THE ENGLISH 6-PDR
REGARDING ITS USEFULNESS IN THE FIELD
AS A GUN FOR THE HORSE ARTILLERY
Part 1
Translated by Geert van Uythoven
Source:
- Decker, C. von:
"Der Englische Sechspfünder, in Bezug auf seine Brauchbarkeit im Felde, als
Geschütz fur reitende Artillerie", in ’Militair-Wochenblatt’ 8. Jahrgang
(Berlin 1823) pp.2594-2598
"The English 6-pdr1) has been frequently surveyed on the mainland, and voices have been raised against its usefulness in the field. Some state it fires worse, and has a shorter range then the Prussian 6-pdr. Others state that it is less durable. It is unknown on which the former persons base their opinions, and as far as this author knows, there have taken place no sufficient tests on the mainland before the year 1822. Regarding the latter opinion, about the lesser durability, in a certain case a 6-pdr should have been gone to pieces because it was loaded with a 9/4 pound powder charge. That this has ever been the case with its proper charge of 1 ½ pound, the author never heard. It is very sad, when a gun is judged without being tested properly before.
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The usefulness of a field gun has to be judged based on three considerations:
1) Its effect before the enemy;
2) its manoeuvrability and handling, and
3) its durability.
Against its manoeuvrability and handling of the English 6-pdr probably no one will have objections, as its tube weighs 1 ½, its carriage and limber at least weigh 2 Zentner lesser then the Prussian 6-pdr. The ease with which the English 6-pdr is being limbered and unlimbered, can be handled altogether will be clear to anyone who has some knowledge of techniques, when examining this gun.
Why an English 6-pdr would be less durable then any other gun is totally unclear. As is commonly known the English use the best material for all their war machines, regardless how they are called. They pay their artisans very well, their workshops are a model in every regard; they do not allow faulty work, and even the minor details of their labour are until now an unattainable example for us.
It therefore remains to research the effect of this gun, and to compare it with another 6-pdr. For which we will use the Prussian gun, while the effect of this gun is officially known to us from the ‘Leitfaden zum Unterricht der Unteroffiziere’.
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The author was lucky to have access to the tests that took place with the English 6-pdr in 1822 to define its effect. he believes to do his brothers in arms a huge favour to provide them with the following critical treatise. At the same time, he believes it is his duty in the interest of truth, to declare that it is hardly possible that comparable tests have been held earlier somewhere with the same precision. This judgment has to be supported by the remark that the author did in no way participate in the tests itself.
It will be interesting to follow the test in its historical sequence. The covered three elements of its effect:
1) About direct shots (‘Aufsetz-, Elevations-, or Bogenschüsse’);
2) about ricochet shots (‘Rollschüsse’), and
3) about canister (‘Kartätschschüsse’).
The firing line was exactly measured out; 2,200 paces long, and ending in a ball-catcher. At 700 paces before the ball-catcher, a wall of wooden planks was placed, 112 foot long, and 9 foot high. Behind this one, at a distance of 19 foot, another one just as long was placed, but only 6 foot high; and 19 foot behind this one a third one, also just as long and also 6 foot high. The first wall (the one which will be our mark during the following of this treatise) has the vertical diameter painted on it, at which the piece shout be aimed. To the right and left of this diameter, at distances of 10 feet, vertical lines were painted, which were divided by horizontal lines in quadrants to be able to mark out hits. These lines were numbered to prevent any mistake being made.
On the line of fire two wooden gun beds were placed; the first at 1,300, the second at 1,500 paces distance from the first wall.
The terrain on which the line of fire is, is completely level. The ground was very hard because of its kind of soil, a condition which influenced the distance between the grazes of the roundshot and its side deviation, as we will see later.
Before the tests commenced the guns were inspected and declared usable. We will add a table of their dimensions and construction later.
The roundshot that were used were English ones, right ones and hand-picked, ‘beiläufig gesagt, überschmiedet’, and with a smooth and perfect surface.
Before the tests the gunpowder was compared with other, qualified gunpowder, and judged at about 1% lesser quality. The powder charge for roundshot was 1 ½ pound; the ball was fixed to the powder load with a sabot; the ammunition itself prepared with the greatest care.
The weather was on the 1st day the tests took place (high summer) dry air, a bit cloudy sky, with a weak and variable wind. On the 2nd day: hotter air and dry, nearly without any wind. On the 3rd day: strong rains before the beginning of the tests; during the tests overcast weather and a cloudy sky, fairly strong wind blowing from the right on the line of fire. On the 4th day: cloudy sky, moderate wind blowing from the left on the line of fire. On the 5th day: a clear sky, nearly without any wind. On the 6th day: overcast and rainy, a very moderate wind. On the 7th day: a cloudy sky, moistened air, during the beginning of the tests some rain, which stopped soon.
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Chronologically, the tests were executed as follows:
- 1st day: One fired from 5 o’clock until half past nine in the morning, 4 ½ hours, 40 direct shots were fired at 1,300 paces, also on the average one shot in every 6 to 7 minutes; then from 12 o’clock until half past three in the afternoon, 3 ½ hours, 40 ricochet shots at 1,300 paces, also on the average one shot in every 5 to 6 minutes.
- 2nd day: From half past four until 9 o’clock in the morning, 4 ½ hours, 40 direct shots were fired at 1,500 paces, also on the average one shot in every 6 to 7 minutes; then from a quarter past ten until 2 o’clock in the afternoon, 3 ¾ hours, 40 ricochet shots at 1,500 paces, also on the average one shot in every 5 to 6 minutes.
- 3rd day: From half past seven until half past one, 6 hours, 40 canister shots were fired at 300 paces, also on the average one shot in every 9 minutes.
- 4th day: From 6 o’clock until 1 o’clock, 7 hours, 40 canister shots were fired at 300 paces, also on the average one shot in every 10 to 11 minutes.
- 5th day: From 6 o’clock until 10 o’clock, 4 hours, 40 canister shots were fired at 300 paces, also on the average one shot in every 6 minutes.
- 6th day: From half past five until half past ten, 5 hours, 40 canister shots were fired at 600 paces, also on the average one shot in every 7 to 8 minutes.
- 7th day: From half past five until half past eleven, 6 hours, 40 canister shots were fired at 300 paces, also on the average one shot in every 9 minutes.
From the above one can note that the tests were not rashly done.
THE GUNS
Two English 6-pdrs were used, which we will name No.1 and No.2. They are officially known by the name: Belford 5-pdr, their exact measures can be found in ‘The Pocketgunner’.
No.1 had a weight of 6 Zentner and 1 ½ pounds;
No.2 had a weight of 6 Zentner and 6 pounds, also 1 ½ Zentner lighter then the Prussian 6-pdr.
Length of the guns without button was with No.1: 4 feet 10.5 Zoll, or 17.35 calibre, and
with No.2: 4 feet 10.28 Zoll, or 17.29 calibre.
The strength of the metal before the ‘Stoß’ is unknown, however, with No.1 the touchhole is 2.58 Zoll, and with No.2 2.65 Zoll distance from the breech, at a square line to the axis of the bore. From this can be calculated that the metal strength before the ‘Stoß’ has to be 2.52 Zoll, that is ¾ calibre; then the touchhole is probably 0.50 Zoll away from the bottom of the bore, what agrees with the oblique position of it.
The diameter of the mouth of both guns was 3.59 Zoll. The diameter of the roundshot 3.37 Zoll. The clearance was therefore 0.22 Zoll.
The bore was totally cylindrical and of a perfect shape.
The trunnions were with both guns positioned 1.68 Zoll beneath the axis of the bore, also sunk exactly ½ calibre. They were at 2 feet 0.68 Zoll, or 7.32 calibre from the breech, or when calculated as ninths of the length, at 3.79/9 from the back to the front.
The visor and the highest head (‘Kopfhöhe’) were at 59.2 Zoll distance from each other, the angle of the visor was 32 minutes and 38 seconds. The elevation of 1 Zoll evens out the cannon when it has a bead. Without bead, every Zoll elevation equals an elevation angle of one degree. During the tests the bead was screwed off.
The back weight was 59 pounds for No.1, and 60 ½ pounds for the No.2, also about 1/11 of the weight of the whole barrel. This is 1/29 to 1/19, or 29 to 43 pounds less as with the Prussian cannon (see the ‘Leitfaden’, p.22).
The gun carriage was the common English block trail. The elevation screw was solidly fixed to the button of the gun, to prevent ‘Bucken’ [?]. During firing it was found out that the nuts of the sighting machine (‘Richtmaschine’) did not turn over ¼ to ½ Zoll of their outline.
With cannon No.1 the following shots were fired:
- Day 1: 80 shots (roundshot).
- Day 2: 7 shot (roundshot), a total of 87 shots.
During the 7th shot on the 2nd day, a bolt of the sighting machine broke (because of the bad quality of the iron, and cracks already present). Therefore gun No.2 was positioned on the gun bed, and with this one the following shots were fired:
- Day 2: 73 shots (roundshot).
- Day 3 until day 7: 240 shots (canister), a total of 313 shots.
When the shooting had ended, cannon No.2 was examined. One found out that the touch hole had been widened with 0.06 Zoll. The bore had sustained many marks of the canister balls. This appears to proof that English gun metal is to weak. It consists usually of 12 parts copper and 1 part pewter, while the Prussians use 10 parts copper and 1 part pewter. However, one should not forget that the gun has been handled hard, as No.2 had fired 240 canister rounds in five days, or 40 to 60 canister rounds each day. So that at one time, one was nearly not able to lay his hand on the barrel anymore because of the heat. This happened for good reasons, but in the field one would never handle a gun this way. The touch hole by the way had been bored through the metal itself, and was not a beaten copper one that had been screwed in.
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To draw conclusions for the probability of hits, the following measures were used twelve fold:
- For infantry 5 feet.
- For cavalry 8 feet.
Every hit going higher was marked as a miss. According to the ‘Leitfaden’ p. 293 however, usually for at troops a height of 6 feet is being used.
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Regarding the range of the shots; all roundshot has hit the ball-catcher at respectively 2,000 and 2,200 paces, or went over it or passed it on the side, going into the forest 300 paces behind the ball-catcher. Of the ricochet shots, some roundshot even reached this distance after 10 grazes.
The next table gives a summary of the kinetic energy or striking power (‘perkussionskraft’) of 40 shots [in paces]:
|
|
At 1,300 paces |
At 1,500 paces |
||||
|
shortest |
longest |
average |
shortest |
longest |
average |
|
|
1st graze |
1,168 |
1,678 |
1,318 |
1,246 |
1,711 |
1,466 |
|
2nd graze |
1,381 |
1,868 |
1,597 |
1,555 |
2,080 |
1,734 |
|
3rd graze |
1,536 |
2,000 |
1,774 |
1,667 |
2,200 |
1,884 |
From this follows that the English 6-pdr shoots as far (and as precise) as is sufficient for horse artillery in the field.
We will now look at the probability of a hit. This is influenced by three factors:
1) The deviation in range;
2) the sideward deviation, and
3) the deviation in height.
From the dimensions of No.1 and no.2, one usually constructs a rectangle, which is called the ‘deviation-rectangle’.
The deviation in height forms on both sides of a graze part of a circle segment, within which the object still will be hit. One calls this the ‘covered space’.
It should be mentioned here, that at 1,300 paces an elevation of 3 ¼ Zoll (= 3 ¼ degree), and at 1,500 paces an elevation of 3 ¾ Zoll (= 3 ¾ degree) was used; in both cases for the roundshot a powder charge of 1 ½ pound was used. At 1,500 paces however only 20 shots were done with 3 ¾ Zoll elevation, as it was noticed that the first grazes fell too short. For the last 20 shots therefore, an elevation of 4 Zoll (= 4 degrees) was used. According to ‘The Pocketgunner’, 3 Zoll elevation (= 3 degrees) should give an average range of 1,250 paces.
1. DEVIATION IN RANGE
This is only relevant for direct shots. At 1,300 paces this was 510 paces, i.e. the shortest distance of the first graze from the gun was 1,168, the longest 1,678 paces. Therefore, the shot was minimum 132 paces to short, or 378 paces to long. The average distance of the first graze from the gun was at 1,318 paces, so only 18 paces further then the target.
At 1,500 paces however, the deviation in range was 415 paces, namely the shortest distance of the 1st graze from the gun was 1,246 paces, the longest 1,711 paces. So the shot was minimum 204 paces to short, or 211 paces to long. The average distance of the first graze from the gun was 1,466 paces, so 34 paces shorter then the target.
According to the ‘Leitfaden’ p.292 the deviation in range at average firing ranges is fixed at 250 paces. According to this statement the guns have at 1,300 paces 260 paces, at 1,500 paces 165 paces more deviation as the Prussian guns.
In order not to make an apparent reproach to these guns, we will list the distances of all first grazes beneath:
|
|
Direct fire 1,300 paces |
Direct
fire 1,500
paces |
|
1 |
1,233 |
1,442 |
|
2 |
1,270 |
1,528 |
|
3 |
1,349 |
1,657 |
|
4 |
1,245 |
1,328 |
|
5 |
1,249 |
1,506 |
|
6 |
1,379 |
1,517 |
|
7 |
1,334 |
1,246 |
|
8 |
1,464 |
1,389 |
|
9 |
1,349 |
1,300 |
|
10 |
1,253 |
1,320 |
|
11 |
1,195 |
1,401 |
|
12 |
1,249 |
1,535 |
|
13 |
1,275 |
1,394 |
|
14 |
1,168 |
1,464 |
|
15 |
1,389 |
1,260 |
|
16 |
1,275 |
1,352 |
|
17 |
1,580 |
1,315 |
|
18 |
1,308 |
1,378 |
|
19 |
1,330 |
1,541 |
|
20 |
1,282 |
1,627 |
|
21 |
1,339 |
1,429 |
|
22 |
1,280 |
1,389 |
|
23 |
1,397 |
1,656 |
|
24 |
1,298 |
1,380 |
|
25 |
1,286 |
1,345 |
|
26 |
1,283 |
1,329 |
|
27 |
1,379 |
1,390 |
|
28 |
1,678 |
1,426 |
|
29 |
1,405 |
1,495 |
|
30 |
1,284 |
1,435 |
|
31 |
1,444 |
1,517 |
|
32 |
1,351 |
1,560 |
|
33 |
1,345 |
1,518 |
|
34 |
1,244 |
1,463 |
|
35 |
1,192 |
1,547 |
|
36 |
1,385 |
1,610 |
|
37 |
1,290 |
1,497 |
|
38 |
1,234 |
1,593 |
|
39 |
1,198 |
1,446 |
|
40 |
1,252 |
1,711 |
When we look at these numbers more closely, we will see that of these 40 shots, the following summary of the deviation in range can be made:
|
deviation in range; to long or to short (paces) |
amount
of shots at
1,300 paces |
amount of shots at 1,500 paces |
|
0 – 25 |
11 |
6 |
|
26 – 50 |
8 |
6 |
|
51 – 75 |
7 |
6 |
|
76 – 100 |
5 |
2 |
|
101 – 125 |
4 |
6 |
|
126 – 150 |
2 |
3 |
|
151 – 200 |
1 |
8 |
|
201 – 250 |
- |
2 |
|
251 – 300 |
1 |
1 |
|
301 – 400 |
1 |
- |
With a deviation in range of 25 to 50 paces to short or to long the shots still count, at such distances, as a hit. Therefore, according to the table above, at 1,300 paces 19 shots or half, at 1,500 paces 12 shots or a third are hits. And when one adds all deviations in range up to 125 paces to short or to long, also 250 paces as has been stated by the ‘Leitfaden’, one finds at 1,300 paces 35 shots or 7/8, at 1,500 paces 12 shots 26 shots or 5/8 of the total. The gun therefore is at 1,300 paces 1/8, at 1,500 paces 3/8 inferior to the Prussian ones. However, the statement in the ‘Leitfaden’ applies also to 12-pdr guns, which obviously are much more accurate as the 6-pdrs. And when this is taken into account, one could reasonably state that the English 6-pdr is not inferior to the Prussian one. Finally, the ‘Leitfaden’ speaks about ‘medium distances’, which hardly applies to the distance of 1,500 paces, because of the fact that on p.276 is stated that at 1,500 paces the direct shot of the 12-pdr still has ‘some probability of a hit’; the 6pdr however is completely not mentioned at this range. When all circumstances are taken into account, the usefulness of the English 6-pdr in regard to its deviation in range with direct shots at medium ranges has been proved.
To prove sufficiently that the English 6-pdr is meeting all standards that for that matter could be imposed on 6-pdrs at the above ranges, one should note that against troops in two lines, the first line at 1,300 paces, the second one at 1,600 paces; of 40 shots: 22 roundshot will graze before the first line; 40 between both lines, or 62 roundshot in all, so 1 ½ times the amount of shots fired. If however the first line stands at 1,500 paces, the second at 1,800 paces distance from guns: 25 roundshot will graze before the first line; 54 between both lines, or 79 roundshot in all, so 2 times the amount of shots fired. What also proves that troops at a distance of respectively 1,500 and 1,800 paces are more vulnerable then those at respectively 1,300 and 1,600 paces.
To learn to know the trajectory of a roundshot during direct shots, we give here an extract of the test results of both distances, and well from every range the results of the trajectory of three roundshot, in order not to become too detailed.
|
|
Grazes in paces (1st graze
distance from gun; next grazes distances from 1st graze) |
||||||||||||
|
At 1,300 paces |
At 1,500 paces |
||||||||||||
|
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
4th |
5th |
6th |
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
4th |
5th |
6th |
7th |
|
|
1st graze closest before
the wall |
1,298 |
354 |
182 |
93 |
72 |
|
1,495 |
190 |
226 |
298 |
|
|
|
|
1,290 |
144 |
102 |
94 |
292 |
|
1,497 |
282 |
121 |
157 |
|
|
|
|
|
1,286 |
361 |
100 |
175 |
78 |
|
1,464 |
208 |
260 |
83 |
|
|
|
|
|
1st graze closest behind
the wall |
1,308 |
240 |
182 |
270 |
|
|
1,506 |
218 |
206 |
270 |
|
|
|
|
1,330 |
294 |
120 |
104 |
126 |
|
1,517 |
90 |
60 |
262 |
99 |
172 |
|
|
|
1,334 |
204 |
207 |
64 |
191 |
|
1,517 |
213 |
152 |
116 |
76 |
126 |
|
|
|
1st graze farthest before
the wall |
1,168 |
342 |
218 |
132 |
140 |
|
1,246 |
311 |
169 |
262 |
112 |
|
|
|
1,192 |
189 |
91 |
241 |
108 |
179 |
1,260 |
295 |
129 |
142 |
81 |
88 |
205 |
|
|
1,198 |
337 |
273 |
192 |
|
|
1,300 |
350 |
189 |
81 |
147 |
133 |
|
|
|
1st graze farthest behind
the wall |
1,580 |
263 |
157 |
|
|
|
1,711 |
369 |
119 |
|
|
|
|
|
1,678 |
190 |
132 |
|
|
|
1,657 |
315 |
136 |
92 |
|
|
|
|
|
1,464 |
359 |
177 |
|
|
|
1,656 |
361 |
183 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
average of 40 shots |
1,318 |
269 |
189 |
118 |
|
|
1,466 |
279 |
175 |
|
|
|
|
The notable inequality of the trajectories is completely to explain by the very hard ground, and proves at the same time that the distance between subsequent grazes is far less independent of the range of the 1st graze, but much more of state of the ground. On another occasion the author has given the opinion that in certain circumstances the trajectory between the subsequent grazes could become longer, as well as the height of the trajectory; he was often criticised for having this opinion, but sees his opinion confirmed by these tests, then from 40 shots at 1,300 paces, 25 made trajectories that became longer, and only of 15 shots the trajectories decreased regularly. At 1,500 paces, 24 shots made trajectories that became longer, and only 16 of shots the trajectories decreased regularly.
When judging the difference between the distances of the grazes, we note that at 1,300 paces the difference was:
1. Trajectories of 510 paces, at 1,500 paces however 415 paces
2. Trajectories of 305 paces, at 1,500 paces however 375 paces
3. Trajectories of 336 paces, at 1,500 paces however 280 paces
4. Trajectories of 242 paces
On the other hand, the average of 40 shots at 1,300 paces by:
1. Trajectories of 1,318 paces, and at 1,500 paces 1,466 paces
2. Trajectories of 269 paces, and at 1,500 paces 279 paces
3. Trajectories of 189 paces, and at 1,500 paces 280 [?] paces
4. Trajectories of 118 paces
what probably corresponds with the theory, when the above would not be the result from practical tests. According to the theory, and from what is told to us about the angle of incidence and the angle of elevation, the subsequent trajectories at 1,500 paces should be substantially bigger then those at 1,300 paces, what is refuted here.”
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Footnotes:
1) As far as we heard, the English have abolished the 6-pdr completely, introducing the 9-pdr instead.
© Geert van Uythoven