Chapter XI: Part III: Charges

1. What is the charge of a piece of artillery?

The powder with which it is loaded.

2. What is the ordinary service charge of powder for heavy guns?

_One-fourth_ the weight of the shot.

3. What is it for firing _double shot_?

_One-sixth_ the weight of one shot.

4. What is the breaching charge?

_One-third_ the weight of the shot.

5. What kind of charges are used in hot shot firing?

Small charges from _one-fourth_ to _one-sixth_ the weight of the ball.

6. For what reason?

Because balls fired with small velocities split the wood in a manner which is favorable to its burning; with a great velocity the hole closes, the ball sinks deep, and, deprived of air, chars without setting fire to the surrounding wood.

7. To what depth should hot shot penetrate?

Not deeper than ten or twelve inches.

8. In ricochet firing, what kind of charges are used?

Light charges generally; varying from _two-thirds_ to _one-eighth_ of the ordinary charge.

[Sidenote: 61]]

9. In what manner are the charges of mortars regulated?

The charges vary with the elevation; or if the elevation be fixed at any particular angle, they must be determined by the range.

10. What are the charges for field guns and field howitzers?

See Table, page 46.

11. What are the charges for heavy guns, columbiads, and howitzers?

See Table, page 46.

12. What are the greatest charges of the sea-coast, siege, and coehorn mortars?

See Table, page 46.

13. What charge is used for projecting fire balls from mortars?

One _twenty-fifth_ the weight of the ball.

[Sidenote: 62]]

CHARGES FOR FIELD GUNS AND FIELD HOWITZERS.

===============================================================
|FOR GUNS.| FOR HOWITZERS.
KIND. +---------+----+----+----+--------
|12- |6- |32- |24- |12- |Mountain.
|pr. |pr. |pr. |pr. |pr. |
-----------------------------+----+----+----+----+----+---------
|lbs.|lbs.|lbs.|lbs.|lbs.| lbs.
For shot, |2.5 |1.25| | | |
For spher. case or canister, |1.5 |1.0 |2.5 |1.75|0.75| 0.5
For shells, { Small charge, | — | — |2.5 |2.0 |1.00| 0.5
{ Large charge, | — | — |3.25|2.50|1.00| 0.5
-----------------------------+----+----+----+----+----+---------

CHARGES FOR HEAVY GUNS, COLUMBIADS AND HOWITZERS.

====================================================================
GUNS. |COLUMBIADS | HOWITZERS.
-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-------+------------
42- | 32- | 24- | 18- | 12- | 10- | 8- |Siege| 24-pr.| Sea-Coast.
pr. | pr. | pr. | pr. | pr. |inch.|inch.|8-in.|Garri- |------+-----
| | | | | | | | son |10-in.|8-in.
-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-------+------+-----
lbs.| lbs.| lbs.| lbs.| lbs.| lbs.| lbs.| lbs.| lbs. | lbs. |lbs.
10.5| 8. | 8. | 6. | 4. | 14. | 8. | 4. | 2. | 12. | 8.
-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-------+------+-----

GREATEST CHARGES OF SEA-COAST, SIEGE AND COEHORN MORTARS.

=================================================================
SEA-COAST. | SIEGE. | COEHORN. | STONE MORTAR.
--------+--------+--------+-------+----------+----------+--------
18-inch.|10-inch.|10-inch.|8-inch.| | 120 pds. |15 6-pr.
| | | | |of stones.|shells.
--------+--------+--------+-------+----------+----------+--------
lbs. | lbs. | lbs. | lbs. | lbs. | lbs. | lbs.
20. | 10. | 4. | 2. | 0.5 | 1.5 | 1.
--------+--------+--------+-------+----------+----------+--------

[Sidenote: 63]]