Download The Artillerists¿ Manual, and British Soldiers¿ Compendium Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1859 edition. Excerpt: ...and make fast. Place stool bed, and quoin. Lash up levers, and handspikes." Dismounting the Gun, and Carriage, Words of command.--" Place skids, unlash, and scotch the wheels. TJnlash the breech, Levers take purchase to lower. Bear down, ease off, unsling, as before." " Prepare to unlimber. Unlimber. Dismount carriage. Turn the carriage over. Limber up." Slinging Howitzers. A Howitzer is slung in the same manner aa a gun. The manner of mounting a howitzer carriage differs in one respect from that of mounting a gun carriage; the width of the axletree arms of a 10 inch carriage being nearly equal to the distance between the wheels of the sling waggon, it is necessary that the trucks be put on one at a time, the carriage being pinched as far as possible to the opposite side, in order to make room for the operation. In consequence of the cheeks not having steps, the carriage, after having been mounted, requires to be lashed. Slinging Mortars. A 13 inch mortar, and its bed, require each a waggon for itself; but a 10, or an 8 inch mortar can be conveyed on its bed, by one waggon. A 13 inch mortar, lying on skids, is slewed like a gun, the sling being passed round close to both trunnions, and a piece of short skid" ding put into the muzzle, by which to lash it to the perch. The muzzle is raised and secured in the same manner as the breech of a gun. To place a 13 inch Mortar on its Bed by a Sling Waggon. The sling waggon to which the mortar is attached is brought over the bed. A handspike is laid on the ground on each side of the bed, opposite the front of the fore transom; and, when the mortar is far enough back, a handspike is also placed under each trunnion, clear of the sling. The muzzle is then unlashed, the...