Part 313

MORTARS, are a kind of short cannon, of a large bore, with chambers: they are made of stone, brass, or iron. Their use is to throw hollow shells, filled with powder; which, falling on any building, or into the works of a fortification, burst, and their fragments destroy every thing within reach. Carcasses are also thrown out of them. These are a sort of shells, with 5 holes, filled with pitch and other combustibles, in order to set buildings on fire; and sometimes baskets full of stones, the size of a man’s fist, are thrown out of them upon an enemy, placed in the covert-way during a siege. The very ingenious general Desaguliers contrived to throw bags, filled with grape-shot, containing in each bag, from 400 to 600 shot of different dimensions, out of mortars; the effect of which is extremely awful and tremendous to troops forming the line of battle, passing a defile, or landing, &c. pouring down shot, not unlike a shower of hail, on a circumference of above 300 feet. They are distinguished chiefly by the diameter of the bore. For example, a 13-inch mortar is that, the diameter of whose bore is 13 inches. There are some of 10 and 8-inch diameters; and some of a smaller sort, as cohorns of 4.6 inches, and royals of 5.8 inches.

Weight and Dimensions of English Mortars.

+--------------------+------------+--------+----------+-------+ | | | |Powder| | | | | | contained| | | | | | in | Range | | Kind. | Weight. | Length.| Chamber. |at 45°.| +--------------------+------------+--------+----------+-------+ | |Ct. qr. lbs.|Ft. In. |lbs. oz. | Yds. | | { Brass} Sea S. { | 82 -- 8 |5 3 | 32 -- | 4100 | |13{ Iron } { | 82 1 -- | | 20 -- | | | { Brass }Land. {| 25 -- 10 |3 7¹⁄₂| 9 12 | 2100 | | { Iron } {| 36 2 12 | | 9 8 | | | {Brass} Sea S. { | 33 -- -- |4 8 | 12 8 | 3800 | |10 {Iron } { | 41 -- -- | | 10 -- | | | {Brass }Land. {| 10 1 25 |2 9 | 4 10 | 1900 | | {Iron } {| 16 -- 6 | | 4 8 | | | 8{ Brass} Land. { | 4 1 8 |2 1³⁄₄| 2 -- | 1600 | | { Iron } { | 8 -- 11 | | 2 4 | | | 5¹⁄₂ Brass--Land. {| 1 -- 20 |1 4¹⁄₄| -- 9 | 1200 | | 4²⁄₅ Brass--Land. {| -- 3 11 |1 1¹⁄₂| -- 4¹⁄₂| 1040 | +--------------------+------------+--------+----------+-------+

See the word Chambers, for experiments on the best form.

Ranges with French Mortars, at 45 Degrees, in French Weights and Measures.

+---------------++---------------++---------------++---------------+ | || 10 Inch, || 10 Inch, || | | 12 Inch. || long Ranges. || short Ranges. || 8 Inch. | +--------+------++--------+------++--------+------++--------+------+ | Charge.|Range.|| Charge.|Range.|| Charge.|Range.|| Charge.|Range.| +--------+------++--------+------++--------+------++--------+------+ |lbs. oz.|Yards.||lbs. oz.|Yards.||lbs. oz.|Yards.||lbs. oz.|Yards.| | 1 -- | 388 || 1 -- | 450 || 1 -- | 618 || -- 5 | 316 | | 1 8 | 632 || 2 -- | 1080 || 1 8 | 964 || -- 10 | 794 | | 2 -- | 862 || 3 -- | 1536 || 2 -- | 1280 || -- 15 | 1112 | | 2 8 | 954 || 4 -- | 2070 || 2 8 | 1428 || 1 4 | 1280 | | 3 -- | 1292 || 5 -- | 2206 || 3 -- | 1432 || | | | 3 8 | 1390 || 6 2¹⁄₂| 2304 || 3 10¹⁄₄| 1920 || | | +--------+------++--------+------++--------+------++--------+------+

Ranges with a 10 Inch Sea Mortar, at 21 Degrees, on a Horizontal Plane.

+--------------+---------+---------+----------+-------+------+ | Weight of | Weight | | | | | | Mortar. |of Shell.| Charge. |Elevation.|Flight.|Range.| +--------------+---------+---------+----------+-------+------+ |ct. qrs. lbs. |lbs. oz. | lbs. oz.| Deg. | Sec. |Yards.| | 34 2 14 {| 86 -- |} 5 8 | 21 {| 14³⁄₄ | 2335 | | {| 87 -- |} | {| 16 | 2510 | +--------------+---------+---------+----------+-------+------+

Ranges with Sea Service, Iron Mortars, at 45 Degrees, upon a Horizontal Plane. 1798.

+-----------------------++-----------------------+ | 13 Inch. || 10 Inch. | +--------+-------+------++--------+-------+------+ | Charge.|Flight.|Range.|| Charge.|Flight.|Range.| +--------+-------+------++--------+-------+------+ |lbs. oz.| Sec. |Yards.||lbs. oz.| Sec. |Yards.| | 2 -- | 13 | 690 || 1 -- | 13 | 680 | | 4 -- | 18 | 1400 || 2 -- | 18 | 1340 | | 6 -- | 21 | 1900 || 3 -- | 21 | 1900 | | 8 -- | 24¹⁄₂ | 2575 || 4 -- | 24¹⁄₂ | 2500 | | 10 -- | 26- | 2975 || 5 -- | 26 | 2800 | | 12 -- | 29 | 3500 || 6 -- | 27 | 3200 | | 14 -- | 29- | 3660 || 7 -- | 29 | 3500 | | 16 -- | 30 | 3900 || 8 -- | 30 | 3800 | | 18 -- | 30- | 4200 || 9 -- | 30¹⁄₄ | 3900 | | 20 -- | 31 | 4400 || 9 8 | 30¹⁄₂ | 4000 | +--------+-------+------++--------+-------+------+

French Mortars, in their own Weights and Measures.

+------------------+----+----+--------+----+ | |lbs.| | | | |12 Inches |2060| | 3 7 |2400| |10 for long Ranges|2000| | 7 4 |2800| |10 for short do. |1560| | 4 -- |2200| | 8 for short do. | 595| | 1 4³⁄₄|1160| |Stone Mortars.|1100| | 2 8 | | |12 Inch} |2750| |12 -- |2700| |10 Inch}Gomers |2000| | 6 8 |2800| | 8 Inch} | 600| | 2 -- |1400| +------------------+----+----+--------+----+

Stone Mortars should not be fired at a greater distance than 250 yards.

Medium Ranges with Land Service Iron Mortars, at 45 Degrees, 1798.

-----------------------++----------------------- 13 Inch. || 10 Inch. --------+-------+------++--------+-------+------ Ch’ge. |Flig’t.|Range.|| Ch’ge. |Flig’t.|Range. --------+-------+------++--------+-------+------ lbs. oz.| Sec. | Yds. || lb. oz.| Sec. | Yds. -- 14 | 6¹⁄₂ | 245 || -- 8 | 6¹⁄₂ | 235 1 -- | 7- | 318 || -- 10 | 8 | 358 1 4 | 8- | 412 || -- 12 | 9 | 464 1 8 | 9- | 523 || -- 14 | 10 | 534 1 12 | 10- | 613 || 1 -- | 10- | 638 2 -- | 11 | 697 || 1 2 | 11- | 749 2 4 | 12- | 840 || 1 4 | 13 | 873 2 8 | 13 | 906 || 1 6 | 13- | 956 2 12 | 14 | 1054 || 1 8 | 14 | 1028 3 -- | 15 | 1132 || 1 10 | 15 | 1123 3 4 | 16 | 1244 || 1 12 | 15 | 1226 3 8 | 16- | 1317 || 1 14 | 16 | 1325 3 12 | 17 | 1424 || 2 -- | 16- | 1357 4 -- | 17 | 1490 || 2 2 | 17 | 1480 4 4 | 17- | 1580 || 2 4 | 17- | 1532 4 8 | 18- | 1656 || 2 6 | 17- | 1571 4 12 | 19 | 1744 || 2 8 | 18- | 1700 5 -- | 19- | 1824 || 2 10 | 19 | 1780 5 4 | 19- | 1900 || 2 12 | 19- | 1825 5 8 | 20 | 1950 || 2 14 | 20 | 1880 5 12 | 20- | 2062 || 3 -- | 20 | 1916 6 -- | 21 | 2095 || 4 -- | 25 | 2485 7 -- | 24 | 2510 || 4 8 | 26 | 2536 8 -- | 25 | 2706 || | | --------+-------+------++--------+-------+------

-----------------------++----------------------- 8 Inch. || 5¹⁄₂ Inch, Brass. --------+-------+------++--------+-------+------ Ch’ge. |Flig’t.|Range.|| Ch’ge. |Flig’t.|Range. --------+-------+------++--------+-------+------ lbs. oz.| Sec. | Yds. || oz. dr.| Sec. | Yds. -- 5 | 6 | 225 || 1 8 | 5¹⁄₂| 155 -- 6 | 7¹⁄₂| 328 || 1 12 | 6 | 198 -- 7 | 8 | 428 || 2 -- | 6- | 255 -- 8 | 9- | 474 || 2 4 | 7- | 316 -- 9 | 10 | 560 || 2 8 | 8 | 380 -- 10 | 11 | 664 || 2 12 | 8- | 426 -- 11 | 12 | 762 || 3 -- | 9- | 470 -- 12 | 12- | 801 || 3 4 | 10 | 540 -- 13 | 13- | 859 || 3 8 | 10- | 590 -- 14 | 14 | 960 || 3 12 | 11 | 630 -- 15 | 14- | 1011 || 4 -- | 11- | 725 1 0 | 14- | 1119 || 4 4 | 12 | 746 1 1 | 15 | 1156 || 4 8 | 12- | 800 1 2 | 16 | 1262 || 4 12 | 13- | 910 1 3 | 16- | 1320 || 5 -- | 13- | 935 1 4 | 17 | 1380 || 5 4 | 14 | 1016 1 5 | 17- | 1446 || 5 8 | -- | -- 1 6 | 18 | 1530 || 5 12 | -- | -- 1 7 | 18- | 1600 || 6 -- | 15 | 1175 1 8 | 19 | 1660 || | | 1 9 | 19- | 1720 || | | --------+-------+------++--------+-------+------

Medium Ranges with Brass Mortars, at 45 Degrees. 1780.

--------------++--------------++-------------- 13 Inch. || 10 Inch. || 8 Inch. -------+------++-------+------++-------+------ Ch’ge.|Range.|| Ch’ge.|Range.|| Ch’ge.|Range. -------+------++-------+------++-------+------ lb. oz.| Y’ds.||lb. oz.| Y’ds.||oz. dr.| Y’ds. 2 12 | 862 || 1 10 | 823 || 10 8 | 580 2 14 | 939 || 1 11 | 852 || 11 -- | 635 3 -- | 998 || 1 12 | 783 || 11 8 | 711 3 2 | 1003 || 1 13 | 758 || 12 -- | 708 3 4 | 1090 || 1 14 | 823 || 12 8 | 701 3 6 | 1139 || 1 15 | 888 || 13 -- | 777 3 8 | 1165 || 2 -- | 892 || 13 8 | 825 3 10 | 1209 || 2 1 | 940 || 14 -- | 870 3 12 | 1270 || 2 2 | 941 || 14 8 | 853 3 14 | 1322 || 2 3 | 1041 || 15 -- | 860 4 -- | 1309 || 2 4 | 1128 || 15 8 | 899 4 2 | 1331 || 2 5 | 1103 || 16 -- | 921 4 4 | 1391 || 2 6 | 1221 || 16 8 | 987 4 6 | 1363 || 2 7 | 1258 || 17 -- | 987 4 8 | 1324 || 2 8 | 1215 || 17 8 | 1062 -------+------++-------+------++-------+------

For the Ranges with the 5¹⁄₂ inch Brass, see the Iron Mortars.

Ranges with a 5¹⁄₂ Inch Brass Mortar, at 15 Degrees.

-------+-------+------+------ | | First|Rolled Charge.|Flight.|Graze.| to. -------+-------+------+------ oz. dr.| Sec. |Yards.|Yards. 2 8 | 3 | 209 | 303 3 -- | 3¹⁄₂ | 256 | 330 3 8 | 4 | 375 | 443 4 -- | 4- | 457 | 501 4 8 | 5 | 530 | 600 5 -- | 5- | 561 | 627 5 8 | 6- | 667 | 715 6 -- | 7 | 709 | 780 -------+-------+------+------

Medium Ranges with Land Service Iron Mortars, at 10 Degrees Elevation....Powder in Cartridges.

------------------------------++------------------------------ 10 Inch. || 8 Inch. -------+-------+------+-------++-------+-------+------+------- | | First|Extreme|| | | First|Extreme Flight.|Charge.|Graze.| Range.||Flight.|Charge.|Graze.| Range. --------+-------+-----+-------++-------+-------+------+------- Sec. |lb. oz.| Yds.| Yds. || Sec. |lb. oz.| Yds. | Yds. 3 |-- 12 | 198 | 415 || 3 |-- 8 | 202 | 403 3¹⁄₂ | 1 -- | 278 | 458 || 3 |-- 10 | 266 | 461 4 | 1 4 | 366 | 564 || 3¹⁄₄ |-- 12 | 351 | 614 4¹⁄₂ | 1 8 | 451 | 685 || 4 |-- 14 | 413 | 630 4 | 1 12 | 432 | 686 || 4³⁄₄ | 1 -- | 468 | 754 4³⁄₄ | 2 -- | 559 | 938 || 5 | 1 2 | 562 | 811 5 | 2 4 | 602 | 798 || 6 | 1 4 | 664 | 950 4³⁄₄ | 2 8 | 597 | 976 || 6¹⁄₂ | 1 6 | 700 | 1028 5 | 2 12 | 664 | 1121 || 6 | 1 8 | 768 | 1064 5¹⁄₄ | 3 -- | 764 | 1169 || | | | -------+-------+------+-------++-------+-------+------+-------

Medium Ranges with the above Mortars, at 15 Degrees.

----------------------++---------------------- 10 Inch. || 8 Inch. -------+-------+------++-------+-------+------ Ch’ge.|Flig’t.|Range.|| Ch’ge.|Flig’t.|Range. -------+-------+------++-------+-------+------ lb. oz.| Sec. |Yards.||lb. oz.| Sec. | Y’ds. 1 4 | 5 | 464 ||-- 11 | 4¹⁄₂ | 427 1 6 | 5¹⁄₂ | 543 ||-- 12 | 4- | 485 1 8 | 6 | 590 ||-- 13 | 5 | 513 1 12 | 6³⁄₄ | 685 ||-- 14 | 5- | 559 1 14 | 7 | 765 || 1 -- | 6- | 690 2 -- | 7 | 805 || 1 2 | 7 | 822 2 4 | 7¹⁄₂ | 884 || 1 4 | 7 | 827 2 8 | 7³⁄₄ | 960 || 1 6 | 7³⁄₄ | 1004 2 12 | 8 | 1070 || 1 8 | 8¹⁄₂ | 1012 3 -- | 8¹⁄₂ | 1154 || 1 10 | 8 | 1196 | | || 1 11 | 9 | 1337 -------+-------+------++-------+-------+------

All English mortars are erroneously fixed to an angle of 45 degrees, and custom has prevailed to lash them strongly with ropes to that elevation. In a siege, shells should never be thrown with an angle of 45 degrees, excepting in one case only; that is, when the battery is so far off that they cannot otherwise reach the works: for when shells are thrown out of the trenches into the works of a fortification, or from the town into the trenches, they should have as little elevation as possible, in order to roll along and not bury themselves; whereby the injury they do, and the terror they cause to the troops, is much greater than if they sink into the ground. On the contrary, when shells are thrown upon magazines, or any other buildings, with an intention to destroy them, the mortars should be elevated as high as possible, that the shells may acquire a greater force in their fall, and consequently do more execution. The British are the only nation that fix mortars to an elevation of 45 degrees, the proper range is from 32¹⁄₂ to 35 degrees.

The use of mortars is thought to be older than that of cannon; for they were employed in the wars of Italy to throw balls of red-hot iron, and stones, long before the invention of shells. It is generally believed, that the Germans were the first inventors, and that they were actually used at the siege of Naples, in the reign of Charles the VIII., in 1435. History informs us, with more certainty, that shells were thrown out of mortars at the siege of Wachtendonk, in Guelderland, in 1588, by the earl of Mansfield. Shells were first invented by a citizen of Venlo, who, on a festival, celebrated in honor of the duke of Cleves, threw a certain number, one of which fell on a house, and set fire to it; by which misfortune the greatest part of the city was reduced to ashes. Mr. Malter, an English engineer, first taught the French the art of throwing shells, which they practised at the siege of Motte, in 1634. The method of throwing red-hot balls out of mortars, was first put in practice, with certainty, at the siege of Stralsund, in 1675, by the elector of Brandenburg; though some say in 1653, at the siege of Bremen.

Land-MORTARS, are those used in sieges, and of late in battles, mounted on beds; and both mortar and bed are transported on block-carriages. There is also a kind of land-mortars, mounted on travelling carriages, invented by count Buckeburg, which may be elevated to any degree; whereas the British as we have already stated, are fixed to an angle of 45 degrees, and are firmly lashed with ropes.