Gentlemen!
Thank you all for responding--between you, I have some of what I seek, and a greater variety of resources now and for the future.
In no special order of reply:
von Winterfeldt! Are you aware of a PDF Edition of Reisswitz that is A) Affordable, and B) Downloadable? My Hun Speak is rusty as some iron guns, but I might be able to figure him out where he may have the sort of info I want.
Volunteer! The Link you provided is over my head, but I'm blessed with other colleagues for whom the exterior ballistics math is meat-and-potatoes. Generally, the heavier Siege/Fortress pieces cited are beyond the scope of my project, but the 12- and 24-pdr's can be compared to the Spanish pieces provided by the Good Dr. Summerfield--though I suspect their numbers will be more impressive than the Spanish examples.
Herr Doktor Summerfield! I have encountered SOJ while fishing for facts, but it was not until I was able to visit all issues that I found the articles on Spanish examples of the Gribeauval System as applied by them.
More to the point, one of the several articles did provide "first graze" and extreme range for a 4-, 8, 12, 24-pdr, and the "7" Spanish Howitzer. All of these were spot on, and even if the table reproduced only provided elevations from "0" to "2" degrees, plus extreme, I was able to break the ranges down to Point Blank, Short, Medium, Long, and Extreme (arbitrary divisions, I know, but which work better for analysis via Trevor Nevit DePuy's "Quantified Judgment Model" [QJM) published in the 1980's.
However, as good as all this information is--and it's especially important that it applies to SPANISH (read "Mexican") Artillery for the 1846-48 War--I have a question or two, and still need similar information for another couple--at least--of pieces.
First, looking at the ranges provided in Paces (and converted back to English Yards), these Spanish pieces have far less range than the presumably comparable French 4-, 8-, 12-, and 24-pdr pieces, data for which are provided via you own sources, and in Pivka, Haythornthwaite, and others.
That there would be differences is not surprising. That the Spanish pieces are so markedly inferior is at least somewhat so. Mind, Peninsular War pieces, and some later makes, were the newest examples in the Mexican Army by 1846.
Gribeauval carriages (those which survived) were still in use, but almost all other rolling stock had been replaced by ox drawn carts and wagons.
Surviving carriages were in generally poor repair, and of the hundreds of tube in Mexico, either in storage or in fortress settings, the vast majority had become rusted/worn/honeycombed. Perhaps 135 reliable Guns were still available by 1846.
Poor quality Mexican made powder must have further reduced the guns effectiveness, and essentially late Spanish Napoleonic Gun Drill was still the order of the day.
In short, I had expected Mexican pieces to have on the order of 20% to 25% shorter effective ranges than the shockingly well equipped U.S. Batteries, in all sizes.
But, the numbers of these Spanish Gribeauval pieces are, as stated, far shorter even than what I expected.
I have no case to make, and do not question the provided values, but I simply wish to be sure that the ranges for elevation you presented have no other qualifiers--or, frankly, any reasonable chance of being higher.
Finally, the Mexican Armories had some other oddball sizes of gun which made some historical appearances which are not listed in your article on the Napoleonic Spanish Artillery.
Could you consult your remarkable sources, or direct me to same on the Internet, for these additional Spanish Gribeauval pieces?
1) 2-pdr
2) 6-pdr (Lt, Medium, and/or "Heavy")
3) 8-pdr Iron
4) 12-pdr Iron
5) Other Field Howitzers (4"? 5.5"? 12"?)
6) 16-pdr (Bronze and/or Iron)
The latter piece is particularly interesting as 3 of these pieces (not much more specifically described) were manned by the San Patricio "Battalion" comprised of U.S. Deserters who actually man-handled the guns in action in the same general manner of the U.S. Field Artillery, advancing their guns while under fire and delivering fire with deadly effect (a practice not attempted at any other time in the War by Mexican Artillerists).
As nominally a "16-pdr," I'm aware that the actually shot weight could be something else, but certainly is too heavy to be the Spanish 7" Howitzer (6.4", etc). Could it be an 8" or other, large Howitzer? A 16" Siege Gun (on a double trail carriage) frankly sounds far too heavy and cumbersome to be quickly and effectively rolled towards the enemy, though a Howitzer might not be.
And, did the Spanish Army adopt or produce any form of 6-pdr during or shortly after the Napoleonic Era? If so, would it have been "retroactively" added to the fading Gribeauval System, or would they have been more likely to be cast off British and/or French prizes? Frankly, I suspect the latter, and if so, which range values would you suggest would be most representative?
In short, Sir, I'm picking your mind for additional range/elevation data on the original guns you described in that issue of SOJ, but also for the other guns listed above, and your opinion about the origin/natures of the "Spanish" 6-pdr.
I know this is a lot, and it doesn't help that you so quickly and successfully provided me with so much information on your first reply. You spoil me, Sir!
You are certainly welcome to reply (if at all) here at TMP, but if you prefer, my TVAG@att.net address is ever ready.
And for whatever it's worth, please expect the SOJ to figure prominently in the Bibliography!
Most Gratefully Yours,
TVAG
