"Weapons of the Paraguayan War" Topic

Actually I'm searching for information about the weapons used by Paraguay, but until now I found nothing.
Please could you help me? :)
I have only a few books on the argument and not the Foundry one; what I need to know is this:

1- Which muskets and carbines were used by the Paraguayan army?
2- Which artillery guns were used by the 4 armies involved in the war?

Every answer will be much appreciated, thanks a lot in advance!

According to the Foundry book the Paraguyans were mostly armed with smooth-bores throughout the war (from percussion to flintlocks). The elite cavalry unit had rifled carabines.

Brazilians, Argentinians and Uruguyans were more mixed in arms. For the first 2 years of the wars a mix of rifles and smoothbore muskets, after the second year increasingly modern rifles.

Artilelry is mosly a mix of various types of smoothbores, with some rifled batteries.

This is the quick and dirty summary

Unfortunally in spanish… but maybe it's help you a little…

link

YouTube link

TMP link

Amicalement
Armand

According to Osprey MAA 499 "Armies of the War of the triple Alliance:

Brazil Main infantry weapon were 1853 Enfield rifles, cavalry single shot percussion carbines (received repeating Spencers in 1867), artillery various including French La Hitte m1858/59 muzzle loaders. Also in use were Congreve and hale rockets!

Uruguay Many various weapons, flintlocks gradually replaced with Enfields. Spanish M1855 carbines common for cavalry. Artillery small calibre as for Argentina.

Argentina Wide variety of firearms, "brown Bess" muskets and carbines (particularly amongst National Guard units) gradually replaced by French M1842 percussion rifles for infantry and 1842/51 musketoons for cavalry. Artillery included Krupp, Whitworth and Hotchkiss guns.

Paraguay Firearms considered primitive compared to those of the allies, most common modified Brown Bess percussion smoothbores or even flintlocks late in the war. Cavalry Tower carbines (elite Aca Caraya Regiment had 250 breech loading Turner carbines). Reuse of captured weapons. Artillery old pieces, some light pieces cast locally, rockets, perhaps local copies of Hale & Congreve rockets are mentioned.

And when muskets were in short supply, spears.

In the Paraguayan side… more "machetes" than spears (smile)

Amicalement
Armand

One Brazilian infantry battalion was equipped with the Dreyse needlegun in 1867 during the War of the Triple Alliance/Paraguayan War. The experience was a failure. That battalion went into action with the Dreyse and quite a few soldiers had problems with the needlegun. The battalion was soon re-equipped with Enfield muzzle-loaders. The Brazilian infantrymen simply hated the Dreyse. Apparently, climatic conditions in Paraguay were not ideal for employing the Dreyse needlegun.

The Brazilian imperial army bought at least 3,000 Dreyses.

In december of 1866, a Company of Caçadores (Chasseurs/Jägers) was created to test the needlegun. In january of 1867, Prussian-born Lieutenant Pedro Guilherme Meyer was selected to command this company (he had experience with the needlegun).

This Company grew in numbers and was attached to what was left of the old 15th Infantry Battalion. This provisional battalion was put under the command of the recently promoted Captain Meyer.

The battalion, equipped with the Dreyse needlegun, took part in the assault against the Estabelecimento Redoubt (February 19, 1868). The position was conquered, but many soldiers in Captain Meyer's battalion simply threw away their needleguns. They jammed on many occasions. During the battle, these Brazilian soldiers decided to threw away their needleguns and pick up muzzle-loaders rifles off the ground from the wounded and dead soldiers of other Brazilian battalions. Meyer's battalion suffered 128 casualties.

The Dreyse needlegun never again saw action in Paraguay.

On the other hand, the Brazilian cavalry approved and loved the Spencer carbine. Most Brazilian cavalry units were armed with Spencers by 1868.

The Brazilian army was testing many of the new breech-loaders available around the world. There's evidence that even a few Chassepots were sent to Brazil in 1869 and possibly a few of them saw action very late in the war (in 1870). Don't ask me how, but a few Chassepots arrived in Brazil before the start of the Franco-Prussian War.

Thanks a lot Cuirassier!
Great info, you are a fantastic expert!
Please, if you like and have time, let me know something else on the weapons used by the other 3 armies and by Brazil before the adoption of these new weapons.
Thanks! :)

Again the Foundry book is the resource you want. If you want to do the war the money for it is worth it.

I've been able to find a copy of the Foundry book, but there is no mention about which models of muskets, carbines or guns were used by the Paraguayans.
Please,every help is much appreciated!

If it does not have it you will have to do archival work.Since Paraguays archives were burned you can only look at uruguay, argentina, brazil

For artillery the Allies used a number of French la Hitte system rifles. The Brazilians also deployed 20lb Whitworth guns.

Paraguay used a wide variety of artillery, both cast in Paraguay during the War and surplus from earlier periods (at least one cannon appears to have been Spanish from the 17th Century.) Most Paraguayan guns were smoothbore, though they did capture some rifles from the Allies (including one Whitworth captured at the second Battle of Tuyuti)

You are welcome, The Paraguayan. :-)

Below… This Paraguayan gun was captured by Brazilian infantry in 1868. A few decades ago, someone had the brilliant idea of painting it black. Restoration is under way.

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This Brazilian gun, of the French La Hitte system, was employed by the 1st Brazilian Regiment of Horse Artillery at the 1st Battle of Tuiuti (or Tuyuti) in 1866.

John,

Please send me an e-mail message. My e-mail is r e n a t o f a c at yahoo dot com dot br.

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