| Chouan | 04 Jun 2012 11:40 a.m. PST |
Dear all, does anybody know when the HEIC armies first used elephant drawn artillery, please? And, what guns were thus used? Thanks. |
| VonTed | 04 Jun 2012 12:58 p.m. PST |
I've heard of elephants that can paint…. but never draw! |
| the Gorb | 04 Jun 2012 7:36 p.m. PST |
The earliest I have heard of the British in India using elephant drawn artillery is when they reorganized January 1846 to fight the Sikhs. This from "The evolution of the artillery in India" by Romesh C. Butalia (1988). At the Battle of Gujrat, February 1849 the British had "67 siege-guns including ten 18-pounders and six 8-inch howitzers drawn by elephants". Regards, the Gorb |
| Sysiphus | 05 Jun 2012 4:33 a.m. PST |
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| Chouan | 05 Jun 2012 4:33 a.m. PST |
Thanks for your help. It is a pity, 1846 is a bit late for what I'm planning. As has been written elsewhere in this forum, nothing says "India" quite as much as elephants! Perhaps I should have a couple loaded with baggage. |
| Lion in the Stars | 05 Jun 2012 7:07 a.m. PST |
There's also the troop transport elephants, with seats for 4(?) soldiers on the sides of the beast. |
ge2002bill  | 05 Jun 2012 10:53 a.m. PST |
Recommendation:
Have your elephants pull artillery whether they did or not. There have been large artillery pieces in India for a long time.
Cheers,
Bill |
| the Gorb | 05 Jun 2012 3:31 p.m. PST |
What ge2002bill said. But I think I may have found something earlier from the Anglo-Nepalese (or Gurkha War) 1814–1816. Near Katarmal the British forces were accompanied by Bengal artillery which included a 6-pounder pulled by an elephant. This is from "History of the organization, equipment, and war services of the regiment of Bengal artillery: War Services Volume 2" by Francis W Stubbs, 1877. So as long as your HEIC army includes native artillery units, you should be able to include elephants. This is the earliest image I can find (c. 1860):
link Regards, the Gorb |
| Chouan | 06 Jun 2012 2:51 a.m. PST |
I'm convinced, Elephant artillery it is. Thanks! |
| Chouan | 06 Jun 2012 2:56 a.m. PST |
I've just found this one too. link |
| Upplander | 08 Jun 2012 3:00 a.m. PST |
I intend to use elephants in addition to bullocks in my 1803-5 army. Jac Weller makes reference to them being used on a number of occassions. In the escalade of Ahmednugger the right hand attack was "delayed by the panic of a wounded artillery elephant" and at the taking of Gawilghur "elephants, which were normally used in all difficult gun movements, could not negotiate the terrain". It seems that although not regularly teamed to pull artillery, elephants were used to assist when required. |
