Mortar

[messerist]

How much black powder would this baby need. The Mortar is in front of the New York State Military Museum in Saratoga Springs New York. It is the only picture I was able to take before my rugrats descended on it and captured it.

 

[ofitg]

What is that, a 10-inch bore? According to the book, Round Shot & Rammers, the 10-inch mortar used an 87.5-pound shell, with four pounds of powder..... range was 2100 yards when fired at an elevation of 45 degrees.

 

[messerist]

I think the plaque said it was a 12" bore but I can't remember. I'll ask my Wife, she does not have "CRS."

 

[BHP FAN]

Neither does mine, but she remembers a lot of stuff that didn't happen the way I remember it...

 

[ofitg]

Looking through the book again, and I think I found it - it's practically identical to the 13-inch siege mortar. Projectile weight 220 pounds, powder charge 20 pounds, maximum range 4325 yards. What a monster!

Humorous story from the book - during the siege of Petersburg, the first shot from a 13-inch mortar fell onto the front yard of a cathouse - a number of Confederate officers were seen making hurried exits through doors and windows.

 

[DrLaw]

In the 1960's, Sears used to sell a set of Civil War toy solders. The sets had 'working' cannons and mortars. The mortar was identical to this one and actually 'shot' a plastic ball a nice distance. It was spring loaded and the lifting ring as shown on the top of the photo here was the 'trigger'. My set had two of them.

This mortar was typically was used on a railroad car, or on a barge with open top or set around the periphery of a town and used as a siege mortar.

Used to be a video of one of these shooting a bowling ball on the web. Cannot find it now.

The Doc is out now.