Numbers for cannons?

major bill

Brev. Brig. Gen'l
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Aug 25, 2012
What are the numbers on the ring? Are they lop degrees?
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What is the brick lined hole for?
 
The numbers should be degrees, yes.

The hole, I have no idea. Unless there is another gun on the level under this one. In that case, it could be a smoke vent.
 
The numbers are the azimuth readings. When these guns were mounted the were test fired and set for azimuth and elevation on a known point. The holes are for passing powder charges up from the powder magazine to the loader.
 
The numbers are the azimuth readings. When these guns were mounted the were test fired and set for azimuth and elevation on a known point. The holes are for passing powder charges up from the powder magazine to the loader.
Most of my brick fort knowledge comes from Fort Pickens, and there the powder was delivered to the top tier by a man running from the powder magazine, up a flight of stairs (without a handrail) and then to the gun.
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I think your right. They are vent holes. Below is the one of the powder magazines and the ramparts I would say were used to haul the shot & shell up to the guns.
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I have read that inside of the USS Monitor's turret the crew had written on the portion of the turret that didn't revolve bow, stern, port and starboard so that they would have a rough idea which way to revolve the turret and aim the guns since they couldn't really see outside of the turret.
 
Can you imagine how much smoke was filling the air when one of these forts was firing at anywhere close to a high rate?
Here are some smoke vents on the bastion. I know all forts were built different.
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The numbers are the azimuth readings. When these guns were mounted the were test fired and set for azimuth and elevation on a known point. The holes are for passing powder charges up from the powder magazine to the loader.


Vistited the Battleship USS Massachusetts last weekend and thy went thru lengths to seperate the "Powder" from the firing deck. One of the saddest chapter I know in history was the HMS Hood being blown apart after 2 or 3 salvos from Bismark.....Got to keep powder protected (By powder I mean any accelaerant). If you dont segregate and protect your excellerant your day can be ruined by one shot. I would think the hole was to supply excellerants
 
I have read that inside of the USS Monitor's turret the crew had written on the portion of the turret that didn't revolve bow, stern, port and starboard so that they would have a rough idea which way to revolve the turret and aim the guns since they couldn't really see outside of the turret.
I have read that inside of the USS Monitor's turret the crew had written on the portion of the turret that didn't revolve bow, stern, port and starboard so that they would have a rough idea which way to revolve the turret and aim the guns since they couldn't really see outside of the turret.
The whole thing revolved so that wouldn't help.
 
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