The bombardier, and pocket gunnerAdye, Ralph Willett
History
The bombardier, and pocket gunner
Adye, Ralph Willett
Artillery -- Handbooks, manuals, etc.; Artillery drill and tactics
_EXERCISE of Artillery._—_With 9 men to a field gun._
When 15 men are attached for the service of a gun in the field, they
are numbered from 1 to 15; but when the gun is not to be advanced by
men, the first six numbers are left out, and the remaining nine men are
numbered from 7 to 15. The exercise of field guns of a heavy nature
varies but little from the light ones. Though different duties done by
the men attached to the one, should, as nearly as possible, be kept
up at the other; as thereby is prevented that confusion which must
arise when men removed from a light gun to a heavy one, change their
numbers, though their duties at each be the same. The following will
be the position of 9 men, for field ordnance of all natures, in the
1. _Line of March._
Numbers 7, 9, 12, and 15, on the left of the gun; 8, 10, 13, 14, and
11, on the right; numbers 7 and 8 opposite the muzzle of the gun; 9 and
10 opposite the breech; 12 and 13 opposite the trail; 14 opposite the
axletree of the limber; 11 opposite the shafts; 15 leads the limber
horse; the driver leads the front.
2. _Position and Duties of 9 men when prepared for Action._
_Light Guns._—7 spunges, 8 loads, 9 serves the vent, 10 fires, 11
commands, 12 carries the match and water bucket, 13 serves 8 with
ammunition from 14, who carries a cartouch and a pair of drag ropes; 15
holds the limber horse, and carries a cartouch.
_Positions._—7 between the right wheel and the muzzle; 8 between the
left wheel and the muzzle; 9 clear of the rear of the right wheel;
10 clear of the left wheel, both in a line with the vent; 11 on the
left of the handspike; 12 on his right, clear of 9; 13 covers the left
wheel, 5 yards in the rear; 14 covers the right wheel, 10 yards in the
rear. The limber is 25 yards directly in the rear of the gun.
_Heavy Guns._—This is the same as with the light guns, except that
7 and 8 stand outside the wheels, and 8 assists 7 to ram home, if
necessary.
_Howitzers._—Positions are the same as the heavy guns, but the duties
different. 7 spunges, uncaps the fuze, and puts in the shell; 8 takes
the sheepskin out of the piece, lays it on the ground, with the woolen
side up, loads with cartridge, wipes the bottom of the shell, (when 7
holds it up) puts in the sheep skin again, and pulls it out with his
left hand on the word _Ready_: He stops the muzzle with it immediately
that the piece is fired; 9 serves the vent; 10 fires; 11 commands;
12 carries the match and bucket; 13 serves 8 with cartridges from a
cartouch; 14 serves 7 with shells from the limber, which he lays on the
sheep skin; 15 attends the limber. As from unavoidable accidents the
number of men attached to a gun, may be reduced, it will be necessary
if the vacancies happen amongst those doing the most essential duties,
to immediately replace them by those doing the most subordinate duties.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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