Dictator Base

[GGaskill]

That M1861 looks like a Hern 8" mortar (repro.)  But nicely done.

[MKlein]

 

Yes, it was a Hern Replica 8" 1861. It didn't have a fuze hole, but was well made.

Short History Lesson:Union troops landed east of the fort and began a formal siege on August 9, 1864. Entrenchments were dug and artillery placed, but for two weeks the fort held out. After days of sporadic firing, the combined forces of the Union army and navy opened a devastating bombardment of Fort Morgan on August 22nd. More than 3,000 shots where fired into the fort, shattering brick walls and dismounting Confederate cannons. Flames reached into the sky over the fort and General Richard L.Page was finally forced to accept defeat. After spiking his remaining guns and destroying thousands of pounds of powder, he raised the white flag on August 23, 1864.

*Cannon were fired with the primer, a short, copper tube filled with powder, which was inserted into the gun’s touchhole with priming wire. Spiking a gun to prevent its use by the enemy was frequently accomplished by driving priming wire, a long, thin copper wire, into the gun’s touchhole and bending it with the rammer. Once the touchhole was blocked the gun could not be fired. At Fort Morgan, the touchholes were probably blocked with long, thin metal spikes which would have had to be drilled out.

[Cannoneer]

Here is a pic showing what I think is proof of it being two plates.
I have noticed some trunions have two dimples on them. I'm thinking it is for the thing in the picture, I think it is some sort of aiming device. What is it?

See attached pics

Somehow I missed this the first time around, although I don't think it was in red then. That's not an aiming (if you mean some kind of sight) device attached to the trunnion face, but simply an aid to elevate and depress the barrel. A socket handspike fit over the extending piece of metal, and this leverage eased the task of raising and lowering the tube.

[MKlein]

Thank you sir for identifing that device for raising and lowering the barrel. Not all photos have this, not all trunions have the holes for it either. I did have to highlight it, good catch!

[MKlein]

  New pics from Fort Pickens Pensacola, FL 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/87356288@N06/sets/72157631570739487/

Did You Know?

In the 1880s, Geronimo and other members of the Chiricahua-Apache tribe were prisoners at Fort Pickens located at Gulf Islands National Seashore. 
 

[Cannoneer]

Not all photos have this, not all trunions have the holes for it either.

Fort Pitt Foundry in Pittsburgh, PA cast around 162 of these mortars during the war, but I have no idea how many had this feature. Unfortunately, the "National Registry ........" which records the surviving mortars, doesn't include any notation on how many of the extant mortars have the feature.

Thanks for posting the photos of Fort Pickens (some good stuff).

[MKlein]

Got my sets of plans in the mail today! These sets a jamb packed full of historical drawings, dimensions, pictures, and very detailed information. Would gladly reccomend AOP's plans to anybody. 

[rampa room artillery]

http://www.sonofthesouth.net/civil-war-pictures/strategy.htm




 here is where i think the confusion comes from. the twin plate bases come from this carriage. and they got confused after teh war as cities wear placing mortars and cannons around town as trophies. 




 what do you think

[Double D]

Got my sets of plans in the mail today! These sets a jamb packed full of historical drawings, dimensions, pictures, and very detailed information. Would gladly reccomend AOP's plans to anybody. 

"Told ya so!!! 

[MKlein]

I'm stumped, do I have the same Dictator plans as everybody else? There are several noticable variances in the actual photos vs plans. This is what I have drawn out exactly by the measurements on the plans. I might have to just go with my own version. I was trying to waterjet the cheek plates accurately. Maybe the guys that actually manufactured it made it to their own specs while dinking some jack daniels.


 
 


http://www.hmdb.org/PhotoFullSize.asp?PhotoID=64141

 


 

[Artilleryman]

Skidmark,  The bottom skid plate is T shaped so that it can be bolted to the side plates.  I believe that there is a notch for the rear angle brace to fit into.

 

[MKlein]

Thanks Artilleryman , The drawing is made exactly by the measurements from my AOP plans but the bolt pattern and rear lower trunion mount are all the same in all the pics vs the bolt patern and lower trunion mount of the plans. I am guesing that the design was changed during manufacturing a little bit.

[Cannoneer]

http://www.sonofthesouth.net/civil-war-pictures/strategy.htm




 here is where i think the confusion comes from. the twin plate bases come from this carriage. and they got confused after teh war as cities wear placing mortars and cannons around town as trophies. 




 what do you think

Rick,
I’m not sure if I’m following you correctly here; are you suggesting that the mount supporting a XV-inch Dahlgren in the period photo, is something other than a 13-inch seacoast mortar bed?

[KABAR2]

I'm stumped, do I have the same Dictator plans as everybody else? There are several noticable variances in the actual photos vs plans. This is what I have drawn out exactly by the measurements on the plans. I might have to just go with my own version. I was trying to waterjet the cheek plates accurately. Maybe the guys that actually manufactured it made it to their own specs while dinking some jack daniels.


 
 




 

Skidmark that bottom photo you posted shows so well the two side plates........

[MKlein]

Here is where the AOP plans(which are actual 13" seacoast blueprints) has some differences besides bolt hole locations. All pictures I have found show trunion mounts having this angle instead of splitting the centerline at 10 degrees. All 13 inch Seacoast Mortar beds that I have found look identical to this. I will probably scale to this picture.

[GGaskill]

Without going to my plans with a ruler, it looks to me that the high side joint of the capsquare is opposite the low side one and on a line through the center.  If the high side were continued on this line, the intersection with the side plates would leave little space for the retaining bolt.  Consequently, the makers made the line horizontal which gave enough space, although not by an awful lot.

[MKlein]

This would be a lot easier if I lived close to one of these and just used a 12' tape measure and a note pad.

[MKlein]

I guess someone else in New York noticed this in 2006 and tried to get help. I thought I was the only one picky.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CoastDefense/message/7796

[Combat Vet]

Funny
We have dictators in the US too!!!
 
Greens plans have angle but no angle shown in this picture, you guys are the experts. I could just screw some water pipe to a shoe box and call it a civil war replica of the Dictator and put it on the mantle here in Alabama. Roll tide!!!
 
 
   "Mortar practice- 13-inch shell mortar, as used by the Federal government- weight of mortar 17,000 pounds." —Leslie, 1896 http://etc.usf.edu/clipart/11200/11245/mortar1_11245.htm
 
 
Notice Bolt Pattern vs "Full Size Remake" Attached Pic

 

 
OK, Check this out in my own state. I'm embarrassed.
http://www.waymarking.com/gallery/image.aspx?f=1&guid=0753be31-30ad-4928-bbd0-7b97a16e0e2b

What are you embarrased about?
 
Kevin

[MKlein]

Of this 13" Mortar Bed in Bay Minette Alabama. A poor reproduction. Do you live close to that one at the Bronx?