Image: 10-inch-D1896-cutaway

Description: This is cutaway drawing of a 10-inch Coast Artillery gun on an M1896 disappearing carriage. The drawing is cluttered, but one can make out the position of the gun when raised into firing position ("in battery") vs. when retracted behind the parapet and ready to be swabbed out and reloaded. The curved line running between the breeches in the two renderings of the gun in the two positions (raised and depressed) shows the path traveled by the tube during its firing cycle. The drawing also shows the pit into which counterweight falls as the gun is brought up into firing position. This counterweight was made up of a stack of lead plates, which are also clearly visible here. The number of plates varied depending on the type of gun and the projectile/powder loads in use. On the loading platform at right is a three-wheeled shell cart (one wheel in the rear). When the breech of the gun is retracted into loading position, this cart can be wheeled right up to the breech and the shell and powder load rammed into gun. The powder generally traveled on the lower level of the shell cart.
Title: 10-inch-D1896-cutaway
Credit: This drawing was made by the U.S. Army Ordinance Dept., likely at the end of the 19th Century. The file is courtesy of the Coast Defense Study Group, from its copies of public archives.
Author: U.S. Army Ordinance Dept
Usage Terms: Public domain
License: Public domain
Attribution Required?: No