Mordecai Report Describes European Development Of Light 12 Pdrs. In '50s
Robert Morgan
Spring 2000 - Vol. 22 No. 3

Editor's Note: This report of Maj. Alfred Mordecai of the Ordnance Department was made to the Senate of the first session of the 36th Congress. It was published in 1860 under the title "Military Commission to Europe in 1855 and 1856." Part IX dealt with "New Systems of Field Artillery."

The present Emperor of the French, who was an officer of artillery of the Swiss Republic, and had devoted much attention to that branch of the military art, proposed, before his accession to the throne, a new system of field artillery, which has been adopted in France, and which is producing a corresponding change in other countries.

With a view to simplify the service of artillery in the field, without impairing its efficiency, he proposed to use but one kind and caliber of gun for that service, viz: a 12-pounder gun, of 15 calibers length of bore, and weighing about 1200 weight, to be fired with a charge of one fourth the weight of the shot.

In these respects the piece corresponds with the light 12-pounder gun which was used in the British field batteries during the war of 1812, but which forms no part of their present system.  

Experiments in France as to the range and efficiency of this gun for the purposes for which artillery is generally required in field operations were attended with satisfactory results; as regards its mobility there could be no question, as the weight of the piece is very nearly the same as that of the 8-pounder, which was the lightest piece used in either the horse or foot batteries in France, and it was to be mounted on a carriage of the same weight as the 8-pounder

The only circumstance, therefore, to the disadvantage of the new  12-pounder, in comparison with the 8-pounder, is the reduced number of rounds which can be carried in the ammunition chests - 26 rounds instead of 32.  

The new "gun-howitzer" having been adopted, a great number of them have been made, and in order to introduce the system more quickly and at less cost, the 8-pounder guns have been bored up to 12-pounder, and given to the horse artillery, under the designation of  "light howitzer gun," being about 175 pounds lighter than the other; the same kind of ammunition is used for both, but the proportion of solid shot is smaller for the lighter gun.

The designation of "gun-howitzer," (cannon-obusier,) given to this new piece, indicates the purpose of using it for firing the several kinds of projectiles for which different sorts of ordnance are generally employed in field service, viz: solid shot, shells, spherical-case shot, and canisters; an object which has been rendered practicable by the improvements that have taken place in the manufacture and preparation of field ammunition.  

The great advantages that will attend this extreme simplification of field artillery must be obvious to every one who reflects on the inconveniences of the present complex system of pieces varying in kind and caliber.  

Not only will the preparation of supplies of ammunition be rendered more simple and easy, in anticipation of demand, but, what is of much greater importance, the batteries of an enemy, which may be separated from their park of supplies, either in advance or retreat, having consumed their ammunition, or having lost it by misfortune, will be sure to find in the first park or depot that they meet with a supply of ammunition adapted to their guns, and not be obliged to encumber the march of a column with useless artillery, whilst by its side are wagons loaded with ammunition of another caliber.

The ammunition for the French guns is fixed, except the canisters, which still remain separate from the charge of powder.  The fuzes for the shells are driven beforehand, and are of uniform length; for spherical case, the fuzes can he regulated for three different times of burning, at the moment of loading.

These pieces take the place of the 8-pounder gun and the 24-pounder howitzer; but for batteries of position and reserve the heavy 12-pounder gun and the 32-pounder howitzer are retained, although no new pieces of the latter kinds are now made.

The field batteries in the Crimea were armed altogether with the new guns, and the experience with them in campaign was said to be satisfactory to the artillery; the great advantage of having to provide ammunition of only one caliber of each nature, and spare parts for repair of but one kind of carriage, &c., is too obvious to need further remark.

It may be doubted, however, whether the experience of the Russian war was sufficient to establish the efficacy of these pieces for all the service that may be required of field artillery, in European warfare especially, when the fate of an expedition, or of a great battle, often depends on the attack or defense of a village, a château, or other position, which might demand the employment of heavier calibers.

The batteries in the Crimea consisted of six pieces, each drawn by eight horses; the caissons by six horses; spare ammunition for small arms was carried in wagons, and on pack mules, which could follow closely the movement of the troops on any ground.

The example of the French has been followed by experiments of the same kind in several other countries of the continent; but it does not appear that the English artillery have commenced any change in that respect. In Belgium also no change has yet been made; but a light 12-pounder gun was about to be prepared, to accompany the 6-pounder gun in batteries.

In Austria the new field carriages, mentioned under the head of "Field Artillery," are arranged for a 12-pounder brass gun of 14 calibers length of bore, weighing 1,280 pounds, as the gun for field batteries. We also saw in preparation at the arsenal an experimental cast-iron 12-pounder gun of the same length and nearly the same dimensions as the brass gun, and weighing 968 pounds.  

The charge of these guns for shot and spherical case is two and a half pounds; for canister, three pounds. The new guns are proposed for foot batteries only; the 6-pounder being retained for the light or cavalry batteries.

The Austrian artillery officers have been for some years occupied with researches and experiments for substituting gun cotton for gunpower in the service of artillery. It is thought that the preparation of gun cotton may be so modified as to reduce the intensity of its destructive force, without an injurious diminution of its propelling power, and thus to permit of its use with safety and effect.

The experiments are still in progress and the details are not made public; but they seem to have been sufficiently encouraging to authorize the construction of several (five) batteries of 12-pounder guns and 24-pounder howitzers for trial.  Cast-iron is not capable of sustaining the action of gun cotton; these pieces were therefore made of bronze, very short and thick.

In Prussia, as already explained, the system of field artillery had been greatly simplified by reducing it to two guns and one howitzer; but experiments were about to be made with a very light 12-pounder gun, which we saw in the foundery at Spandau.

This gun resembles our 12-pounder howitzer, without a chamber; the length of bore is only 12 calibers, and the weight 930 pounds; the form is that which has been adopted for our light 12-pounder gun, cylindrical from the breech to the front of the charge, with a regular taper thence to the chase; it is adapted to use on the 6-pounder carriage.  The charge of powder is one-fourth the weight of the shot, or three pounds, as we were informed; but this is too much for the weight of gun.

In Saxony, which possesses a well-instructed corps of artillery, the light 12-pounder has been adopted for all field batteries. The gun weighs about 1,000 pounds. It is adapted to the 6-pounder carriage, and the charge is only two pounds.

The gun carriage resembles that which was formerly known as the "Wadsworth carriage," having been designed by Colonel Wadsworth, formerly chief of the Ordnance Department. It has no stock.  The cheeks, which are kept apart by transoms in front, are bent towards each other, at the breech of the gun, and nearly meet together at the trail, having a small block between them there, to which the lunette is attached.

The nut of the elevating screw is adjusted to a wrought-iron support, which is much bent, and turns on journals, so that its convexity may be placed downwards or upwards, as the gun is to be fired at high or low angle. By this construction of the carriage, the convenience of the English system with regard to limbering is preserved, without a great sacrifice in facility of turning and maneuvring; at the same time, an advantage of considerable importance, in the new system, is obtained, in being able to elevate the piece for firing, as a howitzer, at high angles.

The breech can be lowered so as to fire the gun at an elevation of 26 degrees, with a small charge of about eight or twelve ounces of powder, for throwing shells over an entrenchment or other shelter, or into a hollow road, &c.  For this purpose, the cartridge bag is attached to a small conical block, which can be inserted in a hollow cut out of the shell sabot, in which it is retained by two little brass springs.

The shell is fastened to the sabot with bands of strong linen glued on. The shells, before being fixed, are floated in mercury, and the lightest point is placed uppermost in a vertical plane through the axis of the piece; the axis of the fuze hole at an angle of 35 degrees with the axis of the gun.

Friction primers, made like the Prussian, are used exclusively for firing the charge. In firing at high angles, the lanyard is passed under a hook attached to the gun for that purpose.

Field batteries consist sometimes of six pieces; sometimes of eight. The manner of maneuvring is like the Prussian: two men mount on the limber chest, and three on the off horses. The traces are of rope.  The off horse has a snaffle bridle, and a light bit also attached to the halter head-stall.

The Saxon artillery use a fixed hausse for guns, and a pendulum hausse for howitzers; both of rather complicated construction.  They are represented in the sheets of drawings most kindly presented to us by the officer in charge of the Arsenal at Dresden; showing also the guns and mortars, and the system of ambulances and other hospital wagons.

In Russia the light 12-pounder gun has been adopted for all foot field batteries; 6-pounders and 12-pounder howitzers are retained for the horse artillery. The 12-pounder gun and 24-pounder howitzer will be used for batteries of position.

The new system has not been fully introduced; and the guns which we saw with the troops about St. Petersburg and Moscow were of the former system; but we were told that about 200 of the light 12-pounders had been made within two years preceding our visit. The new gun is of the same general dimensions as the Saxon and Prussian pieces of the same kind, having 6-pounder trunnions, and being adapted to the 6-pounder carriage.

At the Arsenal at St. Petersburg, we saw an iron field gun carriage, proposed for trial by the Duke of Würtemberg, who is connected with the imperial fanrily of Russia. This carriage was made on the plan of the usual field carriages of Russia; but the cheeks and transoms were formed of plate iron, riveted together on the principle of a hollow beam. The axletree and the wheels were also made entirely of iron.

It had been subjected to the test of being fired at, in order to ascertain what injury might be done by the enemy's shot. One or two shot which struck the lower part of the cheek made deep indentations, and glanced, without disabling the carrriage. One shot struck near the center of the wheel, and broke off the arm of the axletree, as it would have done in any other kind of carriage.

The weight of this carriage and its costliness would be serious objections to this particular mode of construction; but the application of rolled iron to gun carriages and wagons for field artillery deserves attentive consideration and more extensive experiments than have been yet made. It is probable that efforts at improvement in these, as in garrison carriages, will be aided by the recent progress made in the art of rolling iron in various shapes.

From the above remarks, it will be seen that all the principal powers of Europe, except Great Britain, are preparing to follow the example of France in simplifying their systems of field artillery, and increasing its mobility, and that the northern powers are going further than the French with respect to reducing the weight of the guns and carriages.

It may well be doubted, however, whether experience will show that this great reduction of weight in the 12 pounder gun can be made without too great a sacrifice of strength and durability, in both gun and carriage, unless the charge is reduced so low (as in the Saxon plan) as to impair too much the efficiency of the piece.

In adopting our present reduced charges for field guns, which are little more than one-fifth of the weight of the shot, we might well have made a proportional reduction in the weight of the guns, instead of retaining the weight and dimensions which were calculated for a charge of one-third the weight of the shot.

Since the return of the commission from Europe, this subject has been brought before the Ordnance Board, and, on their recommendation, a few light 12-pounder guns have been made for trial.  

The piece is a medium between the French guns and the lighter model adopted in Russia and Saxony. Its strength and weight are believed to be quite sufficient to resist the effects of our service charges; and the facility for maneuvring appears, from a preliminary trial, to be satisfactory.

With six horses to a piece, little difference can be seen, in the rapidity of movenment, between this and the 6-pounder; and even with four horses, the draught is not too heavy for short service, in case of need. It may not be found advisable in our service to dispense with the 6-pounder gun.

The nature of the country in which most of our field operations are conducted, and the character of the operations themselves, make it desirable to increase the mobility of our light batteries, by lightening the 6-pounder gun, and also to retain the great advantage which that caliber offers, of enabling us to carry with it a larger quantity of ammunition.

But a great convenience would result, both in the construction and service of field batteries, if, instead of the five kinds of guns and howitzers now constituting them, we can reduce the system to two calibers: a 6-pounder and a 12-pounder gun, each containing 100 pounds of metal to the pound of shot; and this, it is believed, may be done without loss of efficiency for all ordinary service required of our artillery.

Under special circumstances, the 24-pounder or 32-pounder howitzers of our present system might be employed. The 24-pounder howitzer takes the same carriage as the new 12-pounder gun.