Part 61

BOARD of Ordnance. See Ordnance.

BOARD, also implies an office under the government, where the affairs of some departments are transacted; of which there are several sorts in England.

BOAT. See Advice-Boat, Pontoon-Boat, &c.

BODY, in the art of war, is a number of forces, horse or foot, united and marching under one commander.

Main BODY of an army, sometimes means the troops encamped in the center between the two wings, and generally consists of infantry. The main body on a march, signifies the whole of the army, exclusive of the van and rear-guard.

BODY of a Reserve. See Reserve.

BODY of a place, is, generally speaking, the buildings in a fortified town; yet the inclosure round them is generally understood by it.

BOIS de remontage, Fr. every species of timber which is used to new mount cannon, or refit ammunition waggons, &c.

BOIS de chauffage, Fr. the fuel which is distributed among French troops.

BOLT, an iron pin used for strengthening a piece of timber, or for fastening two or more articles together. Bolts in gunnery, being of several sorts, admit of various denominations, which arise from the specific application of them, as

1. Eye } 2. Joint } 3. Transom } 4. Bed } 5. Breeching}BOLTS. 6. Bracket } 7. Stool-bed} 8. Garnish } 9. Axle-tree} 10. Bolster }

{See SHELL. BOMB{Chest. See CAISSON. {Vessels,} (Ketches,}

small vessels, made very strong with large beams, particularly calculated for throwing shells into a town, castle, or fortification, from 13 and 10-inch mortars; two of which are placed on board of each ship. They are said to have been invented by M. Reyneau, a Frenchman, and to have been first put in action at the bombardment of Algiers in 1681: till then it had been judged impracticable to bombard a place from the sea.

BOMB Ketch. The old bomb-ketches carried one 13-inch and 1 10-inch mortar, with 8 six-pounders, besides swivels, for their own immediate defence. The modern bomb-vessels carry 2 10-inch mortars 4 68-pounders, and 6 18-pounders carronades; and the mortars may be fired at as low an angle as 20 degrees; though these mortars are not intended to be used at sea but on very particular occasions; their principal intention, at these low angles, being to cover the landing of troops, and protect coasts and harbours. A bomb-ketch is generally from 60 to 70 feet long from stem to stern, and draws 8 or 9 feet water. The tender is generally a brig, on board of which the party or artillery remain, till their services are required on board the bomb-vessel.

Instructions for their Management and Security in Action.

1. A Dutch pump, filled with water, must be placed in each round-top, one upon the forecastle, one on the main-deck, and one on the quarter-deck; and furnished with leather buckets, for a fresh supply of water.

2. The booms must be wetted by the pumps before the tarpaulins and mortar-hatches are taken off; and a wooden skreen, 5 feet square, is to be hung under the booms, over each mortar, to receive the fire from the vents.

3. The embrasures being fixed and properly secured, the port must be let down low enough to be covered by the sole of the embrasure. Previous to its being let down, a spar must be lashed across it, to which the tackles for raising it again must be fixed; this spar serves to project the tackles clear of the explosion.

4. The mortars must not be fired through the embrasures at a lower angle than 20 degrees, nor with a greater charge than 5 lbs. of powder.

5. Previous to firing, the doors of the bulkhead, under the quarter-deck, must be shut, to prevent the cabin being injured by the explosion.

6. The bed must be wedged in the circular curb, as soon as the mortar is pointed, to prevent re-action; the first wedge being driven tight, before the rear ones are fixed, in order to give the full bearing on the table, as well as the rear of the bed. The holes for dog-bolts must be corked up, to prevent the sparks falling into them.

7. When any shells are to be used on board the bomb, they must be fixed on board the tender, and brought from thence in boxes in her long-boat; and kept along side the bomb-ship till wanted, carefully covered up.

8. In the old constructed bomb-vessels it was necessary to hoist out the booms, and raft them along side previous to firing; but in these new ones, with embrasures, only the boats need be hoisted out; after which the mortars may be prepared for action in 10 minutes.

Proportion of Ordnance and Ammunition for a Bomb Ship, carrying two 10 inch Mortars, to fire at low angles, and at 45 degrees, four 68 Prs. and six 18 Prs. Carronades.

---------------------------------------------------------------------- In the Bomb KINDS. Ship. Tender. Total. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Mortars, sea service, with Beds, &c. 10 inch 2 -- 2 Quoins for do.--2 for 45°--2 for 20° elevation 4 -- 4 Capsquares, with keys, &c. spare 2 -- 2 Handspikes, large 4 -- 4 Spunges, with ram.heads 4 -- 4 Handscrews, small 2 -- 2 Handcrow levers--6 feet 4 -- 4 Handspikes, common 6 -- 6 Linstocks, with cocks 4 -- 4 Powder horns, new pat. 4 -- 4 Match cwts. 1 -- 1 Marline skeins -- 12 12 Budge bar. cop hooped 1 1 2 Lanthorns, Muscovy 2 2 4 Lanthorns, dark 2 2 4 Carronades, 68 Prs. 4 -- 4 Carronades, 18 Prs. 6 -- 6 having sliding carriages, elevating screws, spunges, rammers &c. complete Gun tackles, complete for traversing mortars, 12 Prs. 4 -- 4 Wads, 68 Prs. 270 270 540 Wads, 18 Prs. 480 180 660 Musquets{Bright 32 -- 32 {Black 8 -- 8 Pistols, pairs 15 -- 15 Swords 40 -- 40 Pole axes 6 -- 6 Pikes 40 -- 40 Musquetoons 2 -- 2 Flints, musquet 900 -- 900 Flints, pistol 150 -- 150 Ball cartridges, musq. 2000 -- 2000 Ball cartridges, pistol 2000 -- 2000 Shot, musq. cwt. qr. lb. 1.0.0 -- 1.0.0 Shot, pistol 1.0.0 -- 1.0.0 Round car. fixed, 10 in. 48 152 200 Empty shells, 10 inch. 48 352 400 Iron shot, 1 lb. 1000 4000 5000 Fixed shells, 10 inch 48 -- 48 Case shot, 68 Prs. car. 20 20 40 Emp. sh. 8 in for car. 52 100 152 Shot, round, 68 Prs. 50 50 100 Carcasses do. 68 Prs. 96 104 200 Shot, round, 18 Prs. 300 -- 300 Case shot, 18 Prs. 30 30 60 Carcas. do. fix. 18 Prs. 150 150 300 Hand shells, fixed, sea service -- 150 150 Fuzes for do. spare -- 15 15 Pap. cov. for cart, 10 in. 106 609 715 Pap. cov. for cart, 68 Pr. 293 301 594 Pap. cov. for cart, 18 Pr. 258 198 456 Flan. cartridg. }to hold 5 lb. 106 -- 106 emp. for 10 in. mor. }do. 10.lb. -- 609 609 Flan. cartridg. }to hold 5 lb. 293 151} 594 emp. for 68 Prs. car.}do. 4 lb. -- 150} Flannel cartridges, emp. for 18 Prs. to hold 1¹⁄₂ lbs. 528 148 676 Paper cartridges for bursting, 10 inches, empty, -- 352 352 Paper cartridges, for bursting, 8 inches, empty -- 100 100 Paper cartridges filled with 2 lb. 10 oz for 10 inch. 48 -- 48 Do. filled with 1 lb. 14 oz. for 8 inch 52 -- 52 Fuzes, drove, 10 inch. 52 388 440 Fuzes, drove, 8 inch. 57 110 166 {200 for 10 inch. shells at 14 Valenciennes{oz. each, lbs. -- 175 175 composition {768 for 10 inch. shells, at 9 {oz. each, lbs. -- 42 42 Tube boxes, tin 12 -- 12 Fuze composition, for priming carcasses, lbs. -- 10 10 Powder bags -- 6 6 Portfires -- 200 200 Quick match, cotton, lbs. -- 20 20 Spirits of wine, gals. -- 4 4 Kitt lbs. -- 80 80 Bottoms of wood, 10 in. 10 40 50 Signal rockets, 1 lb. doz. -- 2 2 Blue lights, do. -- 3 3 Gunpowder for the mortars and carronades, half barrels 72 150 222 Powder for priming, do. -- 1 1 Powder for bursting, do. -- 28 28 with all the small articles which usually attend mortars on every service, and the articles necessary for the service of carronades at sea. Laboratory chests, 4 ft. -- 2 2 Laboratory chests, 3 ft. -- 2 2 Handpumps for wetting the rigging, &c. 6 -- 6 Leather buckets 24 -- 24 ----------------------------------------------------------------------

BOMB Tender, a small vessel of war laden with ammunition for the bomb-ketch, and from which the latter is constantly supplied.

BOMBARD, an ancient piece of ordnance, so called, very short, and very thick, with an uncommon large bore. There have been bombards which have thrown a ball or shell of 300 weight: they made use of cranes to load them. The Turks use some of them at present.

To BOMBARD, BOMBARDING, BOMBARDMENT, the act of assaulting a city or fortress, by throwing shells into it in order to set fire to and ruin the houses, churches, magazines, &c. and to do other mischief. As one of the effects of the shell results from its weight, it is never discharged as a ball from a cannon, that is, by pointing it at a certain object: but the mortars are fixed at an elevation of or about 45 degrees; that is, inclined so many degrees from the horizon, that the shell describes a curve, called the military projectile: hence a mortar, whose trunnions are placed at the breech, can have no point-blank range. Mortars should be so contrived, that they may be elevated to any degree required, as much preferable to those fixed at an angle of 45°; because shells should never be thrown at that angle but in one single case only, which seldom happens; that is, when the battery is so far off, that they cannot otherwise reach the works: for when shells are thrown from 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 damage 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 mortar should be elevated as high as possible, that the shells may acquire a greater force in their fall.