Changes in Weaponry Flashcards
(47 cards)
1
Q
How did the Industrial Revolution improve Britain’s ability to make technological advancements?
A
- There were advancements in textiles, iron production and engineering industries
- By 1860, over 25% of the world’s manufacturing was done in Britain
2
Q
What two developments in the mid 19th century kept British warships in the lead?
A
- The development of the screw propeller by Ericsson and Smith
- They had the latest steam engines
3
Q
Which organisation improved the quality of naval guns and what change was made to the firing mechanism?
A
- The Royal Ordnance
- It was changed to the more reliable flintlock firing mechanism
4
Q
How did the flintlock firing mechanism work?
A
- A piece of flint was struck against a piece of metal in order to produce a spark, which would ignite the gunpowder that would fire the weapon
5
Q
When was the carronade first developed and what was it?
A
- It was first developed in the 1770s at the Carron ironworks (private company)
- It was a short cannon that fired grapeshot at short range
6
Q
What was the rationale behind the use of carronades?
A
- They were much easier to use than conventional naval guns
- They would not impinge on the merchantman’s carrying capacity, as they could be fired from the deck
7
Q
What were the advantages of using carronades?
A
- It had a short barrel but a wider muzzle that gave it a broader angle of fire, so more of the target would be struck
- It was quick to reload
- It used very little gunpowder
8
Q
How did the carronade improve fighting tactics?
A
It improved close-quarter fighting because it provided the navy with a weapon that could repeatedly fire devastating grapeshot along the deck of an enemy vessel, allowing them to board it with ease
9
Q
Give one example of the success of carronades in 1895:
A
- HMS Glatton, a ship armed entirely with carronades, was overtaken by a squadron of French ships in Indian Ocean
- The French ships came close to the Glatton in anticipation of a boarding manoeuvre
- However, they had to withdraw after being badly damaged by carronade fire
10
Q
Who used carronades: the army or the navy and when was it first used?
A
- The navy
- It was first used in 1782
11
Q
When did naval tactics begin to change, why and what did this mean for the carronade?
A
- It began to change after the French wars
- This happened because long-barrelled guns became more accurate and quicker at firing, which meant that naval engagements from a distance became better for them
- As a result, carronades were phased out in 1851
12
Q
What did the carronade help to develop?
A
- They helped to develop high explosive shells fired by artillery both on land and at sea
13
Q
However, what part of a gun did the carronade draw attention to, why and what is this?
A
- Windage, which is the gap between a projectile and the inside of the gun barrel
- It drew attention to this part because a carronade had a much shorter barrel itself
14
Q
However, when did windage stop being a crucial issue?
A
- It stopped being important when shells with cases became used in rifle barrels
15
Q
Why was the Congreve rocket first developed and who developed it?
A
- It was developed after the British had seen it when fighting in India in the 1790s
- Sir William Congreve, who was a private entrepreneur
16
Q
Who used Congreve rockets: the army or the navy and when was it used?
A
- The navy and the army
- It was mainly used between 1806 and 1815
- It was also partly used during the French Wars
17
Q
What were 3 advantages of the Congreve rocket?
A
- It had a huge psychological impact
- Its flight path was unpredictable
- It had a greater range when compared to conventional guns
18
Q
Describe the events of the first successful use of the Congreve rocket:
A
- In 1806, 24 cutters (small warships) fired 2000 rockets at Boulogne
- The actual damage was limited but the psychological effect was massive
19
Q
What were the rockets combined with for greater impact? Give an example of a battle where this was used:
A
- They combined this with conventional weapons (mixed barrage)
- Battle of Copenhagen in 1807
20
Q
Give one example of an event that shows the problems with the Congreve rocket and what these were:
A
- In the Battle of Baltimore, although there was a fierce bombardment of Fort McHenry for over 24 hours, it did not achieve the surrender of the fort
- The inaccuracy of the rockets meant that well-protected troops were unlikely to be physically affected
21
Q
In what 2 ways did the Congreve rocket improve fighting tactics?
A
- It was useful for ship-to-shore bombardment, as rockets had a greater range than conventional guns
- This meant that ships could anchor outside gun range and still attack onshore targets
- It also had a much greater impact when used as a mixed barrage with conventional weapons
22
Q
Were there any further developments to the Congreve rocket?
A
- It was developed for use in combat
- William Hale patented a new rocket, which used spin to improve accuracy
- Despite this, they were taken out of service in the 19th century
23
Q
For what four reasons were the Congreve rockets taken out of service?
A
- The problem of its inaccuracy was never solved
- Rockets do not store well, as they lose potency
- Rockets react badly to extreme temperatures
- There were massive advances in steel artillery
24
Q
Prior to the development of the Armstrong cannon, what problems were there with muzzle-loading?
A
- Muzzle-loading a weapon was a complex process because the gunpowder had to be rammed down the barrel before the projectile was placed
- Having so much gunpowder igniting in the barrel meant the inside would become quickly fouled and consequently less effective
25
How could the issue of muzzle-loading be solved and who achieved this?
- This could be solved by loading through the breech, which is a hole/chamber closer to the firer, which is known as a breech-loading rifle
- This is because the weapon did not need to be moved as much and so the reloading process would be much simpler
- Breech-loading ammunition also needed to be self-contained in one unit to ensure the gunpowder and bullet would be loaded together rather than separately
- The Armstrong Company achieved this with the creation of the Armstrong cannon
26
How did the introduction of breech-loading rifles change the ammunition needed in a gun?
- They needed specially made bullets in cartridges rather than metal balls fired from muskets
27
Which event inspired Armstrong to design a new cannon for the Royal Artillery?
- Problems in the Crimean War
28
How did Armstrong solve the problem of loading time?
- He placed the projectile in the breech, which had a screw thread
- The screw thread allowed the breech to be replaced and screwed back into position before the gun was fired
29
Who used the Armstrong cannon: the army or the navy and when was it first used?
- The army
- 1858
30
How did the Vickers gun play a major role in the tactical changes of WW1?
- Its high rate of fire meant that men could no longer operate in open ground without being mown down by a machine gun
- This led to static trench warfare, whereas warfare had been mobile prior to 1914
31
What did the machine gun mean for the number of people that needed to hold an area and why was this?
- The number of people required fell
- A single machine gun could deliver the same volume of fire as 40/50 rifle men
32
Which factors alongside the presence of machine guns meant that both sides were able to hold a continuous front for most of the conflict in WW1?
- The increase in population and the rise of conscript armies meant there were also a lot more soldiers
- This meant more areas could be held, leading to a continuous front
33
As machine guns become more technically advanced, what was required of the soldiers that used them and why?
- They needed to be trained better
- This is because machine guns had a lot of moving parts which needed mechanical expertise to strip down and clean
34
Who used the Vickers gun: the army or the navy and when was it used?
- The army used it
- It was used throughout WW1
35
Who was the 'landships' programme supported by, who was more reluctant at the idea and as a result, what did the government do?
- It was initially supported by the Royal Navy
- The army was more reluctant
- In June 1915, they made this a joint venture between the navy and the army
36
Whose company first developed the tracks and built the first prototypes for the tank and what was their relevance to the 'landships' programme?
- William Foster & Co
- The chairman, Sir William Tritton, was an industrialist who advised the government on the programme
37
What was the first working prototype of a British tank called and when was it developed?
- Little Willie
- It was developed in the summer of 1915
38
What benefit did 'Little Willie' show?
- It showed the benefit of caterpillar tracks for moving over rough terrain
39
What was the name of thew new prototype developed after 'Little Willie' and what did it look like?
- 'Big Willie'
- It came closer to the standard model that would be used during WW1, which was the rhomboidal shaped tank
40
By when was the first satisfactory version of 'Big Willie' working by and what was it renamed?
- The first satisfactory version was working by Dec 1915
- It was renamed 'Mother'
41
What advantage did 'Big Willie' have over 'Little Willie' and whose idea was this?
- Its lower centre of gravity prevented it from toppling when moving over fixed defences
- It was Major Wilson's idea
42
When did 'Mother' develop into a combat-ready version and what was it called?
- It developed into a combat-ready version in Spring 1916
- It was called 'Mark I'
43
What 5 problems did the first 'Mark I' tanks have?
- They needed very large engines to drive each of the tracks
- Their top speed was little over walking pace
- They needed large crews as each individual required a man to operate the throttle, the gears and the brakes
- There was no steering, so the general direction of the tank was determined by the relative speed of each of the tracks
- The noise was so loud that those inside the tanks communicated by signal and those between the tanks were done mainly by runner
44
Who used the tank: the army or the navy and when was it first used?
- The army
- It was first used in the Somme Offensive in September 1916
- It was also used throughout WW1
45
What problems were there with the tanks in the Somme Offensive?
- Mechanical problems meant that, only 24/50 tanks made it to the start line for the attack and several more broke down short of the enemy line
- Other tanks were destroyed by artillery fire
46
Which tanks were used through 1917 and 1918 and how were they improved versions of Mark I?
- Mark IV and Mark V
- They had better engines and heavier armour
47
What tanks did the French and the Germans develop and how were these special?
- French Renault FT, which had the first revolving turret
- German AV7, which took part in the first tank vs tank battle in April 1918
