The bombardier, and pocket gunnerAdye, Ralph Willett
History
The bombardier, and pocket gunner
Adye, Ralph Willett
Artillery -- Handbooks, manuals, etc.; Artillery drill and tactics
The axletrees need not be taken off the carriages, if the vessel be
of a sufficient size to admit them when fixed, as they are not easily
replaced without workmen and a tedious operation. When a carriage is
dismounted, all the small articles, such as elevating screws, linch
pins, drag washers, cap squares, _&c._ must be carefully collected, and
secured in a box, marked with the description of stores, and number of
the carriage to which they belong. All carriages or waggons embarked
with their axletrees fixed, must be arranged in the ship, side by side,
and alternately front and rear, that their axletrees may not interfere
with each other, and take too much room. Every transport or other
vessel employed in carrying troops or stores for an expedition, should
be numbered on the quarters and on the bows, with figures as large as
2 or 3 feet, and on the sails, that they may be known at a distance.
The number of the ship, her name and tonnage, and the master’s name
must be entered in the list of the stores which she carries.
In disembarking ordnance and stores, they must be landed exactly
in order, the reverse of what they were shipped. The carriages and
waggons must be mounted as soon as possible, and every nature must be
arranged as far from the shore as possible to prevent confusion. If the
disembarkation take place in the presence of an enemy, the vessels of
course must be loaded accordingly; and the field ordnance, with their
carriages, ammunition, _&c._ must be so arranged as to be first landed,
and with the greatest ease possible. In this case, the entrenching
tools must also be kept in the greatest readiness.—_Aide Memoire._
2. _Of Troops._—All transports taken into His Majesty’s service, are
under the direction of the Transport Board, and of their agents at the
different ports at home and abroad. No troops or other persons can be
put on board them, or victualled, but by an order from this Board, or
one of its agents. Troops embarked on board transports or ships of
war (except as marines) are only allowed ⅔ of a seaman’s allowance
of provisions. (See the word _Ration_.) It is therefore necessary to
divide the men into messes of 6 each. Six women to 100 men embarked
on foreign service, are allowed provisions; and 10 women to 100 men
on home service. The births on board transports, are usually made 6
feet square, and each admits 4 men at a time; but agreeable to the
regulations for the army for 1799, one third of the men are always to
be on deck; therefore 6 men (or one mess) are told off to each birth,
⅓ of whom are always on watch. The commanding officer of the troops on
board a transport, has a right to peruse the charter party of the ship,
which points out every different article, as firing, candles, boats,
utensils, _&c._ which the ship is engaged to find for the use of the
troops on board. It likewise expresses the part of the ship allotted to
the officers, to the master, the mate, and the agent, should there be
one on board.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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