CS 12 pound side loader

[2ndDEboy]

Found SW of the PA monument Gettysburg for formerly part of the Geiselman collection

 

[Story]

Can you elaborate on the 'side loader' part?

 

[redbob]

Can you elaborate on the 'side loader' part?

Instead of loading the case shot balls through the fuse hole and then putting a tar or sulfur matrix in to hold the balls, they would insert a rod in the fuse hole and put the case shot balls in through a hole in the side of the ball and then the matrix to hold the balls would then be poured in. The side hole would then be sealed with a lead or brass plug. This was a Confederate method and not used by the Union. This photo from the Army of Tennessee's website will illustrate how it was done in more detail.

 

[DixieRifles]

Interesting. Never heard of that but Im no expert on artillery ammunition.

 

[gc45]

So in practical use, how did this ball work after being fired?

 

[alan polk]

So in practical use, how did this ball work after being fired?

A paper fuze would be inserted into the same fuze hole which formally contained the Boreman fuze. It operated the same except you cut the paper fuze to correlate the distance.

 

[Dave D]

A paper fuze would be inserted into the same fuze hole which formally contained the Boreman fuze. It operated the same except you cut the paper fuze to correlate the distance.

Why would they replace the Boreman fuse? How reliable was the paper fuse vs the Borman?

 

[redbob]

A case shot's carcass (the container) was considerably thinner than an explosive shell's which would allow for a greater distribution of both the balls and the carcass. A greater distribution = greater effectiveness. The case shot also contained less powder that it's corresponding explosive shell.

 

[redbob]

Why would they replace the Boreman fuse? How reliable was the paper fuse vs the Borman?

The Confederacy's Bormann's were never very efficient, so they preferred the more reliable paper fuses.

 

[alan polk]

The Confederacy's Bormann's were never very efficient, so they preferred the more reliable paper fuses.

If I'm not mistaken, the Confederate government ordered arsenals to cease production of Bormann-fuzed projectiles in late 1862.

 

[Dave D]

If I'm not mistaken, the Confederate government ordered arsenals to cease production of Bormann-fuzed projectiles in late 1862.

Yes - you are correct! The Confederate made Bormann fuses had a propensity for premature detonation and the use of the Bormann-fused projectiles became more of a hazard to the Confederate infantry (exploding over their heads) than to the enemy targets. Urgent requests were made of the Ordnance Department to substitute common paper fuses for the Bormann fuse. Casualties among Confederate infantry occurring from their own guns at the Battle of Fredericksburg prompted the Ordnance department to authorize the substitution. However, the ammunition already on hand had to be used up and the Bormann-fused shells were still being used in some batteries as late as Gettysburg.

An 1866 report on the Confederate Artillery Service by Longstreet's Cheif of Artillery, Gen. E. P. Alexander, was published in the Southern Historical Society Papers, Vol. 11, Feb-Mar, 1883, pages 98-113. In his report Gen. Alexander disscuses the problems with Bormann fuse on pages 104-105. See https://archive.org/details/sim_sou..._february-march-1883_11_2-3/page/104/mode/1up

Also : https://www.historicalpublicationsl...cle_f7631424-3845-11ed-94c1-9fa6b176d1e3.html

 

[mwalker6043]

They supposedly found another shell when they were building the trail from the V.C. to the Spangler Farm. I heard it had a Tennessee Sabot. The D.O.D. is supposed to have it to try and defuse it.

 

[2ndDEboy]

They supposedly found another shell when they were building the trail from the V.C. to the Spangler Farm. I heard it had a Tennessee Sabot. The D.O.D. is supposed to have it to try and defuse it.

When was this

 

[mwalker6043]

When was this

I heard about it in April.