For all the artillerymen in this forum

Hello to all 7- pdrs RML artillerymen

After the Captain J.S.Rothwell,R.A " The two guns of N/5 R.A., with their detachments turned out along with the other troops at 12 o'clok, and came into action on the left of the camp,and about 400 yards from it."

At 1.10pm,after the Captain J.S.Rothwell,R.A " The two guns ,after discharging a few rounds of case in the dense advancing mass of the enemy, limbered up and retired toward the camp ."

Conclusion = 70 minute of fire per gun at two shot per minute per gun = 138 shrapnel (21 balls of lead and antimony per 7- pr.Shrapnel...) + 2 case shot (70 balls of lead and antimony per 7- pr.Case Shot... ) = 140 shot per gun.

My calculation is correct ?

Cheers

Pascal

Hi Pascall,

I have long held the suspicion that the artillary left in the camp, ie the 2 RML 7 pdrs were not effecively used. This could have come about because of their location relative to the advancing enemy, or merely the command to fire not coming, or being incorrectly timed.

Now, extending the theory advanced in your post above, sustained fire over the 70 minutes should have expended at least 140 x 7 pdr rounds which would have dispensed 2900 individual pieces of shrapnell. Remembering that each piece of shrapnell could kill or incapitate at least two of the enemy, I ask the question, What were they shooting at as there is not much said about the RA doing their bit towards the defence of the camp?

Perhaps someone who has studied the characteristics of these RML 7 pdrs should come in here and put us out of our misery.

barry

Bonjour Barry

En premier ,je vous souhaite un noel hyper-super...

After Chard takes 25 bullets to kill or injure a Zulu ...

While Chard talks about rifles shots...

But imagine: 2 X 138 shrapnel at 21 bullets = 5796 = 232 Zulu hit, ...

2 x 2 case shot bullets at 70 bullets = 280 = 11 Zulu hit ...

Total = 243 Zulu certainly knocked out by artillery...

If you know approximately how many shots with rifles or carbines and pistols, divided by 25 and you have a good sense of Zulu loss ...

For the "corps à corps", the only information I have available is that in the cattle laager "corps à corps", at Kambula between men of Captain Cox and the regiment Nokenke, Cox and seven of his men were wounded and four others killed in 5 minutes ...

If the regiment Nokenke is of 830 warriors ( after Captain J.S. Rothwell, R.A.) we can deduce that 830 Zulus killed or injured 12 men in 5 minutes of "corps à corps".

69 zulu for killed or injured a man in 5 minutes...

For Isandhlwana, when you know about after the kind of calculation above how many Zulus were certainly knocked out the fire before the "corps à corps",divide the remaining number of Zulu by 69 you will know approximately how many defenders Injured every 5 minutes ...

Is identical to the British,divide the remaining number of british by 69 you will know approximately how many of zulu Injured every 5 minutes ...

The British losses by zulu fire must be calculated before the "corps à corps".

In terms of Zulu firepower, each zulu warriors with a musket shot once (since then he give up their muskets) and it takes 50 bullets to hit a defender, if you know the approximate number of Zulu possessing a musket, divide by 50 and you will see the result...

For rockets, count as Shrapnell, we have no choice ...

That is why we must find battle report very accurate, even if the opponent is not Zulu, provided the weapons and tactics are similar ...

This is the kind of calculation I like to do ...

Cheers

Pascal