|
Perhaps the most important gun in the coastal war was not a large shipboard parrot rifle fort destroyer, or an iron smashing 15 inch Dahlgren, but miniscule twelve pounders. By these I mean the go any where boat howitzers. Designed by Adm. Dahlgren in the 1850's they were based on similar guns in European naval service. Capable of service aboard ship as a light gun to repel boarders or as a bow gun in any number of ships boats, the gun could also be used for service on shore. To achieve this each gun had two carriages. A sliding type sea carriage, and a wheeled land carriage. The sea carriage had pivot points on either end, and would be used in the ship's boats, or as a supplement to the main battery. The land carriage was stored in the stern sheets of the boat the gun was assigned to until needed. The boat would make a bow first landing on a beach by dropping a kedge anchor and paying the line out till the boat grounded. This kept the boat perpendicular to the beach and allowed the boat to be pulled off into the surf by the anchor cable.
The wheeled carriage was then brought forward on runners on the thwarts. The land carriage was of iron, and later received iron wheels to absorb the stress of landing. The Barrel was tipped off the boat carriage with a spar and the land carriage slid in its place. The fast change of carriages was accomplished by the fighting bolt that joined the barrel to the carriage, as opposed to regular trunions.
Boat guns came in several patterns. The first three were a light 12 pdr, a heavy 12 pdr, and a 24 pdr. Latter the heavy 23 pattern was rifled (3.4inch rifle), and a 20 pdr (4inch rifle) was introduced, as well as a "small" 12 pounder pattern. All except the rifles were cast in bronze.
All types saw extensive service in the war, arming small craft and accompanying sailors and marines on their nightly raids into the countryside to enforce the blockade.
|
|
