|
Post by yanmacca on Apr 17, 2021 19:32:37 GMT
Hello Everyone!
Someone said yesterday, maybe Mike or Mark, about Carbines used by the US Cavalry, not sure if one of them mentioned abour repeaters too, well I always thought that Bufords cavalry held the confederates at bay by skirmishing with Spencer repeating carbines, but did they? Here is a a paragraph from another site!
At least one post-war report mentioned Buford as having used Spencer’s, but that is generally regarded as incorrect. They’re traced supply records showing that his unit had a mixture of Sharps and several other types I’m not immediately familiar with by name - Burnsides, Merrill’s, Ballard’s, and Maynard’s. You can find Buford’s own report of the action online, but the only references he makes to his men’s small arms are two references to the enemy being in range for carbine fire, and one that at 3 p.m. he could no longer reply with carbines, for want of cartridges, and had to fall back. He does not mention the type of carbine, or any numbers.
Did the US Army deem all these repeaters as too old for use in 1876?, in my view they are excellent weapons for a mounted unit.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 17, 2021 19:51:18 GMT
Buford's division did not have Spencer Carbine's at Gettysburg, only single shot. Here is a table showing the types from "The Devil to Pay: John Buford at Gettysburg" Unit /Weapon | Sharps | Burnside | Smith | Gallagher | Merill | 8th IL | 311 |
|
|
| | 12th IL |
| 86 |
|
| | 3rd IN | 12 |
|
| 182 | | 8th NY | 210 |
|
|
| | 6th NY | 232 |
|
|
| | 9th NY | 381 |
| 1 |
| | 17th PA |
|
| 227 |
| 108 | 3rd WV |
|
|
| 89 |
|
He goes on to say that Richard S. Shue (Morning at Willoughby Run) that Buford got a limited distribution into the 17th PA, but it is suspect. I don't think anything was wrong with the Spencer; the Army was more worried about excessive ammunition use rather than firepower. I recall a book about Reno talks about his time on the selection board for the rifle, but I don't remember which one at the moment.
|
|
|
Post by yanmacca on Apr 17, 2021 19:57:25 GMT
Yep, as I thought. Didn't the army also reject the Colt Revolving carbine? I am not sure if some soldiers at the Fetterman battle had these carbines, but they were regarded as unreliable, but having said that, I would rather have six shots in my carbine and another six in my revolver when the chips are down.
|
|
|
Post by quincannon on Apr 17, 2021 22:16:21 GMT
Problem with repeating weapons in that era Ian was that they were slow to load. That's not a bad thing in and of itself, but it is a bad thing in combat. The single shot cartridge firing weapon has its drawbacks, but it is not slow to load. I am not even pretending to know anything about why the Army selected the Springfield Carbine, but what I do know is that the Army never had a satisfactory weapon capable of well aimed shooting at a rapid rate until the Springfield 03 came into service, and we had to steal that design from the Germans. The Krag was in between the single shot weapons and the 03, but reportedly was a piece of junk, and was not in service long.
Now, that brief interlude being over I am back to Sharpe at Fuentes De Onoro. Learned just today that Cornwell wrote a book in 2014 intended for the 200th Anniversary of Waterloo. "The History of Four Days, Three Armies, Three Battles". It is nonfiction, and you being into that era was hoping you may have read it and give me a recommendation before I order it.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 17, 2021 22:45:01 GMT
Problem with repeating weapons in that era Ian was that they were slow to load. That's not a bad thing in and of itself, but it is a bad thing in combat. The single shot cartridge firing weapon has its drawbacks, but it is not slow to load. I am not even pretending to know anything about why the Army selected the Springfield Carbine, but what I do know is that the Army never had a satisfactory weapon capable of well aimed shooting at a rapid rate until the Springfield 03 came into service, and we had to steal that design from the Germans. The Krag was in between the single shot weapons and the 03, but reportedly was a piece of junk, and was not in service long. Now, that brief interlude being over I am back to Sharpe at Fuentes De Onoro. Learned just today that Cornwell wrote a book in 2014 intended for the 200th Anniversary of Waterloo. "The History of Four Days, Three Armies, Three Battles". It is nonfiction, and you being into that era was hoping you may have read it and give me a recommendation before I order it. quincannon I read the book. I previously had a hard time getting into anything that Cornwell wrote, but this one was engaging. Actually, it was the first book about Waterloo I read since college. I found it well written and clear.
|
|
|
Post by quincannon on Apr 18, 2021 0:10:17 GMT
Will order it tomorrow. Thanks Mike
|
|
|
Post by yanmacca on Apr 18, 2021 19:07:46 GMT
Sharpe still raising moral link
|
|
|
Post by quincannon on Apr 18, 2021 21:10:17 GMT
If that what it would take for me to have been as good an officer as Sharpe was in the stories, then I would drink that goddamned tea all day long.
|
|
|
Post by herosrest on Apr 18, 2021 21:26:44 GMT
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 19, 2021 2:06:57 GMT
Dr Pepper cans: Armored Refreshment Carrier. The carbonated Warrior's drink.
|
|
|
Post by yanmacca on Apr 19, 2021 8:07:19 GMT
Dr pepper, is that a type of root beer? It is available in England, I tried it in the 1980s and it tasted like medicine, the type they gave us as kids. Never had it again The Scottish have a similar drink called "urn bru" or "iron brew" that is also a required taste. By eck though, you can't beat dandelion and burdock.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 19, 2021 13:32:55 GMT
DR Pepper is made from 23 different fruit juices; Prune juice is(was) rumored to be a prime component of the drink resulting in better, sometimes, rapid digestive flow. However,
The Armored Refreshment Carrier line is from a billboard in Kileen, TX near Fort Hood advertising the drink.
The Warrior Drink line comes from Star Trek the Next Generation episode "Yesterday's Enterprise"
Guinen (the hostess of the ship's lounge) is talking to Worf (the Klingon Scurity officer) about how he should be more open to other ideas and she has poured him a drink. Ultimately she says something like "Shut up and drink your drink.) He downs the drink and proclaims, "This is a warrior's drink.} and then the alert klaxon goes off.
|
|
colt45
First Lieutenant
Posts: 439
|
Post by colt45 on Apr 19, 2021 14:11:59 GMT
And when Dr Pepper was not available at Hood, Mr Pibb became the best substitute.
|
|
|
Post by quincannon on Apr 19, 2021 16:07:32 GMT
I suppose the next thing you Armor guys will want is for the tank designers to include a on board refrigerator on your tanks so you will not have to stop for ice so often. Then you could go a step further and have a M113 converted into a mobile 7-11.
Ian, L believe Doctor Pepper, like Coca Cola and Pepsi, were originally intended to be a medicine if memory serves. Back in the day when I had an upset stomach as a child my mom would give me a heaping dose of Coke Syrup which you could then buy at a pharmacy. Think Pepsi and Doctor Pepper were originally developed for some sort of undefined medicinal purpose. If Doctor Pepper does contain Prune Juice, I can readily see why it is favored by tankers.
|
|
|
Post by yanmacca on Apr 19, 2021 16:55:41 GMT
In there any truth in the theory that coca cola contained a small amount of cocaine? That was why it picked you up "lol"
The big difference between UK & USA ration packs would be the hot beverage, with tea & coffee. I don't think you would find gum in the UK pack, probably biscuits. The USA would have crackers, I guess. But both would probably have chocolate. US ration packs in WW2, used to have lemon powder, probably liven up the water.
|
|