Obusier de 6 pouces Gribeauval | |
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![]() Obusier de 6 pouces Gribeauval, modèle 1764, Year 2 (1793–1794), Les Invalides | |
Place of origin | France |
Service history | |
Used by | France |
Wars | French Revolutionary War Napoleonic Wars American War of Independence |
Production history | |
Designer | Jean Baptiste Vaquette de Gribeauval |
Designed | 1765 |
Specifications | |
Mass | 701 lb (318 kg) |
Barrel length | 2 ft 4 in (71 cm) |
Crew | 13 men, 4 horses |
Caliber | 166 mm (6.5 in) |
Barrels | 1 |
Carriage | 1,895 lb (860 kg) |
Rate of fire | 1 shell per minute |
Effective firing range | Canister: 250 m |
Maximum firing range | Shell: 1200 m |
The Obusier de 6 pouces Gribeauval or 6-inch howitzer was a French artillery piece and part of a system established by Jean Baptiste Vaquette de Gribeauval. The Old French inch (French : pouce) was 1.066 English inches long so the weapon can accurately be described as a 6.4-inch howitzer.
The Gribeauval system included the 6-inch howitzer, the light Canon de 4 Gribeauval, medium Canon de 8 Gribeauval and the heavy Canon de 12 Gribeauval. Superseding the older Vallière system, the Gribeauval system was introduced in 1765 and the guns were first used during the American Revolutionary War. The most comprehensive employment of Gribeauval guns occurred during the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars.
Two 6-inch howitzers were often added to four or six cannons to make up a battery of artillery in Napoleon's armies. The 6-inch howitzer was capable of firing an exploding shell at long-range targets or a canister shot at close-range enemy personnel. Starting in 1803, the Year XI system partly replaced the Gribeauval artillery, but it was not until 1829 that the Gribeauval system was wholly superseded by the Valée system.
Adopted by the French army on 15 October 1765, the Gribeauval system was quietly introduced to keep it secret from foreign powers and to avoid a hostile reception from conservative officers in the French Royal Army. The system included 4-, 8- and 12-pounder cannons, the Obusier de 6 pouces Gribeauval (6-inch howitzer) and the 1-pounder light cannon. [1] The 1-pounder was rapidly abandoned. [2] The 6-inch howitzer was used extensively during the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars, but its first major operational use was even earlier, during the American Revolutionary War, in General Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau's French expeditionary corps in 1780–1782, and especially at the Siege of Yorktown in 1781. [3]
The Gribeauval system superseded a system developed in 1732 by Florent-Jean de Vallière. The Vallière system reduced the number of calibers and made other improvements. However, the system lacked a howitzer and the weight of its cannons made them hard to move. These problems became clear during the War of the Austrian Succession and the Seven Years' War. Nevertheless, the ranking artillery officer Joseph Florent de Vallière resisted any changes to his father's system. [4] Sharp opposition by Vallière and other reactionaries held up full implementation of the Gribeauval system until 1776. The new artillery pieces were manufactured so that both the barrels and the carriages were lighter, so they were about half the weight of the Vallière guns. A screw to elevate the barrel, a calibrated rear gunsight and interchangeable parts for gun carriages were some other improvements. [5]
In 1803 the Year XI system was introduced but it was only half-way established by 1809. The Year XI system included 6- and 12-pounder cannons and 5½-inch and 6⅓-inch howitzers. Gribeauval field artillery continued to be used however. [6] In 1829 France adopted the Valée system which reduced the calibers of field artillery to 8- and 12-pound cannons and 24-pound and 6-inch howitzers. Mobility was improved by building only two limber sizes. The 8-pounders and 24-pound howitzers employed the smaller limber while 12-pounders and 6-inch howitzers used the larger limber. Instead of having to march beside the guns, the Valée system allowed all gunners to ride into action while sitting on the limbers. All batteries were standardized at four cannons and two howitzers. [7]
The Obusier de 6 pouces Gribeauval was served by 13 crewmen and drawn by 4 horses. [8] A second authority counted 13 men in the 6-inch howitzer crew, including eight specialists. A trained howitzer crew could fire one round per minute. [9] Normally, a single artillery piece was commanded by a non-commissioned officer while two or more were directed by an officer. The most experienced gunner stood behind and to the left of the piece; his task was to aim and fire. A second gunner was stationed to the left of the cannon; he loaded the cartridge and shell into the bore. The third gunner's station was to the right; he mopped out the barrel after a discharge and rammed home the cartridge and shell. Other crewmen were assigned to bring up fresh ammunition, keep matches burning and the cannon's touch hole clear, position the cannon to fire, observe the shell's trajectory, drive the ammunition wagon and hold the horses. [10] Though as few as six men could operate a field piece, it was necessary to assign a larger crew in order to maintain a high rate of fire in combat. [11]
The Obusier de 6 pouces Gribeauval fired a shell with a diameter of 6 inches. Used in the period 1668–1840, the French inch (French : pouce) measured 2.707 centimeters while the English inch was only 2.54 centimeters. [12] One authority stated that the barrel of the 6-inch howitzer weighed 650 pounds (295 kg). [13] A second source stated that the caliber was 166 millimetres (6.5 in) and the barrel's length 2 feet 4 inches (0.7 m). The barrel weighed 701 pounds (318 kg) and the carriage (including the limber) weighed 1,895 pounds (860 kg). [14] All French field guns had a clearance of 2.705 millimetres (0.106 in) between the round and the inside of the barrel. [15]
According to one authority, the trail chest (or limber box) held four shells while the caisson carried an additional 49 shells and 11 canister shot. [9] Another source asserted that the limber box had four canister shot while the caisson held 49 shells and three canister rounds. Each canister round contained 60 balls of a large size. Three ammunition wagons holding a total of 156 rounds accompanied each howitzer. [16] The shell was propelled by 1.0625 pounds (0.482 kg) of gunpowder. [13] The maximum range when firing shell was 1,200 metres (1,312 yd) but the range depended on the weight of the firing charge and the fuse setting. [14] For example, a shell weighing 23 pounds (10.4 kg) fired with a 1.75 pounds (0.79 kg) charge at 45° would carry 1200 toises, [17] an Old French unit that measured 1.949 metres (6.4 ft). [12] The maximum effective range for canister was 250 metres (273 yd). [6] The effective range for shell fire was 500–600 yards (460–550 m). [18]
The common shell consisted of a hollowed-out cast-iron ball that was filled with gunpowder. Each shell had a fuse 5 inches (12.7 cm) long that was cut by gunners to varying lengths according to the range. The trick was to cut the fuse so that the shell exploded at the target. If a fuse was cut too short the shell would burst in the air harmlessly. If the fuse was cut too long it would roll around sputtering, and there were incidents where soldiers snuffed out the fuse. An exploding shell had a kill zone of about 25 yards (22.9 m) but was less effective on soft, wet ground. [19] The fuse was designed to ignite when the howitzer was fired. [20] A shell fired from a distance of 1,000 paces at an elevation of 25° could be expected to strike within an area 25 paces wide and 50 paces long about 50% of the time. The same shell had only a 12.5% chance to hit an area 12 paces wide and 25 paces long. [21] The pace used here is 0.9 metres (0.98 yd). [22]
The French artillery was the military arm least affected by the chaos accompanying the French Revolution. [23] By the Napoleonic Wars, the French realized that artillery had become one of the three main combat arms, together with infantry and cavalry. On a number of battlefields, the artillery won the day. [24] As early as the Battle of Wattignies in 1793 a Coalition observer remarked that the "immense artillery" of the French was the decisive factor. [25] French armies employed approximately two artillery pieces per 1,000 soldiers in 1800. Napoleon aimed for a ratio of five guns per 1,000, but this goal was never reached. As the quality of foot soldiers fell, the ratio was increased so that there were three guns per 1,000 men at the Battle of Leipzig in 1813. [24] The 6-inch howitzers were commonly found in the divisional and army artillery reserves. The ideal battery was made up of eight field pieces, with six cannons and two howitzers. [9] Batteries with four cannons and two howitzers were also seen frequently. [26] In 1805 there were 8,320 howitzers of all types available for military use. [23]
Howitzers were best suited for long-range fire. When howitzers and cannons were mixed in artillery batteries, the howitzers tended to be used at the shorter ranges where cannons were more effective. This led to a higher expenditure of ammunition. [11] While artillery could be very destructive, it also exercised a psychological effect. [24] Soldiers were frightened of long range artillery fire to which their short-ranged muskets could not respond. If possible, the British deployed their soldiers behind crests to minimize losses from artillery fire, but all other nations usually deployed their troops in the open. At close ranges, the gunners fired canister shot, an anti-personnel weapon. A canister round spewed a load of musket balls toward the target, when fired. [27] Normally, howitzers fired shells at their targets. [20] Unlike cannons which fired on a more flat trajectory, howitzers were designed to throw a shell on an arching trajectory. [22]
When supporting an attack, the guns stayed 100 paces ahead of the advancing infantry until within close range. If there was no effective return fire, the cannons targeted the enemy infantry; otherwise, the guns tried to silence the enemy artillery. When advancing, the first half of the pieces moved forward, covered by the second half, then the second half moved forward, covered by the first half. If light cannons were present, they aimed at the enemy infantry while the remaining guns fired at the enemy artillery. When defending against attack by enemy foot soldiers, the cannons first fired at the enemy artillery. As the range became short, the guns began targeting at the enemy infantry. [28] The minimum interval between artillery pieces in battery was 10 metres (11 yd) because of smoke, recoil and crowding, but the normal interval was 15–20 metres. [6] Despite being an artillerist by training, Napoleon did not appreciate the full capabilities of howitzers. [19]
For the War of the Fourth Coalition in 1806, Napoleon's Grand Army went to war with the following numbers of 6-inch howitzers in each corps organization. The Imperial Guard employed eight 6-inch howitzers out of a total of 42 pieces, the I Corps had four howitzers out of 50 guns, the III Corps had six of 46 pieces, IV Corps had eight of 52 guns, V Corps had six of 38 pieces, VI Corps had four of 24 guns, VII Corps had eight of 36 guns and the Reserve Cavalry Corps had six of 18 pieces. Attached to each of the two cuirassier and four dragoon divisions was a half-battery of horse artillery composed of two 6- or 8-pounders and one 6-inch howitzer. [29]
The 6-inch howitzer was employed at the start of the War of the Fifth Coalition in 1809. In the 2nd Division of the II Corps, the 8th Company of the 5th Artillery Regiment had six 4-pounders and two 6-inch howitzers. In the III Corps, the 4th Division artillery company had six 8-pounders and two 6-inch howitzers. The 1st Heavy Cavalry Division was assigned the 4th and 5th Companies of the 6th Horse Artillery, the 2nd Heavy Cavalry Division had the 3rd Company of the 5th Horse Artillery attached and the 3rd Heavy Cavalry Division had the 6th Companies of the 5th and 6th Horse Artillery. Each of the five horse companies were armed with four 8-pounders and two 6-inch howitzers. The IX Corps, which was made up of soldiers from the Kingdom of Saxony, had four batteries each with four 8-pounders and two 6-inch howitzers. [30] Like France, Saxony cast its own 4-, 8- and 12-pounder cannons. [31] In the Army of Italy, six infantry divisions were each equipped with two companies with four 4-, 6- or 8-pounder cannons and two 6-inch howitzers. Paul Grenier's division had one company with six 8-pounders and the second company with four 4-pounders and two 6-inch howitzers. Two infantry and two cavalry divisions had a single attached company that consisted of four 4- or 6-pounders and two 6-inch howitzers. [32]
In 1809 at the Battle of Talavera the British and Spanish captured 17 French and French-allied artillery pieces from Jean François Leval's division. Among the 13 British prizes were four 8-pounders, four 6-pounders, one 4-pounder and two 6-inch howitzers. The types of the other captured pieces were not recorded. All but two of these guns were quickly recaptured by the French at the Battle of Arzobispo. [33]
Infantry support guns or battalion guns are artillery weapons designed and used to increase the firepower of the infantry units they are intrinsic to, offering immediate tactical response to the needs of the unit's commanding officer. They typically have short, low-velocity barrels, and light construction carriages, allowing them to be more easily manoeuvred on the battlefield. They are generally used for direct fire, rather than the indirect fire of other types of artillery. Their role has generally been replaced by tanks using tank guns, infantry fighting vehicles using autocannons, other combat vehicles, mortars, recoilless rifles, rocket-propelled grenades and shoulder-launched missiles.
Field artillery in the American Civil War refers to the artillery weapons, equipment, and practices used by the Artillery branch to support the infantry and cavalry forces in the field. It does not include siege artillery, use of artillery in fixed fortifications, or coastal or naval artillery. Nor does it include smaller, specialized artillery classified as small arms.
Licorne is the French name of an 18th- and 19th-century Russian cannon, a type of muzzle-loading howitzer, devised in 1757 by M.W. Danilov and S.A. Martynov and accepted by artillery commander, general Peter Ivanovich Shuvalov.
12-pounder gun or 12-pdr, usually denotes a gun which fired a projectile of approximately 12 pounds.
The Canon-obusier was a type of cannon developed by France in the 1850s. The canon-obusier was a smoothbore cannon using either explosive shells, solid shot, or canister, and was therefore a vast improvement over previous cannon firing only solid and canister shot, such as the Gribeauval system.
The Gribeauval system was an artillery system introduced by Lieutenant General Jean Baptiste Vaquette de Gribeauval during the 18th century. This system revolutionized French cannons, with a new production system that allowed lighter, more uniform guns without sacrificing range. The Gribeauval system superseded the Vallière system beginning in 1765. The new guns contributed to French military victories during the French Revolutionary Wars and Napoleonic Wars. The system included improvements to cannons, howitzers, and mortars. The Year XI system partly replaced the field guns in 1803 and the Valée system completely superseded the Gribeauval system in 1829.
The Canon obusier de 12, also known as the "Canon de l’Empereur", was a type of canon-obusier developed by France in 1853. Its performance and versatility allowed it to replace all the previous field guns, especially the Canon de 8 and the Canon de 12 as well as the two howitzers of the Valée system.
The Valée system was an artillery system developed between 1825 and 1831 by the French artillery officer Sylvain Charles Valée, and officially adopted by the French Army from 1828.
The Canon de 12 Gribeauval or 12-pounder was a French cannon and part of the system developed by Jean Baptiste Vaquette de Gribeauval. There were 1.079 English pounds in the Old French pound, making the weight of shot nearly 13 English pounds. The 12-pounder was the heaviest cannon in the French field artillery; the others were the light Canon de 4 Gribeauval and the medium Canon de 8 Gribeauval. Superseding the previous Vallière system, the Gribeauval system was adopted in 1765 and its guns were first used during the American Revolutionary War. The greatest use of Gribeauval guns came during the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. During the latter wars, the 12-pounder was often employed in corps artillery reserves. Because of their physical and psychological effect, Emperor Napoleon increased the number of 12-pounders in his artillery and fondly called the cannons his belles filles. Gribeauval cannons fired canister shot for close-range work and round shot at more distant targets. In 1803 the Year XI system was introduced, but it only partly replaced the Gribeauval system which was not completely replaced until the Valée system was set up in 1829.
The Canon de 8 Gribeauval or 8-pounder was a French cannon and part of the Gribeauval system developed by Jean Baptiste Vaquette de Gribeauval. The Old French pound was 1.07916 English pounds, making the weight of shot about 8.633 English pounds. The 8-pounder was the medium weight cannon of the French field artillery; the others were the light Canon de 4 Gribeauval and the heavy Canon de 12 Gribeauval. Replacing the older Vallière system, the Gribeauval system was introduced in 1765 and the guns were first employed during the American Revolutionary War. The most extensive use of Gribeauval guns was during the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. The 8-pounder could be found in divisional reserves, advanced guards or army artillery reserves. Emperor Napoleon began to phase out the 8-pounder by increasing the proportion of 12-pounders in his artillery. The emperor began switching calibers to the handier 6-pounder piece, utilizing captured guns as well as newly designed French cannons. The Year XI system began in 1803, but it only partly replaced the Gribeauval system which was not entirely suppressed until the Valée system was introduced in 1829.
Jean-Florent de Vallière was a French artillery officer of the 18th century. He was lieutenant-general of the King's Armies. In 1726, de Vallière became Director-General of the Battalions and Schools of the Artillery.
The Mortier de 12 pouces Gribeauval was a French mortar and part of the Gribeauval system developed by Jean Baptiste Vaquette de Gribeauval. It was part of the siege artillery. The measurement of the mortar is expressed by the diameter of the ball, using the French ancient system of measurement, in which 1 pouce is worth 2.707 cm.
The Canon de 4 Gribeauval or 4-pounder was a French cannon and part of the artillery system developed by Jean Baptiste Vaquette de Gribeauval. The Old French pound was 1.079 English pounds, making the weight of shot about 4.3 English pounds. In the Gribeauval era, the 4-pounder was the lightest weight cannon of the French field artillery; the others were the medium Canon de 8 Gribeauval and the heavy Canon de 12 Gribeauval. The Gribeauval system was introduced in 1765 and the guns were first employed during the American Revolutionary War. The most large-scale use of Gribeauval guns occurred during the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. At first a pair of 4-pounders were assigned to each infantry battalion and were often called battalion pieces. Later, Emperor Napoleon took the guns away from the infantry units and began to replace the 4-pounder with the 6-pounder, using captured guns as well as newly cast French cannons. However, as the French infantry declined in quality after 1809, the 4-pounders were reintroduced in order to provide direct support for formations of foot soldiers. All Gribeauval cannons were capable of firing canister shot at close-range and round shot at long-range targets. The Gribeauval system supplanted the older Vallière system, was partly replaced by the Year XI system in 1803 and completely superseded by the Valée system in 1829.
The 3-inch ordnance rifle, model 1861 was a wrought iron muzzle-loading rifled cannon that was adopted by the United States Army in 1861 and widely used in field artillery units during the American Civil War. It fired a 9.5 lb (4.3 kg) projectile to a distance of 1,830 yd (1,670 m) at an elevation of 5°. The 3-inch rifle was not as effective in firing canister shot as the heavier 12-pounder Napoleon, but it proved to be highly accurate at longer ranges when firing shell or shrapnel. There was only one reported case of a 3-inch ordnance rifle bursting in action. This was in stark contrast to the similarly-sized cast iron 10-pounder Parrott rifles which occasionally burst without warning, inflicting injury on the gun crews. The Confederate States of America lacked the technology to manufacture successful copies of the 3-inch ordnance rifle. However, the Confederate States Army respected the weapons and employed those captured from Federal forces.
The M1841 6-pounder field gun was a bronze smoothbore muzzle-loading cannon that was adopted by the United States Army in 1841 and used from the Mexican–American War to the American Civil War. It fired a 6.1 lb (2.8 kg) round shot up to a distance of 1,523 yd (1,393 m) at 5° elevation. It could also fire canister shot and spherical case shot. The cannon proved very effective when employed by light artillery units during the Mexican–American War. The cannon was used during the early years of the American Civil War, but it was soon outclassed by newer field guns such as the 12-pounder Napoleon. In the US Army, the 6-pounders were replaced as soon as more modern weapons became available and none were manufactured after 1862. However, the Confederate States Army continued to use the cannon for a longer period because the lesser industrial capacity of the South could not produce newer guns as fast as the North.
The M1841 12-pounder howitzer was a bronze smoothbore muzzle-loading artillery piece that was adopted by the United States Army in 1841 and employed from the Mexican–American War to the American Civil War. It fired a 8.9 lb (4.0 kg) shell up to a distance of 1,072 yd (980 m) at 5° elevation. It could also fire canister shot and spherical case shot. The howitzer proved effective when employed by light artillery units during the Mexican–American War. The howitzer was used throughout the American Civil War, but it was outclassed by the 12-pounder Napoleon which combined the functions of both field gun and howitzer. In the US Army, the 12-pounder howitzers were replaced as soon as more modern weapons became available. Though none were manufactured after 1862, the weapon was not officially discarded by the US Army until 1868. The Confederate States of America also manufactured and employed the howitzer during the American Civil War. The Confederate armies used the outmoded howitzer for a longer period.
The 10-pounder Parrott rifle, Model 1861 was a cast iron muzzle-loading rifled cannon that was adopted by the United States Army in 1861 and often used in field artillery units during the American Civil War. Like other Parrott rifles, the gun breech was reinforced by a distinctive wrought iron reinforcing band. The gun fired a 9.5 lb (4.3 kg) projectile to a distance of 1,850 yd (1,692 m) at an elevation of 5°. The 10-pounder Parrott rifle was capable of firing shell, shrapnel shell, canister shot, or solid shot. Midway through the war, the Federal government discontinued the 2.9 in (74 mm) version in favor of a 3.0 in (76 mm) version. Despite the reinforcing band, the guns occasionally burst without warning, inflicting injury on the gun crews. The Confederate States of America manufactured a number of successful copies of the gun.
The 20-pounder Parrott rifle, Model 1861 was a cast iron muzzle-loading rifled cannon that was adopted by the United States Army in 1861 and employed in field artillery units during the American Civil War. As with other Parrott rifles, the gun breech was reinforced by a distinctive wrought iron reinforcing band. The gun fired a 20 lb (9.1 kg) projectile to a distance of 1,900 yd (1,737 m) at an elevation of 5°. The 20-pounder Parrott rifle could fire shell, shrapnel shell, canister shot, and more rarely solid shot. In spite of the reinforcing band, the 20-pounder earned a dubious reputation for bursting without warning, killing or injuring gunners. The Confederate States of America also manufactured copies of the gun.
The M1841 24-pounder howitzer was a bronze smoothbore muzzle-loading artillery piece adopted by the United States Army in 1841 and employed from the Mexican–American War through the American Civil War. It fired a 18.4 lb (8.3 kg) shell to a distance of 1,322 yd (1,209 m) at 5° elevation. It could also fire canister shot and spherical case shot. The howitzer was designed to be employed in a mixed battery with 12-pounder field guns. By the time of the American Civil War, the 24-pounder howitzer was superseded by the 12-pounder Napoleon, which combined the functions of both field gun and howitzer. The 24-pounder howitzer's use as field artillery was limited during the conflict and production of the weapon in the North ended in 1863. The Confederate States of America manufactured a few 24-pounder howitzers and imported others from the Austrian Empire.
The M1857 12-pounder Napoleon or Light 12-pounder gun or 12-pounder gun-howitzer was a bronze smoothbore muzzle-loading artillery piece that was adopted by the United States Army in 1857 and extensively employed in the American Civil War. The gun was the American-manufactured version of the French canon obusier de 12 which combined the functions of both field gun and howitzer. The weapon proved to be simple to produce, reliable, and robust. It fired a 12.03 lb (5.5 kg) round shot a distance of 1,619 to 1,680 yd at 5° elevation. It could also fire canister shot, common shell, and spherical case shot. The 12-pounder Napoleon outclassed and soon replaced the M1841 6-pounder field gun and the M1841 12-pounder howitzer in the U.S. Army, while replacement of these older weapons was slower in the Confederate States Army. A total of 1,157 were produced for the U.S. Army, all but a few in the period 1861–1863. The Confederate States of America utilized captured U.S. 12-pounder Napoleons and also manufactured about 500 during the war. The weapon was named after Napoleon III of France who helped develop the weapon.
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