederick14Va
Sergeant Major
- Joined
- Oct 14, 2013
- Location
- Virginia
The massive Model 1861 13 inch Siege-Sea Coast Mortar. The gun tube itself weighs over 17,000 pounds and could fire a 13 inch, near 200 pound shell nearly 2.5 miles.
This image reportedly taken in the summer of 1864 near Petersburg Va. The only such artillery piece of this size and type used there. Gen Butler conceived the idea of making use of this beast by mounting it on a specially designed and reinforced railroad car for this purpose. The Federals extended a curved r...ailroad spur line just for it, near their Battery #3. A detachment of Battery-G of the 1st Connecticut Artillery was designated to man it about July 8th 1864. Its primary objective was counter battery fire against a Confederate artillery battery located across the river that was playing havoc upon the Federal lines, referred to as the “Chesterfield Battery”. It was hidden behind a crest of a hill and direct fire on it wasn’t very effective. The mortar firing rather large projectiles at a very high angle proved to be better effective . It earned the nickname of both the “Petersburg Express” as well as its more familiar title of the “Dictator”.
On July 11th while firing its fifth round the railroad car carriage broke. Another car was sent and the damaged rail car was repaired, and firing resumed. After the debacle and failure to break the Confederate lines in the Battle of the Crater on July 30th, orders were received to remove all the heavy artillery and equipment’s out of Petersburg, pending an intended move of the army. The Dictator was hauled off to City Point after only having fired 45 shells out of it up to that time.
The army didn’t move out, and many of the heavy guns returned to the fortifications and trench lines around Petersburg. The Dictator returned back to its previous location about Aug 6th. Now manned by a detachment of Battery-I of the 1st Conn Artillery. Intermittingly engaged and firing an additional 173 rounds before it was taken out of service on Sept 30th, and sent off back to their base of operations at City Point (Hopewell Va) not to be utilized again. The Siege of Petersburg however would carry on for another six months till April 1865.
About 162 of the M1861 13in Mortars were made for both the Army and Navy, only about 27 are known to have survived.
A different angle view below of the same. On July 20th the detachment was ordered to relocate their camp to near the gun, so this image would have been taken after that time. Also of note is the second rail car parked beside the previous one... that is now greatly reinforced, expanded, and cribbed up.
This image reportedly taken in the summer of 1864 near Petersburg Va. The only such artillery piece of this size and type used there. Gen Butler conceived the idea of making use of this beast by mounting it on a specially designed and reinforced railroad car for this purpose. The Federals extended a curved r...ailroad spur line just for it, near their Battery #3. A detachment of Battery-G of the 1st Connecticut Artillery was designated to man it about July 8th 1864. Its primary objective was counter battery fire against a Confederate artillery battery located across the river that was playing havoc upon the Federal lines, referred to as the “Chesterfield Battery”. It was hidden behind a crest of a hill and direct fire on it wasn’t very effective. The mortar firing rather large projectiles at a very high angle proved to be better effective . It earned the nickname of both the “Petersburg Express” as well as its more familiar title of the “Dictator”.
On July 11th while firing its fifth round the railroad car carriage broke. Another car was sent and the damaged rail car was repaired, and firing resumed. After the debacle and failure to break the Confederate lines in the Battle of the Crater on July 30th, orders were received to remove all the heavy artillery and equipment’s out of Petersburg, pending an intended move of the army. The Dictator was hauled off to City Point after only having fired 45 shells out of it up to that time.
The army didn’t move out, and many of the heavy guns returned to the fortifications and trench lines around Petersburg. The Dictator returned back to its previous location about Aug 6th. Now manned by a detachment of Battery-I of the 1st Conn Artillery. Intermittingly engaged and firing an additional 173 rounds before it was taken out of service on Sept 30th, and sent off back to their base of operations at City Point (Hopewell Va) not to be utilized again. The Siege of Petersburg however would carry on for another six months till April 1865.
About 162 of the M1861 13in Mortars were made for both the Army and Navy, only about 27 are known to have survived.
A different angle view below of the same. On July 20th the detachment was ordered to relocate their camp to near the gun, so this image would have been taken after that time. Also of note is the second rail car parked beside the previous one... that is now greatly reinforced, expanded, and cribbed up.