Mountain artillery for the Franco Prussian War

[pierre the shy]

Now Paul has finished the gun crews I can finish
basing up my Ww l artillery, including the 10 pdr mountain battery

i'll post some pictures once done if that any help.

[mollinary]

Is it just the rifling, or did it really fire hexagonal rounds?

Chris
Bloody Big BATTLES!
https://uk.groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/BBB_wargames/info
http://bloodybigbattles.blogspot.co.uk/

It is just the rifling, they fired the standard La Hitte System studded rounds. Incidentally, in 1859, this ammuntion for all 4pdrs had notoriously bad fuses, and often failed to explode. A clear illustration of this failing can be found in modern day Montebello, where I counted at least three of these four pounder studded rounds from 1859 which had been cemented sideways by the locals into thier house walls!

Mollinary

[Leman]

There it is. My, it does look dinky.

[cameronian]

It is just the rifling, they fired the standard La Hitte System studded rounds. Incidentally, in 1859, this ammuntion for all 4pdrs had notoriously bad fuses, and often failed to explode. A clear illustration of this failing can be found in modern day Montebello, where I counted at least three of these four pounder studded rounds from 1859 which had been cemented sideways by the locals into thier house walls!

Mollinary

That's interesting Mollers, I thought they were using a percussion round in 1859, then changed to 5 or 6 setting (can't remember which) air burst, then down to 2 settings for 1870 (Imperial) then changed back again in late 1870/71 (republican) to percussion. Talking of rounds in the wall, do you remember the station at Skalitz  

[Ace of Spades]

Talking of rounds in the wall, do you remember the station at Skalitz  

Or the 'Maison de la dernière cartouche' in Bazeille near Sedan!

Cheers,
Rob

[mollinary]

That's interesting Mollers, I thought they were using a percussion round in 1859, then changed to 5 or 6 setting (can't remember which) air burst, then down to 2 settings for 1870 (Imperial) then changed back again in late 1870/71 (republican) to percussion. Talking of rounds in the wall, do you remember the station at Skalitz  

Well, the Sainted Bruce in "1859" says, on p66, para 8 "The "4pdr" M1858 gun fired a 8.82lb (4kg) conical explosive shell, with a timed fuze that could be set for four burst points between 500 and 1200m.  This fuze was less than reliable, however, resulting in the projectile often acting as a solid shot".  Whatever fuze it was, timed or percussion, the point is it often didn't explode which allowed fhe citizens of
Montebello to use them as wall decorations!   Yes, I do indeed recall Skalitz station!

Mollinary

[cameronian]

Ah was it four settings, I couldn't remember. Now why do I think they used a percussion fuze in the beginning, can't remember that either. The air burst shell was supposed to explode on impact assuming it hadn't already exploded in mid flight but apparently it usually didn't, functioning as you say like an expensive round shot. Grof reckoned that 30% of the Austrian common shell fired in 1866 failed to explode too.
Just thinking, did they dig the shells out of the wall, remove the explosive and then re-insert them, or did they go to bed every night wondering ... now or when ?

[cameronian]

Rifled mountain cannon "Canon de montagne de 4 rayé modèle 1859". Caliber: 86 mm. Length: 0.82 m. Weight: 102 kg. Ammunition: 4 kg shell. Captured in Marrakech (Morocco) in 1912.

[mollinary]

That's the one, same barrel as the photo in my post above. Re the shells in Montebello, I don't think they necessarily hit the buildings at all. I reckon they were all stuck up there later as decoration, as they are embedded sideways!  I presume this is to show off the studs and the shape of the shell.

Mollinary

[Westmarcher]

Ah was it four settings, I couldn't remember. Now why do I think they used a percussion fuze in the beginning, can't remember that either. The air burst shell was supposed to explode on impact assuming it hadn't already exploded in mid flight but apparently it usually didn't, functioning as you say like an expensive round shot. Grof reckoned that 30% of the Austrian common shell fired in 1866 failed to explode too.
Just thinking, did they dig the shells out of the wall, remove the explosive and then re-insert them, or did they go to bed every night wondering ... now or when ?

Scary.

"OK [turns to wife]. Where do you want me to hang this picture ............?" *

*Only. In Italian.

[kipt]

I have 3 photos of a 6mm Adler Napoleon gun on one of my HQ stands.  It gives a relative size to foot and horse.  Since there are too big for me to attach I will send to Leon and hopefully he can attach them for me.

I think the gun fits well, but I don't have the mountain guns yet to check differences.

[kipt]

I need to add another post so the 3rd picture can be added.  Here goes for number 3.

Thanks Leon!

[Techno]

Lovely job on those, K.
Cheers - Phil

[kipt]

I received the Zulu Wars mountain guns and the NW Frontier pack horses with guns. The NW code doesn't have separate guns but I can use the led horses. The Zulu Wars gun has a long barrel which perhaps I can cut down. Once I do I will post comparison pictures.

[Leman]

Figures looking very good.

[Womble67]

Very nice indeed

Take care

Andy