Latest topics | » Did Ntishingwayo really not know Lord C wasn't at home Today at 11:20 am by SRB1965 » How to find medal entitlement CokerToday at 10:51 am by Kev T » Studies in the Zulu War volume VI now availableToday at 10:48 am by Julian Whybra » Isandlwana Casualty - McCathie/McCarthyYesterday at 1:40 pm by Julian Whybra » William Jones CommentFri Nov 01, 2024 6:07 pm by Eddie » Brother of Lt YoungFri Nov 01, 2024 5:13 pm by Eddie » Frederick Marsh - HMS TenedosFri Nov 01, 2024 9:48 am by lydenburg » Mr Spiers KIA iSandlwana ?Fri Nov 01, 2024 7:50 am by Julian Whybra » Isandhlwana unaccounted for casualtiesFri Nov 01, 2024 7:48 am by Julian Whybra » Thrupps report to Surgeon General Wolfies Thu Oct 31, 2024 12:32 pm by Julian Whybra » Absence of Vereker from Snook's BookFri Oct 25, 2024 10:59 pm by Julian Whybra » Another Actor related to the Degacher-Hitchcock familyMon Oct 21, 2024 1:07 pm by Stefaan » No. 799 George Williams and his son-in-law No. 243 Thomas NewmanSat Oct 19, 2024 12:36 pm by Dash » Alphonse de Neuville- Painting the Defence of Rorke's DriftFri Oct 18, 2024 8:34 am by Stefaan » Studies in the Zulu War volumesWed Oct 16, 2024 3:26 pm by Julian Whybra » Martini Henry carbine IC1 markingsMon Oct 14, 2024 10:48 pm by Parkerbloggs » James Conner 1879 claspMon Oct 14, 2024 7:12 pm by Kenny » 80th REG of Foot (Staffords)Sun Oct 13, 2024 9:07 pm by shadeswolf » Frontier Light Horse uniformSun Oct 13, 2024 8:12 pm by Schlaumeier » Gelsthorpe, G. 1374 Private 1/24th / Scott, Sidney W. 521 Private 1/24thSun Oct 13, 2024 1:00 pm by Dash » A Bullet BibleSat Oct 12, 2024 8:33 am by Julian Whybra » Brothers SearsFri Oct 11, 2024 7:17 pm by Eddie » Zulu War Medal MHS TamarFri Oct 11, 2024 3:48 pm by philip c » Ford Park Cemetery, Plymouth.Tue Oct 08, 2024 4:15 pm by rai » Shipping - transport in the AZWSun Oct 06, 2024 10:47 pm by Bill8183 » 1879 South Africa Medal named 1879 BARSun Oct 06, 2024 12:41 pm by Dash » A note on Captain Norris Edward Davey, Natal Volunteer Staff.Sun Oct 06, 2024 12:16 pm by Julian Whybra » Isandlwana papers he,d by the RE museum Sun Oct 06, 2024 6:06 am by 90th » An Irish V.C. conundrum?Thu Oct 03, 2024 10:51 am by Julian Whybra » William Moore / William Potter 24th RegimentThu Sep 26, 2024 3:04 pm by Dash » Stalybridge men in the 24thThu Sep 26, 2024 2:24 pm by Dash » Grave of Henry SpaldingWed Sep 25, 2024 3:24 pm by Kenny » Thomas P Kensole and James J MitchellMon Sep 23, 2024 4:04 pm by Samnoco » flocking stands to historical accuracySun Sep 22, 2024 8:05 pm by GCameron » Private 25B/483 Joseph Phelan 1/24th RegimentFri Sep 20, 2024 5:22 pm by Dash |
November 2024 | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
---|
| | | | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | | Calendar |
|
Top posting users this month | |
Zero tolerance to harassment and bullying. |
Due to recent events on this forum, we have now imposed a zero tolerance to harassment and bullying. All reports will be treated seriously, and will lead to a permanent ban of both membership and IP address.
Any member blatantly corresponding in a deliberate and provoking manner will be removed from the forum as quickly as possible after the event.
If any members are being harassed behind the scenes PM facility by any member/s here at 1879zuluwar.com please do not hesitate to forward the offending text.
We are all here to communicate and enjoy the various discussions and information on the Anglo Zulu War of 1879. Opinions will vary, you will agree and disagree with one another, we will have debates, and so it goes.
There is no excuse for harassment or bullying of anyone by another person on this site.
The above applies to the main frame areas of the forum.
The ring which is the last section on the forum, is available to those members who wish to partake in slagging matches. That section cannot be viewed by guests and only viewed by members that wish to do so. |
Fair Use Notice | Fair use notice.
This website may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorised by the copyright owner.
We are making such material and images are available in our efforts to advance the understanding of the “Anglo Zulu War of 1879. For educational & recreational purposes.
We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material, as provided for in UK copyright law. The information is purely for educational and research purposes only. No profit is made from any part of this website.
If you hold the copyright on any material on the site, or material refers to you, and you would like it to be removed, please let us know and we will work with you to reach a resolution. |
|
| Rate of artillery fire at Isandlwana | |
| | Author | Message |
---|
SRB1965
Posts : 1252 Join date : 2017-05-13 Age : 59 Location : Uttoxeter - the last place God made and he couldn't be bothered to finish it.....
| Subject: Rate of artillery fire at Isandlwana Fri Sep 01, 2017 4:44 pm | |
| Hi
One quote I have read of is that the ‘big guns at Isandlwana were firing every 15 minutes’ (the quote came from someone at RD and may not be word for word).
The first thing that springs to mind is, I wonder if the ‘observer’ was timing the gun fire with his watch (unlikely) and just assumed it was every 15 minutes?
The second is – yes the gun probably has to be re-laid after each shot, the gun reloaded, a target acquired etc and gun discharged but 15 minutes does seem a long time, especially if a load of Zulus were bearing down on the gunners.
It has been said that a Napoleonic gun crew could fire (depending on gun barrel size etc) up to 4 rounds per minutes (on a range?) even allowing for- battlefield conditions one shot every 15 minutes seems a little low (to me)
Could the target acquisition and adjusting the trajectory have taken the time, as the Zulus were advancing and disappearing into folds in the ground?
Would the guns have fired as a section (i.e. both together) or would they have fired independently - I suspect the former when firing on the same target area but the later when one gun was deployed to support Durnford.
I spose a lot of the observation depends on the hearers location, wind direction and just if he 'noticed' each shot.
When the two guns were recovered after Ulundi, was any ammo recovered or did the Zulus trash them for the ‘powder’?
Ta
Sime (former powder monkey on a cannon in the 'Sealed Knot' about 35 years ago) |
| | | aussie inkosi
Posts : 428 Join date : 2013-09-16 Age : 59 Location : MELBOURNE
| Subject: Re: Rate of artillery fire at Isandlwana Fri Sep 01, 2017 10:41 pm | |
| There is an excellent piece by Keith Smith Isandlwana: A Timetable and it states the guns were firing for about 75 minutes and that both fired 40 rounds a piece which works out to about a round every 2 minutes which to me sounds right 15 minutes on the other hand only leaves them firing 5 rounds each and we know the guns started firing early because the death of Lieutenant Roberts caused by one of these guns and the testimony of Zulu crouching down as the gunners moved away from the guns this would have happen more than a couple of times and also at the right hand side of the conical hill was an abandon Zulu hut which the Zulu were using for cover being from the pounding they were receiving from the guns as they were forming up there horns for there charge |
| | | SRB1965
Posts : 1252 Join date : 2017-05-13 Age : 59 Location : Uttoxeter - the last place God made and he couldn't be bothered to finish it.....
| Subject: Re: Rate of artillery fire at Isandlwana Fri Sep 01, 2017 11:01 pm | |
| Hi AI,
I did wonder about the rate of fire reported by the witness at Rorke's Drift, it is more than possible that he recalled there being 15 minutes between 2 shots that he heard but they need not have been 'consecutive' shots.
Cheers
Sime |
| | | | Rate of artillery fire at Isandlwana | |
|
Similar topics | |
|
| Permissions in this forum: | You cannot reply to topics in this forum
| |
| |
| |