Question On the Spiking of guns

Joined
Aug 11, 2011
Location
huntington beach, ca
HI all,
I was trying to find information on the spiking of guns. How exactly was it done? Was it permanent or could the touch hole be drilled out? What were the conditions where you would spike your guns rather than continuing to fire canister say? Was there an actual spike that a member of the gun crew carried in preparation of this? If you will excuse my ignorance on this I would be much abliged.
Repectfully,
Napoleon 12 pounder
 
As far as I know, it was pretty literally driving a spike into the touchhole. It was not permanent, but it was something that took some time and effort to extract, so it would prevent the cannons' immediate re-use (as in "Turn the cannons! Turn the cannons!" :wink: ). As for exactly what was used, I'd imagine it was usually part of the gun's equipment and usually served some other purpose... someone with more practical artillery experience may be able to speak to that point.
 
Others can answer more than I, but my understanding is that the original answer is essentially correct.

Among the miscellaniouis equipment for each gun was an iron spike and a hammer (I've seen pictures on the net), any crew member could drive the spike into the touch-hole if necessary. Assuming the artillarist had enough time to completely drive the spike home, the gun was unusable until the touch-hole could be re-drilled - presumably at a foundary where cannon were manufactured, or at a well-stocked rearward machining area where the operaters had experience at this sort of thing. In addition to re-drilling the touch-hole, the barrell itself probably had to be de-burred at the inner touch-hole area to remove any iron splinters protruding into the barrell (a hot splinter at the touch-hole could rip open a powder bag and set it off, just as the cannoneers are ramming their load home).
 
Gunners on shore might have carried spikes for the purpose, but I imagine any heavy iron nail or similar would do. Pound it in as far as it will go, knock off the head, and peen down the stump. It ain't coming out, and the vent will have to be bored again. It would be a last resort if the battery were about to be overrun, because once spiked, they're effectively inoperable by anyone for the duration of the engagement, and probably a good while thereafter.

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The standard method was to drive an iron spike with a soft tip into the vent, then run the rammer down the tube hard to bend the tip of the spike so that it couldn't be easily removed. Rat-tail files could also be used or whatever was handy.

There were various ways of clearing a spike. It was more straightforward in iron guns because the vent would be bouched with copper, and therefore could be drilled out. Another way was to drill a new vent. Quickmatch, powder and wadding could be used to blow the obstruction out.

Many ways were used to temporarily or semi-permanently disable, such as carrying off all the friction primers, carrying off implements, destroying/removing fuses, removing/damaging parts of the elevation mechanism, removing trunnion caps, etc., taking an axe to the carriage, burning the carriage, knocking spokes out of the wheels, wedging a round in the bore, loading a round in the bore without powder, knocking off the trunnions with a sledge, etc.

It would be prudent to spike when the position was going to be overrun even with the use of canister AND the pieces couldn't be limbered up and taken off.

Note: Much of this is a compilation of material in Philip Cole's, Civil War Artillery at Gettysburg, a very useful reference.
 
I see good cause for the practice. If you have to let the guns fall into enemy hands, better they can't use them against you, at least in that engagement. I figured they could be fixed, but untill I read this post I didn't know how they were fixed and in what time frame. Good information.
 
The hard steel was the best choice for spiking. The battery blacksmith was not equipped to drill hout hardened steel, like the tail of a rat-tail file.
 
Gunners on shore might have carried spikes for the purpose, but I imagine any heavy iron nail or similar would do. Pound it in as far as it will go, knock off the head, and peen down the stump. It ain't coming out, and the vent will have to be bored again. It would be a last resort if the battery were about to be overrun, because once spiked, they're effectively inoperable by anyone for the duration of the engagement, and probably a good while thereafter.
Pretty on the money. Knocking off the head of spike/nail was crucial as it could be easily pulled out with snips otherwise. Destroying the spokes of the carriag and carrying off ramrod, etc was quick and prevented immediate use by the enemy
 
The method for unspiking a gun was all but impossible in the field, one method was to file a notch on either side of the touch hole and a special tool was inserted that could grab the edge of the file, nail etc and pull it out. Rock Island Arsenal has one of these tools, looks somewhat like a set of long handled needle nose pliers. As was explained to me it is a process that takes half a day or more.
 
The method for unspiking a gun was all but impossible in the field, one method was to file a notch on either side of the touch hole and a special tool was inserted that could grab the edge of the file, nail etc and pull it out. Rock Island Arsenal has one of these tools, looks somewhat like a set of long handled needle nose pliers. As was explained to me it is a process that takes half a day or more.
Afterwards they insert a plug to reline the touch hole. Very much a rear echelon task. The AoP had an Ordnance detachment in the field that could do everything to remounting to unplugging guns
 
Breech loaders could be disabled by removing critical parts of the breech assembly. In the case of the Whitworth in the "flying battery" used at Fort Fisher, the handle was removed...although the battery capt. claimed he had discarded the breech block in the sand. If he did as he claimed, the block itself was apparently recovered since the trophy still has the block, but not the handle.
 
As you may note from my avatar, I am a former gunner, having served in South East Asia with an Aussie 105mm arty battery. We were taught the history (mostly Brit' obviously) of the use of artillery and the method of spiking was touched on. The posts above about actually 'spiking' through the touch hole was the historic method but in modern times, with breech-loading weapons it became a little simpler; either removing the breech-block or pieces of this, or the gun sights etc. We were briefly taught that if our guns had to be destroyed, rather than temporarily spiked, the gun was to be loaded as norm but then another projectile, minus the shell casing, was to be inserted in the barrel, fuse-cap facing in. Not sure how far it would have gone down into the rifling! The firing mechanism (which for some reason in Aussie artillery was called 'the tit') then would have a long length of rope attached, the gun crew would withdraw a safe distance and the howitzer discharged, presumably making a mess of the barrel! Never had to do it so not sure how it would have gone.

As an aside, I know of an interesting 'shoot-out' in Vietnam in May 1968 between Aussie gunners and North Vietnames and VC troops during the Battle of Fire Support Base Coral. During the assaults by battalion-sized enemy forces, one of the Aussie 105mm's was over-run and briefly captured by the enemy troops. While they were turning the 105 onto the nearest Aussie gun position and figuring out how the 105 worked, the adjoining Aussie gun crew and an infantry anti-tank platoon equipped with recoilless rifles opened up at point blank range with splintex rounds. These were a type of flechette round and threw out thousands of small darts. This cleared the position and the gun was retaken without needing to be spiked. One of my arty mates, 19 year old Chris Sawtell, was KIA during the battle.
 
Sorry about your comrade and thanks for sharing. Losing young men just as they fledge is hard to reconcile.

You provided an excellent demonstration of the lure of the guns--like a moth to the flame. (Flechettes are of the same principle as ACW canister.) I've been meaning to post some information on 150 year old ACW battles in Missouri that reflect the same centralization around the guns. In these small battles typically only a section was available and were driven forward on dirt paths in close combat. Since the opposing rebels could not counter with artillery of their own and could not stand the close range canister for long, they rushed the pieces, briefly taking them. In doing so they became just as exposed as the former owners and soon were repulsed. The gunners would resume their fire...sometimes to be dislodged again.

At Lone Jack this happened twice, the gunners could not withdraw the pieces when they finally made an orderly retreat with the main body after the 2nd recovery, since the draught horses had all been killed in their traces. They rolled the pieces away by hand for a distance, damaged the carriages and attempted to hide them, but the rebels easily found them, were determined to take the captured pieces south, and did so. An additional factor working against the gunners at Lone Jack is that from what I know of ACW ammunition chest ammo types and number of rounds per chest, they really only needed canister for this fight, but would have run out of it very early since this was almost exclusively very close range. Indeed, later in the battle they are using solid shot against buildings (most likely out of canister, much too close for case or shell to detonate.)
 
A few thoughts on what was said:

Wheels on a No. 1 cannon carriage during the ACW were identical and interchangeable with the wheels on caissons, limbers, battery wagons, and traveling forges. The caissons each carried a spare wheel, and the battery wagon had a complete set of parts to construct a complete No. 1 carriage and also carried two partly assembled wheels. The battery wagon also carried the tools to cut down trees and construct a cannon carriage from raw materials. A cannon wheel that was damaged would have been easily and quickly replaced. I also don't see myself as strong enough to break a spoke even with a large sledge hammer. Also any large tools that could be used to potentially break a spoke would be, by regulation, back in the battery wagon to the rear away from the cannons.

Files used to spike a cannon? Did artillerymen carry files and a hammer? To my humble understanding the blacksmiths carried the files and hammers and again they were to the rear away from the cannons.

That said, the quickest and simplest way to temporarily spike a ACW cannon, as can be attested by reenactors who have accidentally spiked their own cannons, is to leave the vent pick in the vent hole and run the ram rod down the bore. The vent pick can be removed by the blacksmiths after the battle, but temporarily inoperable till then.

I would like to see period references on how cannons were spiked and/or put out of commission to ensure that we are not just repeating reenactorisms.
 
In the 1950s we had exactly the same drills for disabling a 105mm and outlined above, except that we had one more step. We carried thermite grenades to disable the rubber tires (tyres to folks in OZ), To the PLA, capturing tires was a bigger prize than the gun.
 
A few thoughts on what was said:

Wheels on a No. 1 cannon carriage during the ACW were identical and interchangeable with the wheels on caissons, limbers, battery wagons, and traveling forges. The caissons each carried a spare wheel, and the battery wagon had a complete set of parts to construct a complete No. 1 carriage and also carried two partly assembled wheels. The battery wagon also carried the tools to cut down trees and construct a cannon carriage from raw materials. A cannon wheel that was damaged would have been easily and quickly replaced. I also don't see myself as strong enough to break a spoke even with a large sledge hammer. Also any large tools that could be used to potentially break a spoke would be, by regulation, back in the battery wagon to the rear away from the cannons.

Files used to spike a cannon? Did artillerymen carry files and a hammer? To my humble understanding the blacksmiths carried the files and hammers and again they were to the rear away from the cannons.

That said, the quickest and simplest way to temporarily spike a ACW cannon, as can be attested by reenactors who have accidentally spiked their own cannons, is to leave the vent pick in the vent hole and run the ram rod down the bore. The vent pick can be removed by the blacksmiths after the battle, but temporarily inoperable till then.

I would like to see period references on how cannons were spiked and/or put out of commission to ensure that we are not just repeating reenactorisms.

I know that there are a couple examples of guns being spiked at Shiloh but I'll have to look it up for the specifics.

R
 
A few thoughts on what was said:

Wheels on a No. 1 cannon carriage during the ACW were identical and interchangeable with the wheels on caissons, limbers, battery wagons, and traveling forges. The caissons each carried a spare wheel, and the battery wagon had a complete set of parts to construct a complete No. 1 carriage and also carried two partly assembled wheels. The battery wagon also carried the tools to cut down trees and construct a cannon carriage from raw materials. A cannon wheel that was damaged would have been easily and quickly replaced. I also don't see myself as strong enough to break a spoke even with a large sledge hammer. Also any large tools that could be used to potentially break a spoke would be, by regulation, back in the battery wagon to the rear away from the cannons.

Files used to spike a cannon? Did artillerymen carry files and a hammer? To my humble understanding the blacksmiths carried the files and hammers and again they were to the rear away from the cannons.

That said, the quickest and simplest way to temporarily spike a ACW cannon, as can be attested by reenactors who have accidentally spiked their own cannons, is to leave the vent pick in the vent hole and run the ram rod down the bore. The vent pick can be removed by the blacksmiths after the battle, but temporarily inoperable till then.

I would like to see period references on how cannons were spiked and/or put out of commission to ensure that we are not just repeating reenactorisms.

I've seen one of the US guns that was spiked at Atlanta, it has the file marks alongside the touch hole as described. Saw the tool for unspiking a muzzle loading gun at Rock Island Arsenal. No I didn't take pics. A simple triagular or round rasp file of small size was common equippage and would be easy to have ready if someone felt the need.

Big guns would have their carriages sawn or hacked up w/ an ax to prevent their safe discharge. Field guns... I only know of a couple instances where guns were actually spiked. A US battery at the Battle of Atlanta, a CS battery at Missionary Ridge which had at least one gun disabled by running a file down the touch hole and the prolong was used to break the top off and a rammer tossed down the barrel w/ the prolong used as a hammer to bend the other end of the file. Where the files came from I have no idea. The third was the 1st MN Lt Arty at Shiloh where the order was given to be ready to spike the guns but they were able to withdraw & never actually spiked the guns. There are likely others but those are ones I recall off the top of my head.
 
A cannon wheel that was damaged would have been easily and quickly replaced. I also don't see myself as strong enough to break a spoke even with a large sledge hammer. Also any large tools that could be used to potentially break a spoke would be, by regulation, back in the battery wagon to the rear away from the cannons.

Infantry aren't going to easily and quickly replace a wheel during combat, and most importantly not before you can be well out of easy range. That's the point of temporarily damaging something like this, to make it unfit for quick use by the enemy. Men moving past are going to see that some measure has been taken to disable the piece and are unlikely to invest the time to put it back in order. Afterall, if they can see one problem immediately, there might very well be others.

There is a felling axe (and a pick axe, shovel, etc) mounted on the caisson by regulation, no need to find the battery wagon. I don't think it would take long to knock out some spokes with an axe. I do have some experience with axes...seems like I'm the only one who remembers to bring such tools on clean up projects.

Files used to spike a cannon? Did artillerymen carry files and a hammer? To my humble understanding the blacksmiths carried the files and hammers and again they were to the rear away from the cannons.

Apparently at least the Confederates did, Beauregard and Bragg each gave this instruction in March of '62: "Each fort and light battery must be provided forthwith with an ample supply of rat-tail files. General Polk will please issue necessary orders to that effect." This same instruction shows up in other theaters as well.

There is an example of this being done earlier in the New Madrid/Island No. 10 campaign where rat-tail files were sent up from CS gunboats. And the Union report confirms this: "Battery No. 1, which, under command of Captain Rucker, did such excellent service during the engagement on the 17th instant, will only be fully serviceable again after the water will have fallen. Its guns, spiked by the enemy, are being unspiked. The rat-tail files have been removed out of two of the vents."

I found this in an O.R. account of Union gunboats landing men and a piece unsuccessfully trying to take a shore battery at Corpus Christi: "They left in the retreat their ammunition-box, hatchet, rat-tail files, (intended, I presume, to spike our guns); a hat and rifle-cartridges were scattered along the road. "

That said, the quickest and simplest way to temporarily spike a ACW cannon, as can be attested by reenactors who have accidentally spiked their own cannons, is to leave the vent pick in the vent hole and run the ram rod down the bore. The vent pick can be removed by the blacksmiths after the battle, but temporarily inoperable till then.

That would seem a reasonable quick measure, although with it being smaller diameter than the vent and being wire, removal wouldn't be as challenging.
 
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