Part 168

Fuses are tied to long sticks, or rods made of very light wood, such as hazel tree which must have been cut some time, and be perfectly dry. They must likewise be straight, and contain from 7 to 8 feet in length; the thick end of the rod, in which 2 notches are made to fix it to the fuse, must be 7 or 8 lines in diameter, and at the small end 3 to 4 lines diameter. When the rod is rather heavy, it takes a more upright direction than when it is light; but it does not acquire so many degrees of elevation.

It must be generally remarked, that as soon as a fuse is fixed to a grenade, which is not intended for immediate use, you must melt some pitch and immerse the head of the fuse, instantly dipping it into cold water, by which precaution the composition will remain unaltered; unless the wood be rotten.

FUSEE, FUSIL, or FUZEE, a light musquet.

FUSILS à l’épée, Fr. fusils with long bayonets, shaped like a cut and thrust sword. These weapons have been proposed by the writer of Melanges Militaires, as being extremely useful in the rear rank of a battalion, or in detached bodies that are stationed for the defence of baggage, &c.

Something similar to this invention has been adopted by the dismounted light horse volunteers in London, who have in addition temporary sword hilts made to fit the sockets of their bayonets.

FUSILS, mousquets, Fr. a sort of fusil which was invented by Marshal Vauban, and which was so contrived, that in case the flint did not strike fire, the powder might be inflamed by means of a small match which was fixed to the breech.

FUSILS à chevalets, a species of fusils upon rests, which is recommended by Marshal Vauban, to be used at the commencement of a siege, about 50 or 100 toises in front of the glacis, at the entrances of narrow passes, &c.

FUSILEERS, are soldiers armed like the infantry, with this difference only, that their musquets are shorter and lighter than those of the battalion and the grenadiers. They wear caps which are somewhat less in point of height, than common grenadier caps. There are three regiments in the English service: the royal regiment of Scotch Fusileers, raised in 1678; the royal regiment of Welch Fusileers, raised in 1685; and the royal regiment of Welch Fusileers, raised in 1688-9.

It is always presumed, that these corps, like the guards, possess an esprit de corps, which is peculiar to themselves.

As the fusileer regiments upon the British establishment are distinguished from other corps by some peculiarities, we shall briefly state what has occurred to us on the subject. In former times the officers of these regiments did not carry spontoons, but had fusils like the officers of flank companies throughout the line. At present they wear swords. It is necessary to remark, that there are not any ensigns in fusileer regiments; their junior officers rank as second lieutenants, taking precedence of all ensigns, and those of the 7th or Royal Fusileers, have no second lieutenants; so that they rank, with the rest of the army according to the dates of their several commissions, as lieutenants. On account of this difference, the first commission in the fusileers was, by a regulation issued from the War Office in 1773, rated fifty pounds higher than that of an ensign; whilst the first commission in the 7th having the pay of lieutenant attached to it, was rated at 500l. that of the other two, having only the pay of ensign annexed, was 450l.

When the estimates of the British army were made out for the year 1755, the extra sum of 164l. 5s. per annum was charged against the 7th regiment. This surplus, however, was easily explained when it came to be understood, that that regiment, being a fusileer corps, had 20 lieutenants, instead of 11 lieutenants and 9 ensigns. The difference between these commissions amounted to 9s. per diem, and the sum total to 164l. 5s. per annum. The 23d, or royal regiment of Welch fusileers, wear helmets; and all officers belonging to fusileer corps have two epaulettes.

FUSILIERS, Fr. Fusileers are men armed with fusils or light musquets. When pikes were in use among the French, each regiment had only four fusileers, exclusive of ten grenadiers who carried the fusil or musquet. At present fusils or musquets are universally adopted in the European armies. Among the French there was a distinct regiment of fusileers under the immediate command of the grand master of the ordnance. The length of a French fusil was directed to consist of three French feet eight inches from the touch-hole to the muzzle, and the calibre to have the diameter of a ball taking twenty to the pound.

FUYARD, Fr. a run-a-way, a coward.

Un corps fuyard, Fr. a regiment that has been in the habit of running away.

FUZE. See FUSE.

FUZES. Composition.

Saltpetre 3 lbs. 4 oz. Sulphur 1 -- Mealed powder 2 12

+---------+-------------------+--------------------+------+ | | Fuse Diameter. | Composition. | Drove| | Kind. |below| at | at |Diam-|Length.|Time |by one| | | the | the | the |eter.| | it |man in| | |cup. |bottom.| cup.| | |burns.|1 day.| +---------+-----+-------+-----+-----+-------+------+------+ | Inches. | In. | Inch. |Inch.| In. | In. | ″ | No. | | 13 | 2.1 | 1.575 | 2.49| .5 | 8.4 | 35 | 25 | | 10 | 1.8 | 1.55 | 2.13| .438| 7.2 | 33 | 25 | | 8 | 1.3 | 1.25 | 1.78| .375| 6.37 | 29 | 30 | | 5¹⁄₂ | 1.1 | .825 | 1.3 | .275| 4.4 | 18 | 50 | | 4¹⁄₂ | 1.0 | .75 | 1.18| .25 | 3.5 | 15 | 703 | |Grenades.| 0.8 | .6 | .9 | .2 | 2.25 | | 1000 | +---------+-----+-------+-----+-----+-------+------+------+

Diameter inside the cup is 3 diameters of the bore.

Depth of the cup 1¹⁄₂ do.

Thickness of wood at bottom of the bore, 2 diameters.

To find the length of Fuzes for any Range.

The 13 and 10 inch fuzes of the same length burn so nearly equal, that one common length answers both, as do the 8 inch, 5¹⁄₂ and 4²⁄₅. Therefore, to find the length of fuze for any range, multiply the time of flight by 22 for the 13 and 10 inch, and by 24 for the 8, 5¹⁄₂ and 4²⁄₅; which is the decimal part of an inch a fuze burns in a second. Fuzes are thought to keep better by being painted; and for field service, are often marked off by black lines into seconds and ¹⁄₂ seconds.

GABION, in fortification, is a kind of basket, made of ozier-twigs, of a cylindrical form, having different dimensions, according to what purpose it is used for. Some gabions are 5 or 6 feet high, and 3 feet in diameter: these serve in sieges, to carry on the approaches under cover, when they come pretty near the fortification. Those used in field-works are 3 or 4 feet high, and 2¹⁄₂ or 3 feet diameter. There are also gabions, about 1 foot high, 12 inches diameter at top, and from 8 to 10 at bottom, which are placed along the top of the parapet, to cover the troops in firing over it, they are filled with earth.

In order to make them, some pickets, 3 or 4 feet long, are struck into the ground, in form of a circle, and of a proper diameter, wattled together with small branches, in the manner of wattled fences. Batteries are often made of gabions. See BATTERY.

GABIONS.--Small gabions of 3 feet high, and 2 feet diameter, are made with least trouble, and are easiest carried. The pickets for them must be 1¹⁄₂ or 2 inches thick, and 4 feet long. Large gabions are 6 feet high, and 3 feet in diameter; and require two men to carry them. The smallest gabions or baskets are formed of pickets, 1 inch in thickness, and 1 foot long: they are 12 inches in diameter at top, and 10 at bottom. The small gabions have 7 or 8 pickets, the large ones 9 or 10.

To make them--The pickets are first to be fixed in the ground in a circle, the size or the bottom of the intended gabion; then a few twigs are to be wove through the upper ends, to keep them from flying out; afterwards the work must be begun at the bottom and continued upwards; and the whole being well driven down with a mallet, the edges must be secured by twigs, wattled up and down. The twigs of willow, birch, hazle, alder, poplar, and beech are proper for this purpose. The top of the gabion must be made very even, because that becomes the bottom when finished. Four men are usually employed on each gabion, with a billhook, a mallet, a spade, and two axes. Two collect the wood, while the other two form the gabion. A 3 foot gabion ought to be made in half an hour.

Stuft-GABIONS, in fortification, are made in the same manner as the former: they are only filled with all sorts of branches and small wood, and are 4 or 6 feet long: they serve to roll before the workmen in the trenches to cover them in front against musquet-shot.