Beach Artillery Battery ?

[DixieRifles]

Since nothing is on my cable T$V, I turned it to movie "Glory". Having seen it dozens of times, I thought I would look clisely at details. Not for bloopers but just how Hollywood fought.

Just before the final charge of the 54th, there is a scene of an artillery battery lined up along the beach. See photo.


That raised a simple question.
Q: Can CW artillery fire on a sandy beach?
These Hollywood guns have no recoil so I would imagine the guns would dig into the sand real fast.
Now im aware that artillery were used on coastal beaches. BUT most of them were places on wooden platforms or brick forts.

 

[DixieRifles]

In a scene a few minutes earlier, there was this scene.

Again the cannon is perched on top of sandy knoll. A little precarious but that is not the issue.

Q: Would an artillery fire over the heads of friendly troops marching so dead-gum close to the guns??

Of course, in times of heated battle you do what you have to do. But this was preparations befire the battle. I would think this would be a court martialing offense.

 

[JOHN42768]

I would imagine, as long as the troops had a heads up (pun intended) and solid shot it wouldn't have been any different then incoming overhead. Always a chance of a stray, but in the middle of a battle, I doubt they would have complained having backup.

 

[Story]

View attachment 136297

Q: Would an artillery fire over the heads of friendly troops marching so dead-gum close to the guns??

It's a movie. Distances and perspectives are skewed to create good scenes, per the Director's vision. Reality takes a back seat, so suspend your disbelief and enjoy the tale being told.

 

[DixieRifles]

Im bored so that is my entertainment.

Granted the placement of the cannon in movies resembles mothing like I see in petiod sketches.
IMHO firing a cannon on that perch would be disastrous considering the recoil.
Im also wonder if there would be a chance that a burning ember from powder bag could burn a hole in a wool tunic.

Regarding the beach, I could see them getting 1 or 2 shots off before the carriage trail is buried in the sand. Imagine hauling what appears to be 2 batteries with cannon and limbers diwn on the beach.

 

[Youngblood]

They would still roll in sand right?

I dont see them getting burried straight down but the sand might slow the roll and lessen the recoil distance.

 

[John Winn]

OK, I'll play.

Cannon certainly could fire on a beach but I do think they'd dig themselves in after not too many rounds. Advice of the day on battery placement often mentioned trying to avoid soft ground. Also, if the sand slowed the recoil that could lead to the breaking of wheels I'd think. And then what if you realize the tide is coming in ?

As to shooting from atop a knoll over the heads of friendly troops, both would have been frowned upon. Cannon, if on a slope, were placed down slope a ways because you always wanted to be able to defend your position - i.e. fire the guns at troops coming at you - and if on top of a ridge or knoll the tube can't be lowered enough for that. Looking at the image it would have been hard to get the guns in place or to limber them back up or serve ammunition in that position.

Solid shot could have been fired over the heads of the troops but I don't see solid shot as being the choice for attacking a beach fort. They'd have wanted case or at least shells - fired from howitzers - and those would have been risky. However, Union fuses were much more reliable than Confederate so for them it was less of a risk. Still, not general practice.