Dutch Bronze 6-Pounder Field Gun Towed-Artillery (1813)
This particular 6-pdr Field Gun was captured from Napoleon at Waterloo by the Duke of Wellington.
Field guns can in various calibers - 4-pounder, 6-pounder and 12-pounder - with the "pounder" designation directly reflecting the weight of the projectile that the system used. The weapon was usually fielded on a portable two-wheel carriage that could be draw by horse. When unhinged, the system was manned by at least six personnel in various capacities from gunner, commander and loader. The system was portable enough that the crew could turn the barrel towards a new target or even advance the weapon by pushing / pulling it to a new position.
A weapon's carriage, often referred to as a caison, would normally sit about 30 yards behind with roughly 200 rounds of ammunition along with fuses and gunpowder. The favorite projectile type during this time would have been the "solid shot".
Artillery particularly failed Napoleon at Waterloo, as the rain-soaked ground became too muddy to effectively weild his artillery to his liking. A soft ground also kept the solid shot (or roundshot )from successfully ricocheting into the masses of armed infantrymen advancing on his positions. Roundshot could easily decapitate a man, or relieve him of his legs, as the cannonball could effectively bounce 2 to 3 times before coming at rest. This, in itself, was a demoralizing weapon as well as a devastating one. Crews would have to take great care as to firing the round over the heads of their own advancing infantrymen.
This particular Dutch Bronze 6-pdr Field Gun (pictured above) was constructed by L.E. Marits in the Hague when it was still under French control roughly around 1813. The gun bears the name of 'Le Achille' (“the Achilles”) and was part of a captured set by the Duke of Wellington from Napoleon's forces in Waterloo in 1815. The cannon sits on a more contemporary carriage design and is available for public viewing at the Tower of London in London, England. Text ©2003-2013 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • No Reproduction Permitted
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Specifications for the
Dutch Bronze 6-Pounder Field Gun
Towed-Artillery
Country of Origin: Holland
Manufacturer: Various Manufacturers
Initial Year of Service: 1813
Production: Not Available
Focus Model: Dutch Bronze 6-Pounder Field Gun
Crew: 6
Overall Length: 0.00ft (0.00m)
Width: 0.00ft (0.00m)
Height: 0.00ft (0.00m)
Weight: 0.0 US Short Tons (0kg; 0lbs)
Powerplant: None. This is a towed artillery piece.
Maximum Speed: 0mph (0 km/h)
Maximum Range: 0 miles (0 km)
NBC Protection: None
Nightvision: None
Armament:
1 x 6-pdr Main Gun
Ammunition:
Dependent on Ammunition Carrier (noted as at least 200 rounds in some sources).
Variants:
Various makes dependent on country of origin.
Operators:
France among others
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