Changes in Weaponry Flashcards
(59 cards)
1
Q
How did the Industrial Revolution improve Britain’s ability to make technological advancements? Give a figure.
A
- There were advancements in iron production and the 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? How important was the carronade?
A
- It was first developed in the 1770s at the Carron ironworks (its development was therefore down to the work of a private company)
- It was a short cannon that fired grapeshot at short range
- It was possibly the most important advancement in naval warfare in the 1790s
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 4 advantages of using a carronade?
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
- It was effective against people (good at clearing decks)
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
How did the carronade suit the techniques of the Royal Navy? Give 3 details.
A
- Traditionally British ships had been more manoeuvrable than others
- They used a manoeuvre called ‘crossing the T’; the attacking vessel would sail in front of the enemy so that their broadside would sweep down the length of the ship
- Boarding had been traditionally risky, so the use of carronades gave British marines a large advantage, as by the time the enemy regrouped, they would be present in large numbers
10
Q
Who used carronades: the army or the navy? When was it first used?
A
- The navy
- It was first used in 1782
11
Q
Give one example of the success of carronades in 1795.
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
12
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 gave the British a greater advantage
- As a result, carronades were phased out by 1851
13
Q
What did the carronade help to develop?
A
- It helped to develop high explosive shells fired by artillery both on land and at sea
14
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
- Ideally, windage would have been as narrow as possible, so that as much of explosion from the gunpowder as possible was used to propel projectiles as opposed to leaking from the side
- The carronade drew attention to this as it had a much shorter barrel itself, so it had tighter windage
15
Q
What other important contribution did the Carron Company make to weapons? How?
A
- They helped deal with the issue of windage
- Since they made the carronades and their ammunition, they could reduce windage
16
Q
However, why did windage stop being a crucial issue? Give 2 reasons.
A
- Due to:
- engineering becoming more precise
- shells with cases started being used in rifled barrels
17
Q
Why were Congreve’s rockets first developed and who developed them? Whose support did he have? Why was this important?
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
- He had the support of the Prince of Wales, who gave him access to the War Office
18
Q
What were 2 reasons why the Prince of Wales’ support for the development of rockets was particularly important?
A
- The Duke of Wellington and other generals were critical of them, due to:
- their conservative attitudes
- their lack of accuracy (to the extent where they threatened the firers as much as the targets)
19
Q
Who used Congreve’s rockets: the army or the navy? When were they used?
A
- The navy and the army
- They were mainly used between 1806 and 1815
20
Q
What were 3 advantages of using Congreve’s rockets?
A
- They had a huge psychological impact
- Their flight path was unpredictable
- They had a larger range than conventional guns
21
Q
Describe the events of the first successful use of Congreve’s rockets.
A
- In 1806, 24 cutters (small warships) fired 2000 rockets at Boulogne
- The actual damage was limited but the psychological effect was massive
22
Q
What were the rockets combined with for greater impact? Give an example of a battle where they were used.
A
- They combined this with conventional weapons (mixed barrage)
- Battle of Copenhagen in 1807
23
Q
In what 2 ways did Congreve’s rockets improve fighting tactics?
A
- They were 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
- They also had a much greater impact when used in a mixed barrage with conventional weapons
24
Q
What was the problem with Congreve’s rockets? Give one example of this.
A
- The inaccuracy of the rockets meant that well-protected troops were unlikely to be physically affected
- During the 1814 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
25
Were there any further developments to Congreve's rockets? Give 3 details.
- William Hale individually developed a new rocket, which used spin to improve accuracy
- The British army adopted it in the 1860s, but used it in limited numbers
- Despite this, rockets were taken out of service in the 19th century
26
For what 4 reasons were Congreve's rockets taken out of service?
- The problem of their inaccuracy was never solved
- Rockets did not store well, as they lost potency
- Rockets reacted badly to extreme temperatures
- There were massive advances in steel artillery
27
What improvement was there to guns during the Peninsular War? What limitation was there to this?
- Most infantry had the Brown Bess musket
- Skirmishers had the Baker rifle
- The Baker rifle had rifling (grooves which give bullets spin), which made it more accurate over longer distances
- Experts could fire the Brown Bess 4 times per minute, but for the Baker rifle this figure was 2 times per minute
28
What 2 problems were there with muzzle-loading?
- 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 also meant that the inside would become quickly fouled, and consequently less effective
29
How could the issue of muzzle-loading be solved? Give 2 reasons why this was beneficial.
- By loading through the breech (the back of the barrel)
- The weapon did not need to be moved as much, and so the reloading process for breech-loading weapons was 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
30
Who created the first breech-loading cannon? What was it called?
- The Armstrong Company
- The Armstrong cannon
31
What had inspired Armstrong to design a new cannon for the Royal Artillery? List 3.
- Problems with cannons that were seen in the Crimean War:
- slow loading time
- barrel wear
- poor accuracy
32
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
33
Who used the Armstrong cannon: the army or the navy? When was it first used?
- Both the army and navy
- It was used from 1858 by the army
34
What change needed to be made as breech-loading cannons started to be used? Give 3 reasons why this was advantageous.
- Projectiles needed to be coated in lead
- The lead expanded slightly when fired, so it would grip the rifling
- This put more spin on the shell, increasing accuracy
- Since the shell's coating was softer than the barrel, the barrel would not be worn down as fast
- It reduced windage, so less gunpowder was needed inside each shell
35
What 3 disadvantages did breech-loading cannons have? What did this mean for the army?
- They required more maintenance
- They required more training
- Their shells were more expensive than muzzle-loading cannons
- Breech-loading artillery only became the norm from the 1880s
36
How did the navy use the Armstrong cannon, and when? How important was the Armstrong cannon in naval warfare?
- They adopted the quick-fire version of Armstrong's 12-pounder in 1894
- It became the main armament for naval destroyers in both world wars
37
What 3 developments did the Armstrong cannon, as the first breech-loading cannon, lead to?
- They caused the switch from broadside firing to turret-mounted guns
- The killing power of artillery caused warfare to become static
- They were the first guns in history that could fire much further than gunners could see (causing the use of radios, aeroplanes)
38
When was the first machine gun made, and what was it called?
- 1884
- The Maxim gun
39
What happened to the Maxim gun?
- It was acquired by the Vickers Company in 1897
- They made an improved version, the Vickers gun
40
How did the Vickers gun compare to its predecessor?
- It was lighter and more reliable than the Maxim gun
41
What role did the Vickers gun play 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, which led to static trench warfare
42
What did the machine gun mean for the number of people that needed to hold an area? Why was this?
- The number of people required fell
- A single machine gun could deliver the same volume of fire as 40 to 50 rifle men
43
Which factor 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 that more areas could be held
44
As machine guns became 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 in order for the gun to remain efficient
45
Who was the 'landships' programme supported by, and who didn't support it? What did the government do as a result?
- It was initially supported by the Royal Navy
- The army was more reluctant
- In June 1915, they made the development of tanks a joint venture between the navy and the army
46
Which company played a role in the creation of the first tank, and what did they do? What other role can be associated with this company?
- William Foster & Co.
- They developed the tracks and built the first prototypes
- The chairman, Sir William Tritton, was an industrialist who advised the government on the development of tanks
47
What was the first working prototype of a British tank called and when was it developed?
- Little Willie
- Summer of 1915
48
What did 'Little Willie' show?
- It showed the benefit of caterpillar tracks for moving over rough terrain
49
What was the name of the 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
50
By when was the first satisfactory version of 'Big Willie' working, and what was it renamed?
- December 1915
- It was renamed 'Mother'
51
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 the idea of Major Wilson (an engineer from the navy)
52
When did 'Mother' develop into a combat-ready version, and what was it called?
- Spring 1916
- It was called 'Mark I'
53
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 track 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 communication between tanks was done mainly by runners
54
Who used tanks: the army or the navy? When were they used?
- The army
- They were first used in September 1916 during the Somme offensive
- They were also used throughout the rest of WW1
55
What 2 problems were there with the tanks in the Somme Offensive?
- Mechanical problems meant that, only 24 out of the 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
56
What positive outcome was there from the use of tanks in the Somme offensive?
- They helped capture the villages of Flers and Martinpuich
57
Which tanks were used through 1917 and 1918, and how were they better than Mark I?
- Mark IV and Mark V
- They were upgraded versions of Mark I with better engines and heavier armour
58
What tanks did the French and the Germans develop, and how were these special?
- French Renault FT: had the first revolving turret
- German AV7: took part in the first tank vs tank battle in April 1918
59
When during WW1 were tanks at their most effective? Give 3 reasons why.
- Battle of Cambrai, November 1917
- Over 400 were used, and they followed the creeping barrage
- The tanks were effective in clearing barbed wire
- A lot of progress was made by British troops
