8-pounder

[Brigitta Martini]

The8-pounder long gun was a light calibre piece of artillery mounted on French warships of the Age of Sail. It fired a projectile of eight livres in weight, equivalent to 8.633 English pounds, or 8 lb 10 oz (the French livre was 7.916% heavier than the English pound weight). They were used as chase guns or main guns on light ships of the early 19th century, and on the quarterdeck and forecastle of ships of the line. They were similar in design to the Canon de 8 Gribeauval.

The 8-pounder was the heaviest of the light guns. Its light weight allowed it to be mounted on the upper gun posts of ships of the line, where the timber of the deck was too light to support larger guns; furthermore, it could be mounted relatively high without jeopardy to the stability of the ship, and could be installed at will at different positions. This made it useful as a chase gun, since its load packed enough power to damage the rigging of a fleeing enemy (if used as a bow chaser) or of a pursuing enemy (when used as a stern chaser).

The 8-pound cannon had a six-foot iron barrel mounted on top of a frame with two wheels, with a total weight of over 2,000 lbs. The inside diameter of the barrel was 106 mm (4 in), although the cannonballs were only 103 mm in diameter. It was called an 8-pounder because it fired 8 pound cannon balls. The rate of fire varied based on the skill of the crew; but it was about the same of a musket (1-3 rounds per minute).

In addition to the usual eight-pound cannonballs, grapeshot was used as an anti-personnel ammunition. Grapeshot consisted of a canister (usually tin) filled with lead or iron balls. When the cannon was fired, the canister was ripped apart by the force of the blast and the lead balls spread out after leaving the barrel, like a shotgun shell.

The 8-pound cannon was tested against George Washington's 6-pound. In a test against an enemy encampment, it was able to kill 3 soldiers and disable the enemy cannon while the 6-pound cannon killed 2 men and disabled the cannon. It's grapeshot ammuniton was also tested against Washington's scattershot ammunition. The grapeshot killed 8/15 targets to the scattershot's 3/15. The edge was given to the 8-pound cannon due to the precision in it's building.

Napoleon studied at the elite cole Militaire in Paris, where he was trained to become an artillery officer. Having spent his early career serving in an artillery regiment, Napoleon believed that effective use of cannons would be able to overcome any infantry regiment.

In the Battle of Austerlitz; Napoleon devastated retreating Russian forces by bombarding the frozen Satschan Ponds that the Russians attempted to cross. The bombardment destroyed the ice; causing thousands of Russian soldiers, along with their artillery, to drown.

3a8082e126