1
Q
what was the advantage of breech loading weaponry
A
- weapon didn’t need to be moved as much
- reloading process simpler and faster
- bullet and gunpowder loaded together not separately
2
Q
when was the first practical breech loading field gun ready for the army
A
having originally contacted the war office with their proposal for a new design in 1854
the first practical field gun ready for use by the army in 1858
3
Q
what was Armstrong inspired by
A
- the problems highlighted in the Crimean War
- he set about designing a new cannon for the Royal Artillery
4
Q
what was Armstrong told about his 5 pounder gun
A
- it was too small
- so he set about developing an 18 pounder
5
Q
what was the design for Armstrong’s new cannon meant to overcome
A
- the traditional problems faced by artillery
- slow load time - barrel wear - poor accuracy
6
Q
how did Armstrong fix the slow loading time of artillery
A
- placing the projectile in the breech
- Armstrong’s gun had a screw thread on the breech so that it could be replaced and screwed back into position before the gun was fired.
- other designs used a sliding block to seal the breech when the gun was fired
7
Q
what accompanied the change to breach loading cannons
A
- projectiles now coated in a soft metal lead that expanded slightly when the gun was fired
- grip rifling - more spin on shell
- coating softer than metal on inside of barrel so didn’t wear down as quick
- reduced windage and so less gunpowder needed
- thanks to these new shells devised by Armstrong based on the principle of the Minie ball problems of barrel wear and accuracy were solved
8
Q
when did the army adopt the 12 pounded breech loader and what did they find
A
- 1859 and service in 1861 New Zealand wars
- found they required more maintenance/ training than the army prepared for
- ammunition more expensive than for muzzle loaders
- thus despite success of breach loading artillery in Europe wars in 1871 the army reverted to muzzle loaders which were simpler and cheaper
9
Q
when did Breech-loading artillery become the norm
A
- 1880s
- initially the BL 12 pounder was main field gun and lighter version used by horse artillery
- both used during Boer war
- by FWW larger/more used many manufactured/designed by Armstrong company
10
Q
how did the Royal Navy adopt Armstrong’s 12-pounder
A
- with a slightly shorter barrel
- quick fire version adopted in 1894 and became main armament for naval destroyers in both world wars
- breech loaders had big impact on ship design as larger breech loading guns needed to be mounted in revolving turrets rather than firing out of holes in the side
11
Q
what was the impact of the Armstrong cannon
A
- while bigger armies made battlefield wider - 2 miles at Waterloo, 25 at the Somme, the improved range and reliability of weaponry made them deeper
- effect on ship design - BL made switch from broadside to mounted turrets
- development of heavy armed battleships wouldn’t have progressed in the same way
- killing power led to static warfare as needed trench systems as protection from cannons - ground only gained from costly assaults that led to higher casualties
- greatest killed in FWW was artillery as opposed to previous wars when it was health
12
Q
discuss how breech loaders created concern with range
A
- they were first guns that could fire much further than the gunner could see
- gunner could not see the effects of his fire
- signalling thus became very important through flags, telephone then radio to know if he had been successful in his hit
- often aimed at points on maps so important they had up to date maps
13
Q
what was the Maxim Gun
A
- the first modern machine gun
- designed by Sir Hiram Maxim in 1884
14
Q
discuss the Maxim machine gun aspects
A
- used energy of the recoil to expel the used cartridge and place next one in the breech
- single barrel surrounded by sleeve that contained water to stop it overheating
- large gun by modern standards
- needed a crew to move, set up and service it
- but could be fired by one man on his own
- claimed it could fire 600 rounds a minute
15
Q
what and when did the Vickers company set about doing
A
- took over the Maxim company in 1897
- set about making an improved design of the Maxim gun
16
Q
how was the Vickers machine gun similar and different to the Maxim machine gun
A
- same principles
- but Vickers lighter, more reliable
- its parts easier to mass produce
- the standard version used the same .303 inch ammunition as the infantry rifle
- needed crew to operate like Maxim but the gun itself and the tripod it rested on were easier to move
17
Q
what was machine gun hand out like at the start of FWW
A
- parcelled out to each infantry battalion and cavalry regiment
- a section of two weapons assigned to each
18
Q
how had tactical thinking in terms of machine guns changed by 1915
A
- a light machine gun, the Lewis gun was being used by infantry battalions
- heavier machine guns like the Vickers were re-formed into the Machine Gun corps
- then larger machine gun units assigned to divisions
- eventually each division had its own machine gun battalion to use as it saw fit
19
Q
what was the impact of the Vickers gun and other machine guns
A
- major role in tactical changes
- made warfare static trench warfare rather than mobile posturing
- rate of fire meant men could no longer operate in open ground without been mown down
- fewer men needed to hold an area - machine guns give same volume of fire as 40-50 riflemen
- soldiers needed to be trained better to deal with such weapons
- men serving in machine guns units needed to be trained with mechanical expertise
20
Q
how did Rockets first come about
A
- British had experienced them when fighting in India in 1790s
- after British victory in Mysore war examples of Indian Rockets brought back to London
- examined and a British variant developed by William Congreve who believed manufacturing them would be profitable if the armed forces chose to use them
- wrote a book to convince the gov that it was worth investing in
21
Q
what is interesting about the development of the Congreve Rockets in the late 1700s early 1800s
A
- once again it was left to individual entrepreneurship to drive innovation as Congreve needed to spend a good deal of his own money on experiments
- however by 1806 he had a working model and along with support from Prince of Wales allowed him to prove its practicability to the War Office who then gave a grant for its development
22
Q
when were rockets adopted
A
- army and navy adopted them from 1806 onwards and used it in small numbers during the wars against Nap’s France
23
Q
what was the hope of the of Congreve rocket
A
- he hoped it would eventually replace conventional artillery
24
Q
when did long range missiles properly catch on
A
- not until the second world war
25
when was the first successful use of rockets by the Royal Navy
- part of an attack on Boulogne in Oct 1806
- fired 2000 rockets at the city
- actual damage limited but psychological effect huge due to unpredictable flight path, smoke and noise
26
how did the navy use rockets effectively
- when used as part of a mixed barrage as opposed to using rockets alone
- for ship to shore bombardment
- greater range than conventional guns so ships could anchor outside gun range and still attack though they were wildly inaccurate
27
when was the most notable use of rockets for the navy
- against Fort McHenry in 1814 during the Battle of Baltimore
- bombardment lasted 24 + hours
- did not achieve surrender of fort
- but illustrated the problem with the rockets that despite their psychological impact they were not accurate enough to be effective
28
were rockets welcomed into the army in the same way there were in the navy
- much opposition to the introduction of rockets into the army
- veterans of the Indian campaign like Welly were reminded of their lack of accuracy and can also be as big a threat to firers
- other generals were naturally conservative and regarded the new weapon as frivolous and unnecessary
29
what was a flintlock
- new reliable firing mechanism fired
30
what was one of the main things keeping the rocket programme going
- patronage of Prince of Wales
| - he lobbied generals/politicians to push on with trials and develop them for use in combat
31
what was the 1st Rocket troop given at Waterloo in 1815
- equipped with conventional cannons
- the fact that the army did not expand the use of rockets and stayed with more traditional cannons demonstrates the limited success rockets had on the battlefield
32
what was a problem with transporting and keeping rockets
- they didn't store well
| - they lost potency and reacted badly to extreme temperatures
33
name some of the latest times rockets were used
- despite the problems only becoming more obvious over time
| - rocket troops were still deployed such as during wars against the New Zealand Maoris between 1845 and 1872
34
who continued the development of rockets after Congreve
- an individual again
- William Hale
- patented a new rocket which used spin to improve accuracy
- new rocket adopted into the British army in 1860s but in small numbers
- as 19th century wore on they were taken out of service due to the massive advances in steel artillery
35
what did Major Blomefield do for the Royal Navy in the late 1780s
- improved the quality of naval guns
- saw that every new gun was fired 30x before instalment on a ship to ensure it was manufactured properly
- firing mechanism also changed to more reliable flintlock
36
basic features of a carronade
- short barrel but wide muzzle gave far broader angle of fire
- quick to reload
- used little gunpowder
- devastating when aimed at deck
- lighter
- short range
37
what did the carronade allow tactically
crossing the 'T'
38
how did the carronade give the British Navy a huge advantage in close quarter fighting
- wipe out all the men on the enemy deck before the boarding party went on
- take the enemy time to regroup
- British already on board and able to defend themselves
39
what is grapeshot also known as
canister
40
what happened with two 68 pounder carronades during the battle of Trafalgar
- the two 68 pounders on HMS Victory were fired through the stern windows of the French Bucentaure with such force that they cleared the top gun deck
41
why and when were the carronades phased out of the royal Navy
- by 1851
- after Nap wars naval tactics began to change
- as long barrelled guns got faster/more accurate naval engagements became more distanced
42
what did carronades illustrate
- the power of grapeshot
- though ineffective against structure, devastating against people
- development of high explosive shells fired by artillery on land and sea owed much to naval carronades
- shrapnel wounds from these explosive shells was to be the most common wound during FWW
43
what did carronades draw attention to other than grapeshot
- windage
- space between cannonball and inside of the barrel should be narrow to stop leakage of gunpower
- shorter carronade barrel meant windage could be tighter
- ammunition made to be tight
- as engineering became more precise and shells with cases became used in rifled barrels windage less of an issue
- work done by Carron Company that was important in solving this
44
discuss the development of the Mark I tank
- summer 1915
- showed benefit of caterpillar tracks for moving over rough terrain
- eventual pan to mount a single pompom gun in a turret on top with 6 machine guns
- despite its success the design was altered
- the next one was more rhomboidal shaped with tracks on outside that would become standard FWW model
45
what were the first tanks like
- large
- difficult to operate
- their weight required huge engines so super slow
- needed large crews to operate
- no steering
- so loud only communicate by signals inside
46
discuss the tank at its Somme debut
- only 24/50 actually made it to the start line due to mechanical problems
- several broke down and other destroyed by artillery
47
when was the most successful use of the tank
- Cambrai in Nov 1917
- 400+ supported the infantry and followed a creeping barrage
- effective in clearing the barbed wire then supporting the infantry with fire
- initial shock value too
Mini Exams Preparation
flashcards
Decks in class (16)
# Cards
-
Crimean War (1854-6)96
-
Reporting the Crimean War35
-
Navy Battles92
-
The Battles of the FWW88
-
Impact of French Wars on Britain35
-
FWW Life in the Trenches12
-
War in the Air37
-
FWW Home Front20
-
Boer War12
-
Net Cost of the Boer War6
-
Weaponry7
-
Weaponry Moodle PDF24
-
Weaponry Textbook47
-
Alice Weapons27
-
Florence and Seacole6
-
FWW trench life17
