D. Hampel wrote:
Hi guys,
I was creating a new scenario and wanted to add the artillery ammo and began wondering, what is the proper level that should be portrayed when creating a scenario?
The example I have is that the army has 31 guns (10 10lbs Parrotts, 5 20lbs Parrotts and 16 Napoleons). This is based on exhausted the ammo per gun shot option.
A caisson supply per gun is:
50 rounds per 10lbs Parrott
25 rounds per 20lbs Parrott
32 rounds per 12lbs Napoleon
This would amount to:
500 shots for the 10lbs Parrotts
125 shots for the 20lbs Parrotts
512 shots for the Napoleons
1,137 shots total.
The scenario is 25 turns and at most the guns could fire 2x per turn (off. and def. fire) That would be a maximum of 1,550 shots. Would it be correct to assume the 1,137 shots is good enough or should it be reduced for better simulation?
Just curious of anyone knows the answer for this.
Sorry for the lateness of my reply.
Your estimates for the above seem reasonable. I base that claim on the following two books which I recommend for any detailed analysis:
Instruction for Field Artillery 1864 (French et al)
Internet Archive version at
https://archive.org/details/instructionforf03deptgoog/page/n3/mode/2up - some diagram plates are not complete,
Google Books version at
https://books.google.com.au/books?id=G2cDAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false - some diagram plates partially obscured by the copier [a black person wearing two finger gloves but in some instances touching the book with unfingered gloves] but it appears different plates to the ones incomplete in the other version; and
Instruction for Field Artillery 1861 (French et al) at
https://archive.org/details/instructionforf03deptgoog/page/n3/mode/2up.
For example the 1861 book (p13) provides a table for various pieces regarding ammunition and lists a 12 pdr 'Napoleon' as having 20 shot in each chest and with two such chests per caisson you arrive at a total of 40. Other ammunition types are also listed. Obviously, listings in a manual should be regarded as a maximum and such maximums would rarely be achieved in action.