Live Firing Civil War Siege Artillery, Part 2, Mortars
Vložit
- čas přidán 11. 03. 2012
- James D. Julia Auctioneers will be offering Session 2 in the 16 March 2015 Firearms Auction, the extraordinary Springfield Arsenal LLC Collection of rare antique cannons. Here's the online illustrated catalog of our nearly 100 fine cannons, cannon models, and accouterments--scroll about 1/10 way down the page to item 2038 and start there: jamesdjulia.com/auction/373-ma...
This collection in its entirety will represent what is believed to be the finest, largest, and most diverse offering of antique cannons to ever come to auction (to our knowledge). This auction will include approximately 28 tons of these cannons. Over the years, John Morris (one of the world's leading authorities on antique cannons) has prepared a number of CZcams videos depicting these cannons. Please see the list of 100 cannons to be sold, including a US 8" mortar M1861, here: www.springfieldarsenal.net/mai...
Mortars were very important weapons for use in and around fixed fortifications and entrenchments during the Civil War. In this outstanding educational video, you will see an 8-inch siege mortar fired with live (explosive!) ammunition. You will learn how to aim, load, and service the mortar after firing it. The duties of the crew are detailed as well.
This video may use material, both audio and video, that is subject to the Fair Use provisions of section 107 of the copyright act of 1976.
Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976: Allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.
If you are interested in military uniforms, weapons, accouterments, miniatures, books, battles, insignia, vehicles, trench art, relics, fortifications, etc. you should be a member of The Company of Military Historians! Join here:
www.military-historians.org/jo...
Meanwhile, anyone may visit our online Forum, full of topics, photos, videos etc. on items you will find informative if not fascinating, here:
www.military-historians.org/cm...
Also, here's a free copy of our world-famous journal "Military Collector and Historian;" to download it:
gs19.inmotionhosting.com/~mili...
It’s impossible to imagine the horror of being on the receiving end of this kind of ordinance but it gives you an idea & people like these American civil war enthusiasts are a history students dream. Absolutely brilliant stuff🇬🇧
It's interesting to think of how all of these steps in this intricate firing procedure were likely born from the lethal mistakes of hundreds of years of cannon use.
actually its because its a reactment. IRL they were quickly wiping the bore with a wet towel on a stick. dump and reload to fire in less than 30sec.
Except gunner 1 is no doubt deaf in his right ear
Just think of it like this. How many crew members were left alive to explain what went wrong in early cannon failures? Im pretty sure the first guy to dump a powder charge onto a burning ember in the bore had a few suggestions about safety.
@@Francois_Dupont
While I agree that they are deliberately taking their time, in a real battle, they would still be following those same steps, just highly speeded up!
You cut corners and accidents happen!
@@mahbriggs the sweeping of a clean platform probably not
The mortar shell contains a timed fuse inserted in the side placed against the powder(can be seen @10:19) its the hole with the slotted plug facing up. The gunner then inserts and pricks the fuse for the desired flight time. The fuse has time markings for repeatable timing. Number one fires the cannon, firing the cannon lights the fuse, and next thing you know the bombs bursting in air.
It only takes a second to think about how careful they were scraping and wiping this out after firing to realize how freaking dangerous these things were and can still be.
They are using loose black powder, it is NOT bagged which would make it a trifle bit safer. During the war the cannons were loaded with the powder inside a linen bag, but the gunners would still swab the bore with a wet sponge prior to loading to prevent n early discharge. An experiment was done during the war using tinfoil wrapping for the powder with no swab between rounds...a large number of rounds were fired before one round cooked off and killed the loader by taking his arm off at the shoulder.
source ? and who was stupid enough to use tin foil
@@philgiglio7922
That would have been extremely stupid. Testing to failure. Failure means death. It's a safe bet that no one liked the guy very much.
Are y'all blind? There's no powder in the mortar while scraping...lol
@@dementedbowine8681 stupid enough? what? lead and tin charges were a huge advancement in weapons technology. they kept powder dry much better, and were even better at preventing premature discharge of a piece.
I do Civil War reenactments and what gets most people's attention are the weapons demonstration. We can't do live fire while at events, so I'm glad to see such live fires here so that people can have a better understanding of why the battles and sieges were so gruesome.
@blackkey1976 labor was cheap, so was coal and iron, at least in the North. South had huge problem with the latter 2. Coal and iron in birmingham, but transport was a real problem. So was quality control, timed fused would either burn too quickly or slowly.
The cannon owners go to foundries to have their shells made. I think this was filmed at Camp Ripley, MN, a facility of the MN Nat. Guard.
I am grateful to have been able to see this happen.
I was wondering how that transpired considering they were using exploding shells with timed fuses on the rounds and that it detonated in the air. Very neat indeed, I am thankful that some group has done the demonstrations accurately at least down to the shells that were not just solid shots.
Wonder what the foundry charges for the shells?They cant be cheap.
Spent two winter camps at Camp Ripley in the early 80's .
These were originally called bombards and their function was to lob a large stone or cannon ball over a castle wall.
Home intruder: show me where the valuables are and no one gets hurt
Mortar gunman: hold that thought
2:23 this guy looks like Fletcher from The Outlaw Josey Wales... (The BEST movie EVER made!!!)
Right down to the hat
He's a dead ringer!
Yes
Imagine hundreds of these exploding above you while you walk slowly forward, all the while large lead mini balls wizzing by your head and hitting people next to you. You are under orders to keep going, man what a terrifying feeling that must have been for those boys who were new recruits on both sides. We think of the civil war as slow fire because of the weapons, but there were so many that it was a continuous volly, intense black powder smoke everywhere. I almost have to say I'd rather have been on Omaha Beach than a large battle in the Civil War. No offense intended to that by the way I hope any vets understand what I meant, it's just the lack of medical and chance you won't be helped for a very long time vs. a fantastic medical machine we had for ww2. Total respect to all those who have fought for us, I thank you.
Mortars weren't field artillery by this time.
Due to the use of black powder which gives off an immense amount of smoke brought forth the term "fog of war".
Visit a Civil War battle renactment, I've been on the field, the shear cacophony of sound: not to mention the volume and shock impact on the body a nearby cannon has on you, will confuse and rattle a first timer
Near Maastricht where I live we found fragments of 18th century coehorn mortar balls. Impressive large chunks of metal that will kill anything in its path.
Well this was siege artillery primarily, and it wouldn’t have been hundreds at one time. Not as many cannons firing in sync as you might think.
I was a artilleryman in the Marines , nothing really basically charged, and I was in freemans battery 2007 -2009 reenactment I remember firing the 1853 bronze tube thar was original, it was captured and recaptured , with the spiked holes , it was such a learning experience in a small glimpse in the life of a civil war soldier, glad I did it .
The velocity was slow enough, and the projectile big enough that more often than not, you could see its entire flight. At night, the burning fuse would mark the trajectory. Spectacular sight during the Mississippi Campaign when federal mortar barges fired thousands of shells on rebel defenses.
Try to imagine doing all that operation under live fire
these guys know what they're doing. I can imagine them speeding up and finding a rhythm. Impressive
That was great. To know this sound from the past. Thanks for maintaining this history.
Rate of fire measured in rounds per hour.
decodeddiesel they were much quicker in battle they weren't fast at all
They mention a ROF in rounds per hour in the video.
Did you watch this video?
garuburn the raging pheonix gotta love the glorious WW2 KV-1 Russian army tank. I've been trying to acquire an airsoft remote controlled KV-1 by a company called vstanks but the airsoft KV-1 is so popular it is hard to get your hands on it.
decodeddiesel 😴😴😴😴😴😴😴😴😴😴😴😴😀
Very interesting and unusual video. These guys really bring history to life.
Mortars are deadly weapons used to kill the enemy in their defensive positions. In the modern military we can load and fire them easily and with greater distance and accuracy. The 81 MM Mortar is carried into battle along with many rounds for close combat. The Larger' 109 MM mortars have Much larger and longer tubes, around 6 ft high and are used as long range artillery. On firebases in Vietnam these were one of two weapons used in a Battery, usually six Mortars or Six 105 MM howitzers. The newer howitzers that began arriving in 1969 were even mounted on base plates just like the mortars. This new configuration made the cannons more easily portable and much faster to set up and aim. I assume that the baseplate design has continued to be used till today. I would not be surprised if the US Army did away with the large mortar batteries and replaced them with the baseplate mounted cannons.
yep you could set up a modern mortar far faster and take it down just the same this would take 1-2 h to set up for the first shot
Very informative and educational. I have found shell fragments while out metal detecting. The range of those mortars is amazing.
Cannot imagine how 16 to the elderly soldiers (60+)felt during the war. And this thing is just horrifining, to say the least.
Firing that mortar was a highly organized affair.
My recently passed buddy has one of these coehorn mortars, his is 8 3/4" we used bowling balls. They could go a hell of a long way at only 15-16lbs. Mine are made from K size oxygen tanks, WW2 style😊
Keep that to yourself or gov will come knocking! Not during this administration my friend
What isn't shown clearly here is how the powder charge is ignited. It just shows a cord being pulled. Anyone know?
@@michaelyates5976a friction primer is used, it take 35lbs of pilling force on the lanyard to ignite it. My cannons & mortars use shotgun primers and a couple use musket caps with dixie gun works cannon locks & lanyards😊
Excellent video and comments, learned a lot. I appreaciate that.
The speed of the narrator's delivery matches the mortar's rate of fire.
Quality comment
Lots of those used in the good, the bad, and the ugly. Never knew stuff like that still exists. Very educational.
really cool. thank you, Sir(s)..
Just show, in old days the fuzes were cut so the projectile would burst where it would do the most damage to a particular target. I think in most cases that would be bursting just above ground level.
Wonderful video of him working thank you so much for sharing it I’ve never seen one so big before the example I have seen was much smaller
The "missing column" in casualty lists is largely due to artillery. Troops disappeared after being hit by it.
Pink mist when hit by canister at close range, only thing left...shoes, buckles, parts off their weapon and not much else.
another good video! thanks for posting
This was a fantastic display of how these weapons were manned and fired. Wonderful how these guys are able to live fire this weapon after hundreds of years. Good casting in MA.
Only ~150 years ago at this point in time
That was an excellent demonstration! I learned a lot and I can just imagine how bad things would be on a battlefield with many of these mortars being fired. I also thought that your voice sounded like Tom Berriengers. Greetings from Apache Junction, Arizona.
Sometimes with those old wooden plug fuzes, the burn rate of the filler was not consistent, so a premature detonation was always a possibility. Same for a delayed detonation, or just plain poor cutting of the fuze when installed.
excelent yob crew!bravo !
My family is from South Carolina and I have seen these barrels since I was very young but never have seen one fired. At Charlston SC, there are quite a few forts that have these on display. Also downtown Charlston, there are many on display on Battery street with pyrimid piles of canon balls cemented together so people don't take them. Some balls had grape shot, lot's of little balls inside. I suppose on the time fuse that a chisel may be used to cut the fuse at the desired time. I remember a few years ago that a man died from trying to unload a canon ball. Good video.
Moultrie was where a uncle of mine took us one day about 35 years ago and that is where I saw these on display. So, there was a Revolution war and a Civil war also in Charlston? I still have pictures from that trip. I remember some dungens down under the fort. They burned a lot of black powder in those wars.
I was stationed in Charleston from 71-76. I spent some time at the Battery. I was told that with the mortars there, they held the shells in fires, heated up red hot, then dropped down the barrels with those hoists that were attached to the mortars. The hot shell would set off the powder, when the shell landed on Fort Sumner they would set fires and blow up any powder magazines they happen to hit.
Those are much larger than the one used on this demonstration
If any of you folks ever visit England, come to the "great waterfront city of Portsmouth" and have a look around Fort Nelson (free admission) which was built during the 1860's to protect the navy base from an attack by the French Army from the landward side. The concealed mortar batteries within the fort are impressive!
Thanks for the information. Appreciate it.
Very interesting video and very solid information. I love artillery and the story of artillery in the Civil War. The Union began the war with an artillery advantage that only became more one -sided as war continued.
Amazingly efficient weapons. It throws that heavy of a shell with a relatively small main charge. It's really interesting to see such a large one fired. I've seen several fired at black powder meets but they were golf ball sized bores.
How is it effective
This technology is still used today but most people have no idea even though they go to firework shows at least once a year
knowing how it was done, interesting, thank you
Outstanding !!
That so cool from a historical point of view.
Stunning power for the time period.
@Citizen S
Absolutely amazing
They were aiming for the elements of the Confederate Air Force
A mosquito is a pretty small target.
Best joke in this comments.. sorry for long reply
see 1862 ord manual, a Google book: "Charging Shells" pp. 271, too long to paste here. Shells were filled before taking them to the mortar battery where they'd be fired. Shell capacity listed also elsewhere in the book.
Awesome video 👍🏼
Always the Damn Yankee. Our CONFEDERATE TROOPS. USED THEM TO.
[>
Well done.
first shot is at 8:25
Thanks for saying that
Id love to see how they load the projectiles to time the delayed report from the rounds fired. That's an impressive feet of its time in history to delay the rounds report above the target with such accuracy.
Star Spangled Banner: "the bombs bursting in air"....this is what they were talking about....a very nasty weapon....
Johnathan Davis. No, the bombs bursting in air was the British attack using Hale rockets.
@@mickcoomer9714Glad someone knows
terrorfire tank. The American anthem is a very accurate description of a British attack (sorry I can’t remember which port, but I’m English and I think Americans should know the story better than me), and the very brave and spirited defence by the colonialists ( not at the Americans, as they didn’t exist at this time, they were all British). It was originally a poem and was later set to music.
terrorfire tank. This vid was about the civil war ( 1875 ish) not the war of independence ( 1812 ish). Some people should learn the history of their country. If you don’t lean by history the mistakes will be repeated ( they seem to be anyway).
@@mickcoomer9714 The war of 1812 wasnt the war of indepence, nor were the americans still considered british. The bombs bursting in air were fired from mortar ships. Rockets were fired too, both are mentioned in the poem
Very interesting - Thanks ! ! !
🙂😎👍
Very nice !
How they did all of this in a short time in actual battle I can't imagine.
Strange how the live round, timed fuse footage from all three shots shows the same video footage. Lol! So spectacular I must say.
Perfect for home defense.....
Would this be good to scare grackles out of my yard?
I may be wrong but they have to be very careful not to drop that ball into the mortar or the impact will cause a spark when it hits the power, like hitting caps with a hammer. Keep your face clear
Okay in reality this was a really good video very educational very well done I'd like to see it in person sometime
Mortars today still essentially work the same way. 11C veteran.
If not , possibly the earliest flak weapon made .
how long to reload on in real-time on the battlefield? Thanks for a very outstanding video. I always wondered about the odd-looking cannons
Awesome
If one will notice that the Gun Commander is already dropping into the kneeling position to load the charge as Gunner Number 2 is delivering the round. These guys are good.
The Age-of-Sail Royal Navy used to mount its own version of mortars on reinforced ships they called "bombs." Typically they would anchor the ship at bow and stern and loosen or tighten the anchor cables to swing the ship and thus aim the mortars, usually at immovable land targets.. These mortars were different from "carronades," another short-barreled, smooth-bore cannon that some men of war carried for close-range destructive power.
The mortar was mounted on an immovable platform, to direct the force of the recoil downward, whether to the ground(if on land), or to the reinforced deck under it(if on a ship). The carronade was a short, wide-mouthed barrel mounted, horizontally, on a SLIDE rather than a wheeled carriage, as most naval guns were. The weight of the gun, plus the resistance of the slide, helped to absorb the recoil.
I have always wondered how they fired and what they did after they fired. Thanks for posting this.
I noticed, during loading the shell, that no wadding to minimize escaping gasses around the round ball were used, as with muzzle-loading rifle / pistol using patched round ball...
This looks like it was from the 90s!
My left ear enjoyed this
That was VERY interesting... Where did you get the cannon balls? Also where was this done?
good clip informative
Ya got that right.
I honestly thought I was going to see a video about another Civil War that happened some two hundred years earlier! The title should say Live Firing American Civil War Siege Artillery, Part 2, Mortars.
good use of the quadrant, you are not using the regulation spoon and scraper. when the command READY is given the 1 , 4 and 2 man will post themselves 12 yards behind the piece with the 4 man between the 1 and 2, gunner to the windward side. 3 will step in with the right food and place friction primer in vent attached the the lanyard. move 3 paces perpendicular to the piece waiting for the command FIRE from the Gunner. This would look much more proper with a full crew.
Crews trained to work short handed...losses happen in combat, and if the enemy could they would counter battery fire.
Good video. A lot more work involved than a modern quick firing breach loader. These mortar batteries would themselves have been priority targets for enemy batteries.
You brought the mortars in after the enemy's artillery had been silenced by your long guns
OUTSTANDING! But... I wonder: was the fuse ignited when the gun was fired?
Even a weapon like this, crude by today's standards, was very effective.
how educational
Imagine you’re out for a joy ride in your Cessna, and all of a sudden you’re shot out of the air by a civil war mortar.
Yes if they were long and being fired at a 45 angle they would have to stand taller. The barrel would have to pivot or the gunners would have to have a platform. Long barrels provide accuracy since they are lobing a frag shell over a wall they cant see behind shot accuracy is moot. There fore the extra pain in the A to have a long barrel would add nothing and would detract in the extra effort required.
this is for the war on valium.
Would have been more interesting if you had show them bringing the piece up to the firing position, unloading, setting up the
weapon in battery before firing it. then firing and actually
impact upon a designated target.
i guess it would be a 2h long video and with no modern equipment there is gonna be major back problems
No wonder sieges took so long; eighteen minutes per shot.
I’ll bet they were quicker than that for real.
Like come on guys, move with some fuckin purpose. They need a proper fuckin ass chewing.
Neat video... though camera person cant seem to capture the sky before and during the explosion
That was a fun little jaunt down History Lane.
Yeah, I’m thinking, hoping, they move a little quicker between shot when on siege, but I guess on siege the speed of firing can be quite calm n no speed hassles.???
I see that many mortar crews got overrun.
What a timely ordeal. Let alone moving the thing.
Oh my gosh!!! At 5:08......the guy that was after Josey Wales in that Civil War movie!!!
Danny Hudack - Yes, he has an amazing resemblance to actor John Vernon. Mr. Vernon passed away in 2005, rest in peace.
people talk about how long it takes to load these. realize youd have 100 of them all firing and exploding at the same time for a massive effect so it wouldnt matter the time really
dude looks like john vernon from the outlaw josey wales - fletcher
Keep it clean boys!!!
Jeez the gunner looks like Josey Wales mate who went to work with the red legs.
Drew Dixon
spot on, holy crap!!
Lol, I thought that too.
Darma energia
The same chap who uttered those immortal lines to the Yankee senator ( no offence to anyone intended )...
“ Don’t piss down my back & try to tell me it’s raining.” Josey Wales an absolute film classic. I believe it was a huge success as a film, it certainly was here in the uk, at least where I was on the south coast of England, close to Portsmouth & overlooking the Solent & the isle of White. It was 1976, I was sixteen & can’t count how many times we all went to see that film when it was on at the cinema & it was a big deal the first time josey Wales was shown on TV maybe at Christmas or Easter.....
Anyway, you get my point...Josey Wales a brilliant masterpiece 🇬🇧
I thought Dean Wormer.
Holy crap!
Would be interesting to know the design principles of the fuse.
Maybe because the mortar is shallow so the sound is quickly spread out when fired?
Lot of people lost limbs putting the charge into guns. Has happened in reenactment as well.
People in Vicksburg wrote about the destructive force of mortars during the siege.
How is the explosive charge loaded in the mortar ball, looked like a very small hole for the fuse.
Good video. One thing i don't understand is at what point is the explosive charge for the round prepared? Is the exp. charge placed inside the round right before inserting it inside the cannon? How much powder is used? I don't understand the mechanism for making the round explode in mid air.
How is the ball charge ignite when it is up in the air?
Indeed cool