Rate of Fire

[SeanMichaelChick]

Hello all,

I am trying to ascertain the overall rate of fire for Civil War artillery of the kind used at Shiloh as it may solve the identity of a mystery battery that played an important role in the fighting at Woolf Field in the early afternoon of April 7. It could be Guenther's section of Battery H 5th US Artillery (Terrill), Battery I 1st Illinois Light Artillery (Bouton), or 6th Indiana Battery (Behr). The timing of Bouton's arrival to support William Gibson's brigade is debated. Bouton had two cannon on April 7 and fired sixty rounds before having to fall back. Knowing the average rate of fire could help decide which battery was there.

I do not know if this would change anything on rate of fire but here is how each was armed.

6th Indiana Light Artillery (4 x 6-pounder smoothbores 2 x 12-pounder howitzers)
Battery H 5th US Artillery (4 12 lb Nap, 2 10 lb Parrott R)
Battery I 1st Illinois Light Artillery (4 6 lb James R)

My guess is Guenther had Napoleons given the kind of work he did and that the rest of the battery was doing longer range work at Sarah Bell Field. 6th Indiana would likely be a smoothbore but there is no way to know for sure. They had only one cannon on April 7.

 

[lelliott19]

Hi @SeanMichaelChick I LOVE stuff like this! Thanks for sharing it!

Unfortunately, I have no idea nor any helpful information. But I can page some people who might know the data you are asking for re: rate of fire based on the type cannon a battery had. Paging @redbob @Belfoured @Package4 @Tom Elmore @rpkennedy @pmuskett @UCVRelics @Ole Miss -- there are probably others but I'm kind of pressed for time and these came to mind quickly

 

[Tom Elmore]

I'm sure there are a few artillery experts who could provide a more definitive response.

I understand an Ordnance Rifle could fire off two aimed shots in a little more than a minute - say one every 32 seconds, presumably maximum fire over a short time period.

During the grand cannonade at Gettysburg on July 3, one 10-pounder Parrott expended 100 rounds in about 90 minutes, or one round every 54 seconds in a sustained and methodical bombardment during an extended period, but not while under direct attack by infantry.

Of course, a 10-pounder Napoleon could be rapidly double-loaded with canister to repel an attack at close-range, or even triple-loaded although that might overturn the piece.

 

[Package4]

Hi @SeanMichaelChick I LOVE stuff like this! Thanks for sharing it!

Unfortunately, I have no idea nor any helpful information. But I can page some people who might know the data you are asking for re: rate of fire based on the type cannon a battery had. Paging @redbob @Belfoured @Package4 @Tom Elmore @rpkennedy @pmuskett @UCVRelics @Ole Miss -- there are probably others but I'm kind of pressed for time and these came to mind quickly

3-4 rounds a minute, but the 6 pounder would be a little higher rate

 

[Package4]

3-4 rounds a minute, but the 6 pounder would be a little higher rate

Tom is correct with the rifled gun as it requires a charge then a shell, double the effort. The smooth bores were one ram as the powder was affixed/strapped to the round/shell, so they could almost double the rate.

There are tables somewhere on this site as I recall for various pieces of ordnance, but one needs to understand this is all subjective based upon what is being fired and if aim is critical.

 

[rpkennedy]

It depends on how desperate the situation was. An efficient crew could fire about every 30 seconds. In desperate situations, they could cut that down to 15-20 seconds (having the next shot at the gun and ready to go, etc.) and I've seen accounts of a 6-gun battery firing about 15 times a minute. That would have been well out of the ordinary however. Figure a more steady, sustained fire would be about once a minute.

Ryan

 

[Doc_Ralph]

I'm sure there are a few artillery experts who could provide a more definitive response.

I understand an Ordnance Rifle could fire off two aimed shots in a little more than a minute - say one every 32 seconds, presumably maximum fire over a short time period.

During the grand cannonade at Gettysburg on July 3, one 10-pounder Parrott expended 100 rounds in about 90 minutes, or one round every 54 seconds in a sustained and methodical bombardment during an extended period, but not while under direct attack by infantry.

Of course, a 10-pounder Napoleon could be rapidly double-loaded with canister to repel an attack at close-range, or even triple-loaded although that might overturn the piece.

IMHO That sounds about right for "hot fire" if the worm was not employed and other steps were sidestepped. For our mountain howitzer we were more conservative but smaller piece could also get off two rounds a minute IMHO

 

[Doc_Ralph]

IMHO That sounds about right for "hot fire" if the worm was not employed and other steps were sidestepped. For our mountain howitzer we were more conservative but smaller piece could also get off two rounds a minute IMHO

Our Napoleon too. But we weren't going to do any "authentic" impression or deviation from best practices and possibly get someone killed or maimed. IMHO However in a combat situation "hot fire" like that was more the norm.

If the worm is skipped surely a wet sponge should be run down the tube to stop anything glowing that could interact with powder and then a projectile being rammed home.

I believe CSA Pelham at First Fredburg gave a good accounting of himself by peppering USA positions. General Lee took note I believed called him "Gallant Pelham" Forced to withdraw from the fray.

 

[Rhea Cole]

This battery of eight guns is firing by piece from the left. The fire is being controlled by an officer (Upper left hand corner) was mounted or standing at a height where he can monitor the fall of shot. He also carefully controlled the rate of fire.

Each gun had four ammunition boxes loaded with (+/-) fifty rounds: Shell, spherical case (shrapnel), canister & solid shot. Needless to say, the kind of rapid fire you see at reenactments would have emptied the chests in a mater of a few minutes leaving the battery toothless.

Properly controlled artillery fire could be absolutely murderous.

Confederate infantry caught in the corner of a field at Stoned River show the after effect of artillery fire.

That cannot happen unless the gunner, by keen eye & experience, can't accurately lay the gun. After each shot the gun rolls back from recoil & the gun crew rolls it back up into line. The gunner, with the help of #3 at the trail using a hand spike to traverse, lays the gun every time.

At the moment of ignition, you can see the friction primer jetting upward & the lanyard snaking in recoil. The far tree line is (+/-) 800 yards away. That is where confederate infantry stepped out & was mown down. General Raines only made it a few steps.

From this position the Chicago Board of Trade Aimes Model one 14 pound rifles fired almost 1,500 rounds on December 31, 1862. Parson's Regular Battery fired almost 2,000 rounds. It was the proximity of the artillery reserve that allowed that many reloads to occur. That required very careful, professional management of both the battery & the reserve.

The artillerist's manual : Gibbon, John, 1827-1896, comp : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Appendix and Index (p. [501]-568) numbered as p. [1]-67, 568

archive.org

General Gibbon's Artillerists manual contains very practical information about types of ammunition & rates of fire. This is my favorite reference because it is a very nuts & bolts how to oriented volume. Gibbon states that guns should never fire at a rate of less than one minute between rounds.

If you are going to hit your target care had to be taken to adjust the fall of shot. The gunners had to have enough time to respond to his order & lay the guns.

The (+/-) 125 horses, (+/-) 100 men & on & on & on was a major management challenge. Maintaining the proper rate of fire was one of many.

 

[drezac]

IMHO That sounds about right for "hot fire" if the worm was not employed and other steps were sidestepped. For our mountain howitzer we were more conservative but smaller piece could also get off two rounds a minute IMHO

During the war, the worm was not typically used. It was not a part of the drill and would typically remain in it's travel position on the carriage. The worm was only used to extract an un-fired round ( the regulations specifically state not to limber up a loaded gun), or if they thought there was something in the bore. Worming for each shot is a modern addition to the drill since our rounds are in foil instead of bags.

 

[Story]

If I had math problems like this when I was in grade school, I'd have been a more attentive student.

 

[Rhea Cole]

During the war, the worm was not typically used. It was not a part of the drill and would typically remain in it's travel position on the carriage. The worm was only used to extract an un-fired round ( the regulations specifically state not to limber up a loaded gun), or if they thought there was something in the bore. Worming for each shot is a modern addition to the drill since our rounds are in foil instead of bags.

Indeed, there are several movements added to the drill used by reenactors today. Most notably the often exaggerated hand on ear lean over sideways position when firing. It is a relic of the days before foam ear plugs.

This photograph floated of a six gun battery illustrates the individual stages of loading a Civil War cannon. The drill was a choreographed set of movements that was distilled down to the barest minimum by 600 years of practice.

The Chicago Mercantile Battery displays the drill positions from the front. When spaced out in a tactical position, a battery had a footprint (+/-) the dimensions of a football field.

Today the National Park Service drill is almost identical to the late Civil War drill. With practice it was found that a damp sponge was far more effective than a wet one at extinguishing smoldering debris in the bore, for example.

As you can see in this extraordinary image of the moment of ignition, only light has left the muzzle, the friction primer is visible. It is a tiny rocket the size of a .22 long rifle cartridge…

… followed by a jet of explosive gas. In the original drill, left over from loose powder & linstock days, #3 placed their hand over the friction primer as #4 stepped out to stretch the lanyard ready to fire. In the NPS drill, # 3's hand is on the lanyard, never over the primer.

The first priority is to keep everyone safe.

I know that it is counterintuitive, but in battery it is not necessarily obvious that the cannon has fired or not. Unlike in the reenactment drill where #1 & #2 often assume exaggerated bent over backward positions, the duty of crewmen at the muzzle is to watch to see if the gun has gone off.

I can personally attest that when you are in the midst of a battery with guns going off around you it isn't necessarily obvious if your gun has fired.

Note: As a member of the Stones River living history gun crew I have participated in thousands of cannon firing programs & training secessions. There is no such thing as drilling too much. Precise muscle memory movements & alert attention is what keeps everyone safe.

Hope you find the photo essay of the Stones River & other NPS crews helpful.

For a detailed description of the drill, I recommend General Gibbon's Manuel;

Link:

http://1stncbattalion.org/images/pdf/GIBBON%20Artillery%20Manual.pdf

 

[Doc_Ralph]

During the war, the worm was not typically used. It was not a part of the drill and would typically remain in its travel position on the carriage. The worm was only used to extract an un-fired round ( the regulations specifically state not to limber up a loaded gun), or if they thought there was something in the bore. Worming for each shot is a modern addition to the drill since our rounds are in foil instead of bags.

During the war, the worm was not typically used. It was not a part of the drill and would typically remain in it's travel position on the carriage. The worm was only used to extract an un-fired round ( the regulations specifically state not to limber up a loaded gun), or if they thought there was something in the bore. Worming for each shot is a modern addition to the drill since our rounds are in foil instead of bags.

Yes that is correct and I am trying to think how much time it would save. It would take me perhaps 10 to 15 seconds for that procedure.

 

[Doc_Ralph]

Indeed, there are several movements added to the drill used by reenactors today. Most notably the often exaggerated hand on ear lean over sideways position when firing. It is a relic of the days before foam ear plugs.

View attachment 521021
This photograph floated of a six gun battery illustrates the individual stages of loading a Civil War cannon. The drill was a choreographed set of movements that was distilled down to the barest minimum by 600 years of practice.

View attachment 521022
The Chicago Mercantile Battery displays the drill positions from the front. When spaced out in a tactical position, a battery had a footprint (+/-) the dimensions of a football field.

View attachment 521024
Today the National Park Service drill is almost identical to the late Civil War drill. With practice it was found that a damp sponge was far more effective than a wet one at extinguishing smoldering debris in the bore, for example.

View attachment 521025
As you can see in this extraordinary image of the moment of ignition, only light has left the muzzle, the friction primer is visible. It is a tiny rocket the size of a .22 long rifle cartridge…

View attachment 521027
… followed by a jet of explosive gas. In the original drill, left over from loose powder & linstock days, #3 placed their hand over the friction primer as #4 stepped out to stretch the lanyard ready to fire. In the NPS drill, # 3's hand is on the lanyard, never over the primer.

View attachment 521028
The first priority is to keep everyone safe.

View attachment 521030
I know that it is counterintuitive, but in battery it is not necessarily obvious that the cannon has fired or not. Unlike in the reenactment drill where #1 & #2 often assume exaggerated bent over backward positions, the duty of crewmen at the muzzle is to watch to see if the gun has gone off.

View attachment 521031
I can personally attest that when you are in the midst of a battery with guns going off around you it isn't necessarily obvious if your gun has fired.

Note: As a member of the Stones River living history gun crew I have participated in thousands of cannon firing programs & training secessions. There is no such thing as drilling too much. Precise muscle memory movements & alert attention is what keeps everyone safe.

Hope you find the photo essay of the Stones River & other NPS crews helpful.

For a detailed description of the drill, I recommend General Gibbon's Manuel;

Link:

http://1stncbattalion.org/images/pdf/GIBBON%20Artillery%20Manual.pdf

Thank you Sir for this excellent post. We at the front of the piece also watched to see if the coast was clear to shoot. Things happen during "battles" and infantry or horses will drift into our area and linger longer.

As the number 4 which I love I could tell when we kaboomed. I never had the opportunity in my four years on a piece for a misfire but you are so correct - you can't drill enough.

I will miss artillery as I go into reserve status after Cedar Creek but hope to be able to hobble down to watch with my cup of coffee.

Thanks to all for this discussion. There are other things I have heard about the vent that strike terror into my heart.

 

[1st Section]

As someone else mentioned, how fast you could fire isn't always going to be the same as how fast you should fire. I'm not sure how you'd accurately determine a specific unit's rate of fire other than by dividing the number of rounds reported expended by the time they were known to have been engaged. Even that number would just be an average and not necessarily show how quickly or slowly they were firing at various times.

Here is what Henry Hunt had to say about rates of fire -


In small skirmishes between 300 and 400 rounds per battery are expended; the fire, according to the reports, frequently averaging, and sometimes exceeding, one round per minute for each gun. In general engagements batteries have been known to expend all the ammunition in their chests in a little over an hour and a half. An officer who expends ammunition in this manner proves his ignorance of the proper use of his arm, and a want of capacity for the command of a battery. He also incurs a heavy responsibility by throwing a whole battery out of use, and should be held to answer for the consequences. There has been an improvement in this respect, but there is still too great a consumption of ammunition. It is not so much the loss of the ammunition that should be considered - limited as is the amount which an army can transport - as the loss of effect from too distant and too rapid firing. In no case, except when firing canister at short ranges, should the rate exceed one round from each gun in two minutes; and that rate should only be reached at critical moments, when the distance, numbers, and formation of the enemy are such that the fire is sure to be effective. At all other times one round in four to six minutes is as rapid firing as should be permitted. The value of the rifled cannon consists principally in its accuracy. Accuracy requires careful pointing, with close observation of the effect, and these require time. Twelve shots in an hour at an object over 1,000 yards distant, the time being spent in careful loading and pointing, will produce better results than fifty shots will ordinarily produce from the same gun in the same time. If a heavy artillery fire is required it should be obtained, not by rapid firing, but by bringing a large number of guns into action, and firing each with the greatest accuracy attainable.

By command of Brigadier-General Hunt
Arty. Hdqrs., Army of the Potomac,
January 15, 1864.

 

[13 IL Cav & 64 GA Inf]

Hi @SeanMichaelChick I LOVE stuff like this! Thanks for sharing it!

Unfortunately, I have no idea nor any helpful information. But I can page some people who might know the data you are asking for re: rate of fire based on the type cannon a battery had. Paging @redbob @Belfoured @Package4 @Tom Elmore @rpkennedy @pmuskett @UCVRelics @Ole Miss -- there are probably others but I'm kind of pressed for time and these came to mind quickly

Yes, RedBob is very knowledgeable about artillery.

 

[Rhea Cole]

There was a man with the Eli Lilly horse drawn gun who was a stickler for authenticity. He was supremely fortunate when the friction primer went through the fleshy web of his hand, missing the bones & tendons. The scar from the vent jet resembled an elaborate Māori tattoo.

 

[Rhea Cole]

In answer from. PM, here is a quick clarification.

Every canon was hauled by a limber, think semi trailer truck. It was paired with a caisson that was also pulled by a limber.

The limbers & caisson carried a total of four ammunition chests. Limbers were drawn by six Union & four CSA horses.

Ammunition chests were carefully packed at the arsenal. The number, (+/-) fifty rounds, was divided between sold shot, case, spherical case & canister rounds. A packet of fuzes & 1.5 times the number of U.S. friction primers or 5 each for CSA ammunition.

For smooth bores, a fixed ammunition that was made up with a round, wooden shoe called a sabot with metal straps connected to the powder charge. Rifle rounds were not fixed. The powder charge was rammed first & the round followed. The difference in time between loading a smoothbore was insignificant.

A section of two guns & limbers was the tactical unit. When going into battery one limber would serve the two guns in the section. The second caisson was nearby, but under cover. When the chests emptied, the caissons switched places. The first one would return to the artillery reserve. There the chests would be replaced.

The chests were designed to unlatch & relatch with ease. A well drilled crew could slide off the empties & slide back on full chests with remarkable ease.

That dose-doe back & forth between the battery & reserve was how Parson's battery fired almost 2,000 rounds in (+/-) 10 hours.

Hope this clarifies things.

 

[Doc_Ralph]

There was a man with the Eli Lilly horse drawn gun who was a stickler for authenticity. He was supremely fortunate when the friction primer went through the fleshy web of his hand, missing the bones & tendons. The scar from the vent jet resembled an elaborate Māori tattoo.

I can't like this comment but OUCH!
I think my fear was waiting until the last instant before removing one's thumbstalled thumb from the vent. No sir i will not do that. You have to be a bit of a daredevil to do this branch anyway. Why do you think you have to be certified to do it?

 

[Rhea Cole]

I can't like this comment but OUCH!
I think my fear was waiting until the last instant before removing one's thumbstalled thumb from the vent. No sir i will not do that. You have to be a bit of a daredevil to do this branch anyway. Why do you think you have to be certified to do it?

My wife loved being #2, an arms length from the blast.