The wall gun or wall piece was a type of smoothborefirearm used in the 16th through 18th centuries by defending forces to break the advance of enemy troops. Essentially, it was a scaled-up version of the army's standard infantry musket, operating under the same principles, but with a bore of up to one-inch (25.4 mm) calibre. These weapons filled a gap in firepower between the musket and the lightest artillery pieces, such as the swivel gun. This sort of weapon may also be found described as a rampart gun, hackbut or amusette, a name originally given to early medieval hand cannon.[1]
Long matchlock firearm requiring a rest, 16th century, Ming dynasty
Wall pieces were so named because they were designed to be used along the walls of fortifications.[2] They were equipped with a yoke at the point of balance, which tapered into a pivot, which could be inserted into several sockets along the walls, which would absorb the recoil of the piece and also provide a stable gun platform. (In this respect they were much like a scaled-down version of the swivel gun.) Many were fitted with a barrel hook to absorb shock. Some of these weapons had multiple barrels which enabled volleys to be fired much faster than a normal single-shot wall gun. Wall pieces could also be mounted on very light carriages for service in the field, usually in support of the larger guns. They were also used on small naval vessels.[3]
A wall gun's barrel could be over 4.5 feet (140 cm) in length with a bore of at least 1 inch (2.5 cm). This made them more accurate than the standard flintlock or matchlock musket. George Washington acquired several wall guns during the American War of Independence; tests showed that they were capable of hitting a sheet of common writing paper at 600 yards (550 m) — but since this is comparable performance to a modern full-bore target rifle these results may be queried. Wall guns were part of the standard equipment of some artillery pieces at that time.[4]
During the Napoleonic Wars many of these guns were cut down and turned into blunderbusses. They fired lead shot and were used by naval boarding parties, and by coachmen as protection from highwaymen. A surviving example is preserved in New Zealand.[5]
A breech-loading wall gun was issued to the French army in 1819 for the defense of towns. Improved caplock versions were introduced in 1831 and 1842,[6] as were muzzleloading versions. Bolt action wall guns firing metallic cartridges were used in India and China in the late 19th century.[7]
Naval useedit
When HMS Espoir captured the Genoese privateer Liguria on 7 August 1798, Espoir's captain, Commander Loftus Otway Bland, catalogued Liguria's armaments as: 12 long 18-pounders, four long 12-pounders, 10 long 6-pounders, 12 long wall-pieces, and four swivel guns. While wall-pieces were stocked similar to a musket, though would often have a forged yoke to help support the gun, and in some cases were rifled. Mentions of wall guns are rare in such enumerations; what is more common are mentions of the "swivel guns".
Asian wall gunsedit
Chinese firing a gingal.
In the Far East, a jingal, gingal or gingall (/ˈdʒɪnɡɔːl/), from Hindijanjal, was a type of large matchlock gun, usually a light piece mounted on a swivel.[8] It fired iron bullets 1.25 inches (3.18 cm) in diameter and was classified as a form of wall gun either by design or use.[9] It sometimes took the form of a heavy musket fired from a rest, and usually required a crew of two men.[8] The weapon was used by the Chinese in the 19th century, such as by the Taiping armies, imperial forces during the Opium Wars, and Chinese rebels in Hong Kong during the Six Day War of 1899.[10]
Wall guns were used in India as early as the 17th century[11] and there is a Burmese source from the late 15th century mentioning the use of "cannon and muskets" by the defenders of the besieged town of Prome.[12] There are examples of later wall guns fitted with bipods.[13] This weapon figures in Kipling's poem "The Grave of the Hundred Head".
^Stone, George Cameron and Donald J. LaRocca (1999) A glossary of the construction, decoration, and use of arms and armor in all countries and in all times: together with some closely related subjects. (Dover) p.265.
Bibliographyedit
Perrett, Bryan (2000). Gunboat!. Cassel & Co. p. 39. ISBN0-304-35670-0.
External linksedit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Wall guns.
April 14, 2024
wall, wall, wall, piece, type, smoothbore, firearm, used, 16th, through, 18th, centuries, defending, forces, break, advance, enemy, troops, essentially, scaled, version, army, standard, infantry, musket, operating, under, same, principles, with, bore, inch, ca. The wall gun or wall piece was a type of smoothbore firearm used in the 16th through 18th centuries by defending forces to break the advance of enemy troops Essentially it was a scaled up version of the army s standard infantry musket operating under the same principles but with a bore of up to one inch 25 4 mm calibre These weapons filled a gap in firepower between the musket and the lightest artillery pieces such as the swivel gun This sort of weapon may also be found described as a rampart gun hackbut or amusette a name originally given to early medieval hand cannon 1 German wall guns below and muskets above Contents 1 Use 1 1 Naval use 2 Asian wall guns 3 Gallery 4 See also 5 References 6 Bibliography 7 External linksUse edit nbsp Long matchlock firearm requiring a rest 16th century Ming dynastyWall pieces were so named because they were designed to be used along the walls of fortifications 2 They were equipped with a yoke at the point of balance which tapered into a pivot which could be inserted into several sockets along the walls which would absorb the recoil of the piece and also provide a stable gun platform In this respect they were much like a scaled down version of the swivel gun Many were fitted with a barrel hook to absorb shock Some of these weapons had multiple barrels which enabled volleys to be fired much faster than a normal single shot wall gun Wall pieces could also be mounted on very light carriages for service in the field usually in support of the larger guns They were also used on small naval vessels 3 A wall gun s barrel could be over 4 5 feet 140 cm in length with a bore of at least 1 inch 2 5 cm This made them more accurate than the standard flintlock or matchlock musket George Washington acquired several wall guns during the American War of Independence tests showed that they were capable of hitting a sheet of common writing paper at 600 yards 550 m but since this is comparable performance to a modern full bore target rifle these results may be queried Wall guns were part of the standard equipment of some artillery pieces at that time 4 During the Napoleonic Wars many of these guns were cut down and turned into blunderbusses They fired lead shot and were used by naval boarding parties and by coachmen as protection from highwaymen A surviving example is preserved in New Zealand 5 A breech loading wall gun was issued to the French army in 1819 for the defense of towns Improved caplock versions were introduced in 1831 and 1842 6 as were muzzleloading versions Bolt action wall guns firing metallic cartridges were used in India and China in the late 19th century 7 Naval use edit When HMS Espoir captured the Genoese privateer Liguria on 7 August 1798 Espoir s captain Commander Loftus Otway Bland catalogued Liguria s armaments as 12 long 18 pounders four long 12 pounders 10 long 6 pounders 12 long wall pieces and four swivel guns While wall pieces were stocked similar to a musket though would often have a forged yoke to help support the gun and in some cases were rifled Mentions of wall guns are rare in such enumerations what is more common are mentions of the swivel guns Asian wall guns edit nbsp Chinese firing a gingal In the Far East a jingal gingal or gingall ˈ dʒ ɪ n ɡ ɔː l from Hindi janjal was a type of large matchlock gun usually a light piece mounted on a swivel 8 It fired iron bullets 1 25 inches 3 18 cm in diameter and was classified as a form of wall gun either by design or use 9 It sometimes took the form of a heavy musket fired from a rest and usually required a crew of two men 8 The weapon was used by the Chinese in the 19th century such as by the Taiping armies imperial forces during the Opium Wars and Chinese rebels in Hong Kong during the Six Day War of 1899 10 Wall guns were used in India as early as the 17th century 11 and there is a Burmese source from the late 15th century mentioning the use of cannon and muskets by the defenders of the besieged town of Prome 12 There are examples of later wall guns fitted with bipods 13 This weapon figures in Kipling s poem The Grave of the Hundred Head Gallery edit nbsp Turkish wall guns jezails carbines and muskets nbsp Polish wall gun from the 18th century nbsp 17th century flintlock wall gun from Germany nbsp Chinese wall gun centre with bipod nbsp Experimental needle fire wall gun nbsp Heavily decorated 16th century wall gun from the Kingdom of KandySee also editZamburak Java arquebus Jiaozhi arquebus Istinggar Punt gun Volley gun Organ gun Recoilless rifle Anti tank rifle Anti materiel rifleReferences edit Handgonnes and Arquebuses 3 31 09 Archived from the original on 2015 01 19 Retrieved 2009 03 31 Flintlock Wall Gun De Witt Bailey Ph D Small Arms of the British Forces in America 1664 1815 Woonsocket RI USA 2009 pp 205 08 Work Begins The Cannon Project by Colonial Williamsburg Accessed September 15 2009 Archived from the original on March 5 2009 Retrieved September 16 2009 Te Papa s Collection H Colburn United Service Magazine 1852 p 419 McCollum Ian February 29 2012 Chinese Jingal wall gun Forgotten Weapons Retrieved September 9 2012 a b Chisholm Hugh ed 1911 Gingall Encyclopaedia Britannica Vol 12 11th ed Cambridge University Press p 27 United service journal 11 Six day war Indian Wall Gun Archived from the original on 2016 03 03 Retrieved 2009 03 31 Ricketts Howard 1962 Firearms London p 5 Stone George Cameron and Donald J LaRocca 1999 A glossary of the construction decoration and use of arms and armor in all countries and in all times together with some closely related subjects Dover p 265 Bibliography editPerrett Bryan 2000 Gunboat Cassel amp Co p 39 ISBN 0 304 35670 0 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Wall guns Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Wall gun amp oldid 1209863429 Asian wall guns, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
