Author Topic: Artillery also crossed the Delaware with G. Washington (Read 721 times)

Cannoneer · « **on:** October 31, 2011, 07:30:26 AM »

A brief account of artillery also being ferried across the Deleware River along with George Washington's Continental troops, for the 'First Battle of Trenton'.

http://www.ushistory.org/washingtoncrossing/history/artillery.htm

KABAR2 · « **Reply #1 on:** October 31, 2011, 10:27:12 AM »

Thank God for men like Knox he managed to have artillery where needed weather from Fort Ti. to the hights overlooking Boston or across a river to Trenton He and his men got the job done.

Zulu · « **Reply #2 on:** October 31, 2011, 10:47:06 AM »

The article said;
"a trained European cannon crew could fire 12 to 14 shots a minute"
I have to say I don't think that was possible. 12 shots a minute is a shot every 5 seconds.

Of course , if my life depended on it, I could move pretty fast.

Zulu

KABAR2 · « **Reply #3 on:** October 31, 2011, 11:28:53 AM »

Quote from: Zulu on October 31, 2011, 10:47:06 AM

The article said;
"a trained European cannon crew could fire 12 to 14 shots a minute"
I have to say I don't think that was possible. 12 shots a minute is a shot every 5 seconds.
Of course , if my life depended on it, I could move pretty fast.
Zulu

They must of had one of those super secret volley cannon....

Cannoneer · « **Reply #4 on:** October 31, 2011, 01:05:59 PM »

Quote from: Zulu on October 31, 2011, 10:47:06 AM

The article said;
"a trained European cannon crew could fire 12 to 14 shots a minute"
I have to say I don't think that was possible. 12 shots a minute is a shot every 5 seconds.
Of course , if my life depended on it, I could move pretty fast.
Zulu

Those Hessian 'devils' were doggoned quick!

Ex 49'er · « **Reply #5 on:** October 31, 2011, 06:26:12 PM »

Quote from: Cannoneer on October 31, 2011, 01:05:59 PM

Quote from: Zulu on October 31, 2011, 10:47:06 AM
The article said;
"a trained European cannon crew could fire 12 to 14 shots a minute"
I have to say I don't think that was possible. 12 shots a minute is a shot every 5 seconds.
Of course , if my life depended on it, I could move pretty fast.
Zulu

Those Hessian 'devils' were doggoned quick!

Sounds like a "Hollywood" gun to me. You can fire them as fast as you want and never have to reload.

Cat Whisperer · « **Reply #6 on:** November 01, 2011, 04:54:29 AM »

Quote from: Zulu on October 31, 2011, 10:47:06 AM

The article said;
"a trained European cannon crew could fire 12 to 14 shots a minute"
I have to say I don't think that was possible. 12 shots a minute is a shot every 5 seconds.
Of course , if my life depended on it, I could move pretty fast.
Zulu

The glowing embers inside ignited it - saving time to insert the fuse.

1Southpaw · « **Reply #7 on:** November 01, 2011, 05:27:45 AM »

perhaps crew refers to a battery of artillery pieces?

Or it is a Hollywood writer working off time for pocket

exlimey · « **Reply #8 on:** November 03, 2011, 01:16:31 AM »

Check out v11 of the American Artillerist Companion page 121 first published in 1804.
Quote When the cannoniers and matrosses know and are attentive to their duty, a field piece may be fired sixteen and even eighteen time in a minute without hearing any other noise but the word fire and the word charge. The above quote is from A.L. Tousards book.
I have a couple more ! and will post them when i find them.

exlimey · « **Reply #9 on:** November 03, 2011, 04:01:23 AM »

Journal of Capt Pausch Hesse Hanau Artillery with Burgoyne in 1777 at Quebec. The minute firings quote "The English managed to fire eleven times, and my men twelve times( N.B. After each discharge the gun is spunged out). If i could have omitted the wiping, which during minute firing is never practiced, and kept right on firing, as it would have been the proper way to do it, i certainly could have fired nineteen to twenty times. But as the other side (Royal Artillery) started the thing, i could not possibly avoid doing the same thing. There is a quote in Stevens Artillery manual a very rare book published just before the Rev -War that cites similar rates of fire. This would have course explained the many one armed Artillery men if they servived the incident.

Zulu · « **Reply #10 on:** November 06, 2011, 01:14:34 AM »

I have seen here several references to extreme rapid fire. Some of it in the 1700's. With all these references, someone thought it possible. Up to 20 shots a minute? That's a shot every three seconds.
I've been thinking about this. Even if you had 20 prepared charges, powder bag and ball as one unit, stacked right in front of the gun, how do you get them all rammed down the barrel with a firing and priming the vent in between each loading?
Were powder bags attached to ball used in the 1700's? the bag would have to be pricked, a quill of powder inserted and fired with a linstock.
How does one do all that in 3 seconds? How do you even get the ramrod out of the barrel in time?
I'm sure that when life and limb are at stake, a gun could be fired very quickly. 20 shots a minute seems unlikely to me.
Zulu

GGaskill · « **Reply #11 on:** November 06, 2011, 05:55:09 AM »

Then one comes to the question of accurately measuring time. Not everyone had a Timex or Casio on their wrists in those days.