04/20/2021
OLD SALTS AND THEIR TRICKS
If you want to learn about the mindset and engineering thoughts of the times, study the advancements of cannons and the techniques of the cannoneers with how they loaded said cannons. From the metal tubes wrapped in rope and leather to the bronze and iron cannons with and without ante-chambers, the knowledge and experiments will give you a better understanding of the arms advancements of those days. The various loads and projectiles used in those guns were also transferred over to small arms.
The strength of the bronze cannon wasn’t the same as that of the iron cannon. However, the advancements in the ability to cast Iron cannon had a journey in and of itself that western Europe had to catch up with compared to the Ottoman Turks. Ah, the good old arms race...it has been going on since the beginning of time.
The fact that paper or preformed cartridges of wood were used with cannon early on is an advancement over the use of loose powder and shot. That carried over to small arms as well. The use of thick cushioned wads of sheepskins with the wool on or of fibers & fabrics for cradling and centering the shot likewise transferred to small arms.
Bear in mind that the renown accuracy of those old gunners with those old smoothbore cannons were well known and respected. Ships were all well armed and professional gunners were in demand. They knew their stuff and how to get the job done whether on land or sea, in the crown’s service or as privateers or pirates. Those guns didn’t do any good unless you were able to hit what you were aiming at, and those boys could do so from ships that were rolling and pitching in the water. Many towns simply had to cave into the demands of a well armed ship or face being leveled and destroyed. Submitting to resupplying a ship and turning over a portion of wealth was cheaper than having to rebuild a town and risking the loss of manpower to go about business as usual from the townsman's perspective. The lesser of two evils.
When it came to fighting it out between ships of opposing factions, the first preferred way was by the positioning of one’s ship to another to your advantage by using the wind, water current, and light giving you the edge.
Then there were the confrontations where it was broadside to broadside hammering it out blowing one another to bits. Sometimes one could come off the victor and other times both could lose their ships. Think of this broadside firing of cannon as bing the same as rows of soldiers on land. The more soldiers, getting off the most shots, with good effect, would take the field. Since maritime warfare was predominant back then, one cannot help but wonder if this is where the line formation firing with guns came about. It in turn being a remnant of the old time firing of crossbows and longbows.
The positioning of cannons also made a difference. The more cannons, or rows of cannon, the more firepower. Whoever could inflict the greatest amount of damage on the opposition had things in their favor between the military ships of the day as well as land forces.
To protect a town along a coast, fortifications have always been used. The higher elevation afforded by the same gave an edge as to the range of the firing of the shots. The larger sized and more number of cannon at an elevated fortification, as compared to a ship or fleet of ships, could curtail the ships and prevent their entering to within effective range with their smaller cannon. It will be noted that the longer the barrel of the cannon, the greater the use of its powder load and longer range accuracy of its load obtained. This carried over to the small arms as well for a time. The concept was good as regards sight radius; but with small arms it was found with the smaller loads used they didn’t need the same very long length of barrel for accuracy for the limited range of small arms. This also goes along with the changes in the black powder quality and granulation sizes changes.
The use of ante-chambers for more force with less use of powder was put to effective use with cannon first. The concept of greater constriction for increased pressure and more effective use of a set amount of the black powder was used with the turn screw barreled Queen Anne pistols as well.
Yes sir, those engineers were smart and were experimenting figuring out the best way to achieve these things with the materials they had to work with. The advancements were being done and implemented with cannon long before small armes. It was based on what was economically feasible and practical at the time as well as the metallurgical and manufacturing advancements. During this same time the howitzer cannons were developing and being used which were the claymore mines of their times and a very strong deterrent to approaching enemy personnel….all doing the same basic thing as the old anti-personnel sea falchion guns used on ships and mounted on fortifications for effect.
So, give some acknowledgement to those old salty ships gunners and their exceptional skills and knowledgeable techniques. Their advancements and techniques helped the smoothbore small arms of their times as well, and we’re just now catching back up to them where we can use the smoothbore guns as they did back then.
Today we understand that the saboted (by paper) undersized ball with a stout load in those old small arm muskets were much more accurate than people gave them credit for 50-70 years ago. Why? Because of assumptions, not enough research delved into, and a lack of the knowledge and comprehensive understanding as to their proper operations and use by those persons back in those times. However, there were those trying to achieve the results of the earlier times, but the push was for the Hawken rifles and the longrifles in the 1960’s-1980’s with the public. However, we know the true value. capabilities, and abilities of those old smoothbore small arms with the various loads. The greater public of black powder shooters have a far greater respect for them these days, and understand the popularity of the old smoothbore trade guns of former times.
We owe thanks to those old gunners and their tricks of the trade for sure.
