Overview History of Artillery Ordnance at Sandy Hook Proving Ground

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This report is not a detailed history of the ^andy Hook Proving Ground itself, but it is or. attempt to £ive an overview history of what, kind of artillery ordnance v:us beiri£ tested at Sandy Hook botwecn 1&7^ and 1919, and what types of ordnance have been found at the Hook cince it became a National Recreation Area. The report includes the following sections:

Pages 1-2. .Introduction . ;-S;Vv * ' Pages 2-15...... Small Arms Ammunition K^; ; .: Pages 16-19...... Sandy Hook Ordnance Proving Ground: An Overview; Pages 20-32. Weapons tested at the Proving Ground from "°nh "

Information) - . ;;^V| is>s?. Pages 33-^3 Types of Artillery & Artillery Projectiles? firSmoothbore Ammunition (cannonballs) ; - Pages 5O-6U Rifle Projectiles: Field and. Coast Artillery Pages 65-67.. Bursting Charges in Projectiles: 1900, 1907, Page 68...... Types of Projectiles for U.S. Cannon;'(-191Q)» •: Pages 69-70...... Colors for Projectiles • - .' Pages 70-71 Interior coatings of projectiles, shell bases,;

' ' '-,. V • •• ' Rockets. . • •,"'••'.•"• Y' ' •"^-•'-'"": •••;... • ," '•••w. • ." - • - Pa«eu72 Types of. Shells . ", Bages 73-81 Artillery shell's and other ordnance found'at 1 . of Gateway National Recreation Area (yith lofei Pages'£2-87...... Sa,fety j^roceduKes to follow \-/heri .dealing with oiSdnance

^ .Large .Map shpwing ordnance ir.pact and target areas at 'the Sanfiy _ •'"'Proving Ground. (pz>c> L '>.r>"-Ji J '' •• •." -\M 200.1f C02NJ000402_0l.05_0001 This report wan put together at the request of the Vinitor Protection* Resource Management Ranger Division of the Sandy Hook Unit of Gateway National Recreation Area. The report is an effort to help the Park Ranger Staff identify any ordnance that is bound to be found on the beach and in dune areas from North Beach south to the surfing beach, the old Proving Ground Range. •'Of!

For ^5 years Sandy Hook served as the U.S. Army's first official Proving Ground, from 187^ to 1919. With the passing of time the Proving Ground's 5 historical significance and myriad activities have been forgotten, but it was here at Sandy Hook that the Proving Ground had a key role in the deve- If lopment of the weapons employed by the U.S. Coast Artillery and U.S.^Field i Artillery during the vital years (1898-I9I8) that our Nation emerged as a world power.

Historian Edwin C. Bearss researched the Sandy Hook Proving Ground Historic Resource Study. Historian Bearss consulted all primary manuscript materials at the National Archives preserved in Record Groups 77 and 156, focusing on the Sandy Hook Proving Ground from its establishment until 1891, when it was established as a separate facility. For the period 1891-1919 the principal sources Historian Bearss relied upon were the.Executive Documents, the Annual Reports of the commanding officer, and the Returns for U.S. Military .Posts. The New York JTiraes Index for the years 187^1919 were examined and articles describing Proving Ground activities read. ' ',

Unfortunately, in regard to the many types of guns, carriages, artillery shells, powders, etc., Bearss1 study istfeither det.ai.led'fcr complete. He skipped Fiscal Years 190** and 1905 activities at the Proving Ground,' and for Fiscal Years 1906 through 1919 gave very general outlines as to what was beingjtested.at Sandy Hook. Historian Bearss is not to be faulted however, 'because he was facda with an enormous research tabk. In his Preface he noted

' • f i* ''. ••••'•' >k ,«"...within;the constraints imposed by funding, there wae insulffib£«nt time "' available to examine the huge number of documents in Record Group 156 for (the years 1891-1919)." When one takes into account that Bearss' study is the first of it's kind about the Sandy Hook Proving Ground, it should be considered the most detailed and complete. It appears that another resource study regarding all the guns, carriages, artillery shells, gun powders, fuses, etc., could be done in detail to follow up on Historian Bearss1 priceless research.

v worr ninny dirOrnil. Uindn of ordnance t«M.p donu «t Sandy Hook, but which are not covered in Bearss1 report. A few of the teats not mentioned are the following: From Frank Leslie'6 Illustrated Newspaper of June 2nd, 1877, there is an engraving captioned "Testing Life Saving and

?^ . Hale war rockets in the presence of the United States Ordnance Board at Sandy Hook." Apparently the teats took place, on May 12th and the etory appeared in the June 2nd newspaper issue.

j-.$_ Another illustration; sketched by Rufus F. Zogbuam, shows nine soldiers & }•'/ff^K wearing Winter overcoats getting ready to fire a field piece. This sketch appeared in the November 15» 1&79, issue of Harper's Weekly, and was captioned "Long Range-Target Practice. Standing Gun Drill. Artillery School for Militia- men at Fort Hamilton with a view of Long Range Target Practice at the Sandy Hook Proving Ground, Sandy Hook, New Jersey." As sketched by Zogbuam, the cannon barrel strongly resembles either a 12-pounder Bronze Confederate Field

" i ; / Gun (Figure 122, Warren Ripley's Artillery & Ammunition of the Civil War, page v| 27) t and also the Bronze Confederate 3-inch Field Rifle (Figure 1X33-and 3*S •J page 1?8, Ripley, Artillery & Ammunition of the Civil War). The accuracy of ;| my observations and assumptions depends, of course, on the accuracy of ''& Zogbuam's sketch. •..-•.*..'

*$• Small arms were also test fired" at the Sandy Hook'Proving Ground, 'in the 'J November-December 1977 issue of Rifle Magazine there was an article written ;| ' ' by W.'.Oohn Farquhanaon.• entitled V.A5T7O at Two Miles."- This article details I the results of long'range tests of U.S.* Army Model 18731' .^5-caliber rifles, : / I \;- % M/'the British Army •577- *5O Martini-Henry lever-operated,'- drop-^locfe action rifles, and Sharps-Borchardt Model 1878 rifles using 405 and 500-grain lead bullets, including variations in muzzle velocity and penetration of lead bullets through one-inch target boards and into sand. These tests were made at the request of the Chief of Ordnance, whose interest had been aroused by . reports of long range infantry fire, up to 1# miles, during the 1877-78 Turko- Russian War.

In formation on these tests was found in The Report of the Secretary of War, I88O, Volume III, under the chapter titled, "Extreme Ranges of Military Small Arms." The first long range tests were made at ranges of up to 1,500 yards on the Springfield Armory test range at Long Meadow, Massachusetts. These tests compared the JLong distance shooting and penetration performance of the .^5 caliber trapdoor Springfield and the .^5 caliber Martini-Henry rifles. The report of October 15» 1879* covers long range firing at Sandy Hook, New Jersey. This was done along th.e beach to make the location of the bullet strike easier ^r-^ to find. Also, the long beaches allowed shooting back to 3,200 and «ven 3,500

• • - yardsl

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'M:- • • ' • •• • -v\-..-.- : I ,H The lead slugs shot from these rifles were found to have struck point on into j ;! the sand and they generally penetrated to depths of k% 5t 6, 8, and 10 inches, >;] sometimes more, depending upon distance. On the, November 13* 1879» firing test er ;:*\i a maximum long range distance of 3«-68O yards was achieved with the *'&5^

; % . • )« when it was • ^uite""usuMi.. • •' l' , fo"^ r large '•*•'.'masses' of. troops • to'for• ai ug within-view..••••' , of ' )- , ,. defendens. •. •* • 1 '!. 1"* ••' h "»•' '"• A number of bullets and cartridges have been found at Sandy Hook over the years. A sampling of those found here, as well as others that might possibly be found here, are illustrated below. The illustrations and accomparing historical information come from the book "Cartridges: A Pictorial pigest of Small Arms Ammunition" by Herschel C. Logan.

CALIBER 50 (50 Smith, brass and paper) iri Total length l i,t in. l:!Ji in. thin brass and paper wrapped case, .630 dia. Conical lead bullet

-CALIBER "69

Used in the .50 Smith B. L, Percussion Rifled Carbine On Dec. 15,1863, Thorites J» Rodman (69 Musket) and Silas Crispin secured a patent Total length 2'/i« in. (No. 40,988) for a "metallic cartridge Buff colored paper tied with case formed of thin gapped sheet light colored tord metal . . . combined wijth^an.internal Since the regulation smooth bore mus- or external strengthening disk or cup. Whether this disk is made of paper, ket of .69 caliber gave way to the .58 3 caliber musket with a rifled barrel metal or elastic material. " This patent using a conical bullet in 1855, the life was assigned to Thomas Poultney at ; of.t£is, cartridge must ha^ye.been very^ Baltimore, Md. Hence from the label brief. It is known that some Of the - ft ivjll be seen that thg&'&mith'. cartridges were produced, ^tirtder this 1842 muskets and musketoons were ; rifled to take the new conical bullets, patent. •• • ./^,'-/••=•' I- V' - asja sort of experimental' prelude to io '•%- --"••• ' u Poultney's J»atent Metallic the actual reduction of. caliber to .58. > . •' ,'CARTRIDpES •'..'• Patented Decf.»15thn 1863 12 caps "u tor > '<'••': SMITH'S BREACH LOADING CARBINE No.l 50-100 Caliber Address Poultney & Trimble, Baltimore, Md. During the Civil War the government purchased 30,062 Smith's carbines when he sued Gen. Benton of th< Springfield Armory for infringing upon his patent. He was awardec $20,000 by an act of Congress in 188C for royalty on the use of his ejector CAUBER 58 CAUBER 58

(58 Miller) Total length. (58 Catling Gun) l%0 in. copper case Total length 2%, in. Dia. at head .631 1*%J in. copper, straight case, . Dia. at mouth .621 .615 dia. ? Conical, lead bullet 675 gr. cylindrical Mead bullet At the close of the Civil War plans 70 grs. powder *.* were undertaken to alter the muz- Dr. Richard Catling of Chicago i zle-loading Springfield muskets to 1862 secured a patent on what i breech-loading trartridge arms. Car- possibly the first maqhine gun—insc tridges such as this were used in these far as the cartridges were fed int early alterations. This particular the chambers, detonated and extrac cartridge was used in the Miller ted by actual machinery operatior swinging block rifle, an experimental In 1866 the gun was altered to tak of 1867. A postmaster of Meriden, JL rijn fire cartridge. Thes,e guns wer * Coifn., Miller, the'MnVentor oh the %ianuf actured by Colt up.Until aroun Miller alteration, gained prominence' 1910. Although this, cartridge wa Used in a light field piece rather tha a small arm, it is included in thi digest-as representing one of the firs •••>. type machine jsjun partridges. ': ' r' vi.::•-•. • / with calibres .4f> and .42. 25 shots of these several calibres, crimped case, gave a mean of 2,300 lbs. per square inch greater than the case not crimped. The velocity is also increased by the use of a crimped case, but not in the same ratio as the pressures; 15 shots of the same calibre gave a mean increased initial velocity of 30 feet per second. RELATIVE PRESSURES COL. TRF.ADWELL'S EXPERI- CRIMPED vs NOT CRIMPED CASE MENTS-RELATIVE PRESSURES REDUCED vs. STRAIGHT CASE

p-N/W" lj A I In a reduced or Bottle-shaped cas The object of crimping or closing the (Service Straight case Cal. .50 re end of a cartridge case tightly upon ' duced for ".40, ".42 and ".45 calibres the bullet is to insure it against the as at A, the pressure Is greater tha shock of transportation, the exigen- in a straight case as at B, both havin cies of service and to exclude mois- the same weight of powder and bal ture. Crimping increases the pressure and consequent strain on the A mean of 10 shots, Gal. .45, Bottle case. With the service ammunition shaped Cartridge Case, No. 270 an the pressure with crimped case is munition charge 70 grs. Musket Pov from two to three thousand pounds der, 400 grs. Bullet, gave a pressui peV square inch greialer'than without ^of 18,500 lbs. per square inch. the crimp and in about the same ratio ACmean of 10 shots, Cal/.45 Straigl Cartridge Case, .No. 272 ammunitioi charge 70 grs. Musket Powder, 4C grs. -Bullet jpve a pressure of 16,3C •'- lbs. per sfluar'e inch, .

A mean/of l(Tshotsv pal. .42, Bottl shaped Cartridge. Case, No. 271 an munition, charge 65 grs. Musket Po\ -;"$ der, 370 grs. Bullet, gave a pressu of 17,150 lbs. per square inch. Used in the-early breech-loading muskets which had been altered from the muzzle-loaders following the Civil War—such as the Allen alteration, etc CAUBER 58

CAUBER 58 (68 Musket... Martin Primed) Total length l>yltt in. iyl0 in. copper case Conical lead bullet This cartridge has the Martin primer pocket formed out of one continuous piece of the case head. It, too, was used in the early transformed muskets. This type used an inside cup reinforce . . . the object of this cup being lo reinforce the folded rims and (68 Musket) to serve as a gas check. Total length l"/in in. l^a in. copper case •CAUBER 1 in. ^ Dia. at rim .653 (1 in. Gatling Gun) Dia. at mouth .625 Total length 3% in. Conical lead bullet 2%2 in. copper case 8 oz. conical lead bullet .75 oz. mortar powder This cartridge is illustrated merelj to show how the inside priming prin ciple of the early center fire typei waa carried over into the \arger arms •* :.* r *The Gatling gun was produced fo: many years by Colts. Nearly 20( shots a minute could be fired by thi early rapid fire gun. An early bo: t ^ label .describes-this item as follows

CENTfcR-PRlMED;' METALLIC BALL CARTRIDGES For Gatling Gun Calibre 1 inch Charge, .75 ounce Mortar Powder Weight of Bullet, 8 ounces FRANKFORD ARSENAL placed side by side. .The cartridge: 1867 were placed in a hopper above the barrels, and were fed into the cham bers by gravity. The empty sheik were extracted by the movement oJ a hand lever. This gun was quite popular in Europe during the eighties and early nineties

CALIBER L in. (1 in. Nordenfelt) Total length 4«}',0 in. 3% in. coiled copper case 3228 gT. bullet 468 grs. powder • i ,A> the official Brjtjsh- ammunition for the Nordenfelt Machine Gun- it is said to have undergone experiments for a short time by the U. S. Navy. The Nordenfelt,was a stationary, gun. ,'. .with from-.two to six barrels

M. * CAUBER 30 CALIBHR 30 (30 Krag-rimmed) Total length 3>/8 »n.

(30-03 Government) Total length 3 '!<« in. 2-yti; in. tinned, necked case 2'Ta2 in. brass, necked case Dia. at head .459 Dia. at head .468 Dia. at mouth .333 Dia. at mouth .338 220 gr. metal jacket bullet 220 gr. metal jacket, soft point, 40 grs. powder bullet ; This was the Spanish war cartridge After a great deal of experimenting used in the U. S. Krag Jorgensen with rifles employing the Mauser type rifle. Originally, they were called of action, the government finally "30 U. S. Government," then "30 settled on the "old favorite" — the U. S. Army" and *30 Army" and Model 1903 Springfield flifle. Car- finally*30 U-S-A." Krags were used tridges were produced .both in full in the service from 1894 until around metal jacket and metal jacket with 1903. It saw service as a training soft point. These cartridges were only rifle during World War I. Many of in service for a comparatively short them,* converted to sporters, are in time before being replaced Iby the •vise-today by sportsntaitj.. •... • v popular V30-*)G." - . A similar cartridge, only rimless; was -- * • •:••••;*••• • used in one model of the Blake rifle. •i This was the first sporting rifle in ••I ' America with a cenfcrakmagazine, Thje "rimless tCrag'Vwas* an experimental' army cartridge which never was pro- ' •I 'duceii' to any extent commercially. ,\ CAUBER 30 CALIBER 30 (30 Ml Carbine) Total length l-l^ in. lv'a" in. brass case Dia. at head .353 I Ma. Jit month 3.'U 110 );r. rnrtal jacket rmllet 14 gr. jiowdcr A development of Winchester at the

' request of the Ordnance Dept. ... It was used in the new Winchester Ml Carbine of World War II. This arm (30-06 Springfield) was used by paratroopers, rangers, T6tal length 3)'(,; in. 2'-;a2 in. bras«. necked case engineers and signal corps personnel. Dia. at head .468 A forerunner of the above cartridge, Dia. at mouth ^35 as put out by Winchester was called 175 gr. gilding metal jacket "Cal. .30 Short Rifle M-l, Self Load- pointed bullet . •; ing." This "commercial version" was 50 grs. smokeless powder headstamped as'follows W.R.A. Hardly any descriptipn is needed o .30 S. L. this American cartridge. Used sine 1906 ("06"I, through two Worh Wars, it is the best known of ai military cartridge. The. Springfie •*r|fje for which this ammunition w< developed is still considered one < the finest and most accurate militai rifles in the world. \? CALIBER 303 (303 British)

CALIBER 44

Total length S'/J... in. 2%2 >n. brass, necked case Dia. at head .456 Dia. at mouth .338 174 gr. cupronickel jacket bullet (44-77 Sharps) 38 grs. cordite powder Total length 3-y32 in. The cordite powder used in this Brit- 2Vi in. brass, necked case 470 gr. paper patched bullet ish service cartridge is in the form 77 gTS. black powder, ' •I of small sticks. In looking at a cut- away view of the cartridge, the pow- Used in the Sharps B.'L. sporting der looks very- similar to a large rifle. A great number of these car- cable with the strings of powder run- tridges must have been made because ning lengthwise and slightly twisted. they are still to be found on the lists The cartridge here illustrated was of cartridge dealers. %. • - manufactured by the Royal Labora- tories, Woolwich. England has used • A thef.303 caliber in "henmilitary Yifles since around 1890. While the number VII appears after the word Mark, it is but one of a 7 variety of numbers to be encountered ..,: Mark V, Jfark VI, etc ' A The .British also made a .303 Rimless ' .. '.experimentally used iifcthe Lewis machine gun. CALIBER 45

CALIBER 44

(45 A.CJP.) Total length IVi in. 2%a in. brass case, .470 dia. 230 irr. metal jacket bullet 6 grs. powder In 1911 the army adopted the AI caliber Colt automatic pistol as the official side arm of the service. II has since been known as the Mode! 1911. The cartridge illustrated here was the type used in this arm anc also in the Model 1917 .45 caliber re- volver during World War I. It ij today the official hand gun cartridge of the United States

CALIBER 45

(44"-100-550 Remington Creed- moor) Total length 4'/tH in. 2'%3 in. brass case with a 'lightly curved head Dia. at.head .503 (45 Auto Rim>-'.t ' Dia. at mouth .469 Total length 11/4. in. 550 gr. paper patched, lead % in. brass case, rimmed, bullet .470 dia. ;: 100 grs. powder 230 gr. flat noae, lead bullet Used .in the Remington-Hepburn No. This cartridge wasrdeveloped to u 3 Long Range Military Creedmoor in.the 1917 service.revolvers whi< ' * rrffe ... a gun which; was first Intro- " were' chambered forj'tMe 45 A,C. duced in 1880. No other rifle is be- cartridge, which was rimless and r lieved to have been chambered for quired a clip. This cartridge was this cartridge, which is becoming in- eliminate the clip for civilian us ' creasihgly scarce1 today. ' *. They, are nqt 3 military load and we made both with a lead bullet and metal jacketVbujle't fThe amount ai type of powdqii.,varies with the d: ferent manufacturers. CALIBER 45 the official service long arm ammu- (45-70-500 Government) nition. Several commercial rifles were Total length 2*%2 in. also chambered for it. It used either 2%2 in. tinned case a 500- or a 405-grain bullet and was Dia. at head .503 originally loaded with black powder. Dia. at mouth .478 500 gT. round nose, lead bullet The -cartridge is still obtainable even 70 grs. powder though no rifle has been made to handle it for quite some time. Produced in the early 1870's this cartridge was for a good many years

CALIBER 45

This cartridge with tjie405 gr. bullet was in use by tiîik Cavalry under Custer when tis£y1|were wiped out at the Battle of$|tJieÊIt«e Big Horn on June 25, (45 Sharps Steel Cartridge Cases) CALIBER 45 Total length 2\U in. Steel case ... Dia. at head .505 ! • --M Dia. at mouth .480 Round lead ball 12 grs. powder 'I These solid stepl shells, manufactured ' by the Sharps Rifle Company, were used in gallery and short range shoot- , ing. Two sizes are known to have been made ... the size illustrated, and a .40 caliber, 2>h inches in length. Both used a Berdgn, tô. 1 primer. The 1879 Sharps catalog also has this - note concerning them. "Their use in military rifles accustoms the soldier to his arm and will perfect him in (.45-70 Govt—Phoenix* marksraansKip As rapidly as practice ' . wTdtal lenfeth 2%* in.- with regular/military cartridges." » "2V» in1, brass case' ' Dia.at'h«a*s.$P2 Dia. at ,nSouth -468 3 balls weighing 108 sr. en- closed in paper container 54 grs. black powder;^ Made by the Phoenix Cartridge Com pany. This cartridge is a militan guard load. It was adaptable to an\ of the various rifles chambered fo CALIBER 45 CALIBER 45 (577-450 Martini-Henry) •vv; Total length 3V& in. 2%6 in. brass, necked case Dia. at head .650 Dia. at mouth .492 480 gr. paper patched bullet 85 grs. black powder This is the later solid drawn, bras case version of the earlier 577-45 Martini-Henry which was describe in the preceding section, Center Fin Fart I.

(45-70 Morse Pat.) 2 Total length 2 %2 in.

%2 in. tinned case with de- tachable 2-piece head and copper primer Dia.' at head .505 Dia. at mouth .478 500 gr. round nose, lead bullet 70 grs. black powder These cartridges, made under the Morse Patent of 1886, have no doubt been overlooked many times by col- lectors, since they so closely resemble the regular 45-70 Govt. The cross- section view illustrates the construction of the 2-piece head. They were made at the Frankford Arsenal in. 1886 and 1887. The wording on an original box reads: TWENTY RIFLE CARTRIDGES MORSE, MODEL 1886 GENERAL DIRECTIONS FOR RELQAI^NG x Orders - Never reload except under the personal supervision of a competent officer. Cautions - Never prime a loaded shell. Never load a.primedNshell withoutjjsing ; .' ! - a SAFETY-SOCKET Manufactured at Frankford Arsenal • >, 4 ', *' CALIBER 45 CALIBER 45

(45-120-550 Sharps) Total length 4%2 in. 2% in. brass straight case (45 - 3V4 Sharps) Dja. at head .504 Total length 4%, in. Dia. at mouth .474 .3>4 in. brass straight case 550 gr. paper patched, lead Dia. at head ,605 . bullet Dia. at mouth .471 120 grs. powder 500 gr. paper patched bullet Used in the Sharps-Borchardt Ex- 120 grs. black powder . • '*, -"u <*', press rifle which was introduced in. One of the longest .'cartridges pr 1879 and was discontinued two years duced in America. It was used in tl later. It was designed for long range Sharps-Borchardt Express rifle whic hunting on the Western Plains. The was, upon order, chambered for th short life of the rifle was due to the 314 in. case. At least one Sharj closing of the Sharps Rifle Co. in Long Range Creed moor rifle is know October of 1881 for lack of capital. to have been chambered for this san Cartridges wer« -jjnack by Sharps and ..cartridge.* These .45 Sharps in tt tJMC. These large' cartridges were "3% in. case. are scarce .collector for the most part loaded with 100 items of the present day. grains of powder. They may be found, however, with th_e 120 grain load . ., 7 ,as was ihe .specimen illustrated', which came out of an original 'box •so labejed. SANDY HOOK ORDNANCE PROVING GROUND: AN OVERVIEW HISTORY \ *'he American Civil Ivar accelerated a technological revolution in weaponry which doomed America's brick and granite x^-nlled forts to obsolescence. This technologic revolution saw the construction nnd development of formidable ironclads and nonito mounting powerful rifled and heavy shell-funs.

As work stopped on our Nation's seacoast fortifications, the U.S. Amy and Navy Ordnance Departments sought to develop lone-range breech-loading rifled guns and depressing carriages to counter the giant cannon being manufactured by European po Because of limited budgets, U.S. Ordnance personnel also searched for an econonica and practical method of converting their big shellguns (Rodmans, Parrotts, etc.) i rifles. To carry out these programs, the U.S. Army in August of I87h established proof battery at Sandy Hook. This narked tho establishment of the Sandy Hook Prov 'Ground. The first test firing took nlace on October 2h, 187b.

In the years which followed, slowly at first, facilities were expanded, as Congres beginning in I88I1, commenced to authorize larger expenditures for the armament pro Guns, carriages, and projectiles developed by the U.S. Army Ordnance Department, a companies, inventors, and thoses purchased from Foreign countries were tested in increasing.numbers at the Sandy Hook Proving Ground.

The 12-, 10-, and 8-inch guns and carriages, and the 12-inch mortars and their carriages that were to be emplaced in the Nation's Endicott System gun emplacement (so-named after President Cleveland's Secretary of War Endicott who headed a board that recommended a new system of harbor defenses for the nation in 18861 of which ^ost were built between l°90 and 1910), were tested and proved at Sandy Hook in th 'ate 1883's and early 1890's. The machine guns and light artillery with vhich the U.S. Army fought the Spanish-American War and Philippine Insurrection were tested Sandy Hook.

In the mid-18901s the Ordnance Department focused its attention on development of rapid-fire guns and carriages for the Endicott emplacements. After guns and carri for this "fanily of weapons" had been tested and accepted for production. Proving Ground personnel in the first decade of the 20th Century began testing lit- and 16- guns and carriages, and 12-inch high angle carriages.

During these years of constantly accelerating activitv at the Proving Ground, the United States emerged as a World Power with a formidable modern arsenal-of heavy artillery and coast defense guns. Because of space limitations restrcitlng testir activities at Sandy Hook, and friction with the Coast Artillery torps.'and Corps oi Engineers on Sandy Hook, the Aberdeen Provinn Ground was established in 1918. By Summer of 1919 the Ordnance Department had phased out its activities at the Hook, its larfe. number of structurasrjand extensive othei? i^nnrovements were transferred t apther departments of the Army. "' ' '

"CLOSE CAIfcS" WITH T'ffi fl.S,UFE-SAVTTi G SERVICE fe COAST ARTILLERY COUPS AT SANDY H

A V* •'• •:%• During the1 years, that the Ordnance Department operated the 'Provi^£ Ground at Sandy , a number of "close calls" occured affecting and involving the U.S. Life-Savi 'ntions and the Fort Hancock Garrison on Sandy Hook. In mid-September of 1085 Ordnance Officers pointed out to members of the U.S. Lif< Saving Service that the Sandy Hook No. 1 Life-Saving Station was dangerously clos* to the line of fire down range. At this point in time it niast be remembered that the station, built in 1872, stood several hundred yards east of the Sandy Hook Lij house and near the ocean-side beach (in the dune area roughly north of Battery Gunnison). Projectiles, some of them weighing as much as 800 pounds, were being constantly fired into butts of heavy timber backed by sand. Shells had been knowi to rip through the butts and ricocket tovard the station. o The Ordnance officers, befqe firing the guns being tested, habitually notified th< lifesavers to evacuate the stntion-house. This had been fortunate, because seven large projectiles had struck near the station, and one 800-pound shell had plunge< into the ground within 50 yards of the house. The flagstaff on two occasions had been grazed. It was reconmended that the station be relocated some distance front its proximity to the range. If this were done, it should be positioned nearer th point of the Hook and the bay shore, where there was greater demand for the life- savers1 assistance. There they would be able to utilize the Ordnance Deportment's plank roads to haul their boatwagon and beach cart to the bay beach. In November of 1885 the Life-Saving Service asked the Corps of Engineers for perm to relocate the Sandy Hook No. 1 Life-Saving Station from its position east of th Sandy Rook Lighthouse more than 1,000 yards north across uneven ground to a point 500 feet east of the Refl Brick House (today called the Officers Club, building #1 it was Officers quarters for officers on duty at the Proving GroundV;> This autho ^s given, "subject to the usual condition that the buildings must be* removed whe .jV:che site may be needed for military purnoses." The station-house was moved to it new location in the Summer of 1886. .;:'; : -.

By 1890 the increased testing programs at the Proof Battery were affecting the su at the Spermacti. Cove No. 2 Life-Saving Station. Early on December 22nd a telep call came from an Ordnance officer ordering Keeper Edwards and his surfnen to get of the station and into a place of safety, because a powerful rifled gun was abou be tested down the beach range. Edwards routed his men out and had then head for Sea Bright while he crossed to the west side of the spit. Finding a hillock froa where he could see the station, Edwards waited and watched. At this;point in tie must be remembered that the station, «•• built in 1872, stood ljOOto^feetdue east were the present Spermaceti Cove Visitor Center stands. The visitor ^center, bui! 189U, replaced the older 1872 station. At h P.M. the last shell was: fired and".tf lifesavers returned. • 'r- ' • '

Relaying .-yiis ^information toxics ..superiors, Captain Edwnrds' cautioned "J think JJ they practice until they hit the target they are" shotting at they may'hit this s1 as it stands close to the range." . .'.' '

Eleven wepks later, on ;!arph,^6, 1°91, a projectile fron the Proof Battery nearly surfman Ho. 7.t;infield'v?'hitie of the Sandy-Hook No* 1.Station.' '^Jhile enrpute froi home to Sandy Hook, VJhite was walking up the "beach. He had reached a point 300 : south of the station, when a shell^plowed into the ground','--withifc i^lyards of hi* Panic-stricken, VJhite fled to the Spermaceti Cove Station. Subfeeiquently, the su: "^recovered the projectile. It weighed about U0 pounds.

• The situation becane increasingly dangerous, when the Proving Ground laid out a range and opened fire fron the Proof Rattery in October of 1891. Whenever, this was fired, the station had to be evacuated. It was decided that the station mus • .U

.,, relocated to remove it from the field of fire. A site was selected on a hummock, i^; about 232 yards west of the station (the present site of the Spernaceti Cove Visi Center). A new Life-S.-ivinn rotation was ntnrtod in construction during June of ln' and completed on September 15, 1R9U.

It is interesting to note that the relocation of the Sandy Hook No. 1 Life-Saving Station to 500 er>st of the Red Drick House (Officers Club) brought no ircprovenent in its situation vis-a-vis the Proving Ground. On October 1, 1^87> * 600-pound 'projectile from a steel breech-loading rifle at the Proof. Bnttcry landed tfithin 50 paces of the station. Vhenever there was firing from the Proof Battery, the crew still had to evacuate the ctation-house, and whatever they were doing had to be suspended until after the firinf. It mist be remenbered that even though the •'aaRJ * station stood oast of the Officers Quarters it still stood out in front of the old Proof Battery that was established in l87h and which itself ended up situated in front of Battery Bloomfield (part of the rt9-gun battery") when that battery we: built in 1399. There was no suitable location on the ocean front for the station The only safe site for the station was on the bay shore, p.nd a new station would b*e built and completed in the Summer of 1^91. Today the site of this 1891 statioi is.ocpupied by the Post Chapel, building S-35. v #

This information was compiled from pages 131-135, 15O-15U, 161, and-l6U of the • Spermaceti Cove Life-Saving Station Historic Resource Study-Structure Report reset . by Historian Edwin C. Bearss, V'ASO. Mr. Bearss obtained the information fron Reci Group 26 in the National Archives, Letters Sent and Received," Life-Saying Service, as well as the Spermaceti Cove LSS Log for

The soldiers of the Fort Hancock Garrison also had a number of narrow escapes froi errant rounds fired from the Ordnance Penartment's Proof Battery during Vorld War On August 25, 1917, a 3-inch er- tiaircraft gun was being tested at the Proof Batte: It was firing shrapnel at a high angle. Suddenly and unexpectedly, one of the shi burst near the Battery Gunnison encampment occupied by Capt. Lucian Hirgins' 17th Company. One of the fragments just missed decapitating Captain Higg.lns and Cpl. Kenneth Gallien, with whom, he was conversing. The fragment then struck the ercnlru cent in rear of Gun No. 1. '«„', " , •. - / ' * • • "V' On November llith a 6-inch shell struck within ten feet of searchlight. No. 2, when tvo men were working. Later in the day, a fragment whizzed to earth vithin 59 fo< of the post ordnance officer. Several days earlier, a fragment had japped througl a' shed, missing a soldier by less than ten feet. '''?'' - A One nionth^latep, on DecerabeoxrJlRtb^another shell, £ej.1' into bantonmen^ GAnnison* 1 h.7Tinch projectile slammed into the sand within three' feet of 'Barracks' JJ, occup: by cen of Captain niggins1 17th Company. The investigation resulted"^ an accele: ion of the transfer of the Proving Ground' s mobile artillery test ing* activities t( •the new facility, at Abexd^eiv Maryland. u On January 111, 1918? (Jol. .Ra'ccles- of the Pi Ground asfcwred^Coldnel Harris that the departure of thfe mobii,e artillery would make a repetition'of this kind "very'rare." » ;*•

7», On April 13, 1918, a 10-inch high explosive shell fired from the Proof Battery into a snad butt, ricocheted into the air find b'.irr;t. One fragment* slammed onto the road_ behind the guardhouse, a second 1^0 feet farther up the road, near barracks Ko. 25, and a third near a tent occupied b}"- recruits at Battery Granger. Fort Hancock Post Commander Colonel Harris fired off a letter to the Commanding General, Eastern Department. He demanded that measures be taken to prevent a repetii ion. There were, he fumed, more than 3>O03 men in his command quartered in the area "shelled on the 13th." In late August several shells, some as big as 10-inch, in- pacted at various points on the Fort Hancock Reservation, barracks and other structures occupied by troops hnd been endangered. Colonel Brady, who had replaced Colonel Harris, called these incidents to the attention of his superiors. 1 When asked for an explanation, Col William A. Phillips of the Proving Ground reported !}• that his people took every reasonable precaution, but "Fort Hancock is in dangerous proximity to the proof battery." Premature explosions and other accidents were impossible to forsee or control. As the material which caused the trouble .was for. service with the AEF, it had to be tested, and there was no immediate remedy^ The most dangerous, tests, he assured Eastern Departnent Headquarters, had been transferre to Aberdeen. This information was compiled from pages L3li-h36 of the Fort Hancock Garrison Histori Resource Study researched by Edwin C. Bearss, Historian, WASO. Mr. Bearss obtained information from National Archives Record Group 392, Correspondence 1917-1922, 1972, 2876, 3695, and h68h.

A CLOSE CALL ... , There was an explosion on August 29, 19?5 at the intersection of Magruder and Hudson drives. Presumably harmless shells had been positioned for decorative purposes along' side post roads and walkways. A barrel of burning tar had inadvertently b«en plncftd next to one of these shells. The ensuing explosion did $Ji96.89 damage, mostly broken glass, to the Post Exchange, Firo Station Bid. 76, Messhall Bid. 56, and\E.K. Barrack: Mo. 25.' Needless to sa", orders were immediately issued for removal of the *decoratix Shells. A - '

This information i:as compiled from page <60 of the Fort Hnncock Garrison'Historic * Resource Study researched by Edvin C. Bo.-.rss, Historian, V^vO. .'Ir. Bearss obtained the information frsyn national ArdK3vee Record Grout; 9?',ff"ort Hancock, 1922-35, File 603.913.

'/ ' •' ' .-^ ''••'-.•'•' ',-'..'*• ' '

.•••«-•.,/•• ' • '•' ' ':< WEAPONS TESTED AT THE SAIIDY HOOK ORDKAHCE PROVING GROUND 187U-1919

onroiled and edited by Tom Hoffman, Park Technician, Historian, Sandy Hook Unit, *v-ioateway National Recreation Area, February 25, 1979, from the Historic Resource Study researched by Edwin C. Bearss, Historian, t.'ASO.

I87U: The first test made on the Sandy Hook Proving Ground Range was a series of experimental firings undertaken with a 10-inch (Bore diameter) smoothbore i cannon converted into an 8-inch rifle by insertion of a wroueht-iron coiled sleeve. The piece was loaded with 35 pounds of DuPont hexagonal' powder and a 170-pound battering pro.ioctils.

Two 8-inch and one 9-inch rifled Rodman Guns were satisfactorily tested with battering charges of I4O to h5 nounds of hexagonal powder, and 200 to 2h7 poui projectiles.

At Sandy Hook, for the first time in addition to the big guns, there were trials and proofs of field guns, powders, and projectiles. Two Gatling guns and one carriage were sent from the New York Armory to Sandy Hook for testinj Large caliber experimental guns tested were the: Mann 8. h-inch breech-loading rifle Sutcli'ffe 9-inch breech-loading rifle Thompson 12-inch breech-loading rifle A new model five-barrel Gatling pun was tested, along with a Hotchfciss revol cannon. A 3.15-inch Sutcliff breech-londlng and a Tloffatt 3.07 breech-loading rifled cannon were fired. :

The Ordnance Department continues to convert and test fire 8-inch Rodman Rif

A 25-ton Armstrong 12.5-inch nuzale-loading rifle,.is fired 2\x times with charges varying from 60 to 120 pounds of powder, and projectiles weighing fr 6OO to 700 pounds. N' A Krupp rifle was also tested vith 88 pounds of powder and a 66U-pound proje lie, along with an Italian cannon with 110 pounds of povder and a 700-pound shot. • .•', A 10-inch rifle, converted from an 15-inch smoothbore Rodman, was satisfactc fired 33 times. .- • Other big guns tested at Sandy Hook were the Woolbridge 10-inch rifle, the Thoranson 12-inch breech-loading rifle, the Sutcliffe 9-inch breech-loadine 1 and the Mann 8-inch breech-loading rifle. The Uoolbridge fired 10 rounds, the Thompson 2 rounds, the Sutcliffe 26, and the Kann 11. Three machine puns - the. Lynan nulticharpe gun, ..and the Lowell and( Taylor, hi Gun, were'tested. ' '" -. - *' * 1 . • / Lyle Guns are tested at Sandy Hook during 1"77-1^78. These guns would be u: 1• ••** for the throwing of lines to nhinwrecks. :Z <•"»I * ,- ->' EY 1879.: times with f 533 to 506 poi

•

•$• ' '».l8$|0: •Riflei 27 round: 'A using 90 pounds of nowder and ii95-Pouna" projectiles; 17U with 90 pounds of 1" powder and 5h3-^ound shot; and 3 v?ith 95 pounds of propellent and a 3>U0-pou: projectile. Two 8-inch breech-loading Rodman Rifles had fired over 3U rounds of batteri charges between 1876 r;.nd 1883. • i '1880: Tests v;ith a 3-inch rifled field piece demonstrated the advantage of providing a cannon with a pouder chamber, so an 3-inch rifle was chambered^ firing 100 rounds v:ith 5.c> nound charces of powder and lflO-pound shot. The experimental pins - 10-inch Voodbridge, 12-inch Thompson, 9-inch Sutcliff , I 8-inch Mann, and Lynan multi-charpe pun - were again test fired.

Uote: Forpot to note that in December of 1R75 the Proving Ground^ recommendod that a 10-inch Parrott be mounted at the Proving Ground for use in conducting exneriments v:ith Parrott shells. FT 1881: Two 8-inch and one 11-inch breech-loading Rodmm Rifles, respectively convertt from 10-inch and 15-inch Rodnan smoothbores, are tested at Sandy Hook from September thru December of 1881. One 8-inch rifle burst on the 2nd round, thi 11-in.on the 127th round, the other R-inch would burst after over 127 rounds. In the Spring of 1"82 experiments with canister fired from 8- and 10- Rodnan smoothbore guns taken from the Civil War Era "Fort at Sandy Hook" were made. FT 1 1882: Experimental firings continue.

Experinental firings and work on experimental guns continue. In, Aupust of 13 one 15-inch Rodman, No. 11U, was transferred from "Fort at Sandy Hook." The hugh 50,000 pound gun vas being used by the Ordnance Board for experiment firing. FT 188U: An 8-inch Rodman Rifle is test-fired 500 times during a 2-month periods In August of 188U a 6.5-inch Mann breech-loading rifle was received at Sandy Trial of the gun began in September employing from 37 to ho pounds of powder 109 projectiles. The breech of the pun blew off at the 2Uth round. Tests of the Lynan-Haskell multi-charge gun were suspended when the gun becar • permanently disabled.

FT ••.";.•• 1BR5: In the Spring of 1885 a 12-inch muzzle-loading, cr-st iron, rifled mortar.was test fired. The charge for the v/eanon was fixed at 52 pounds with a 6l0-poui shell. By mid-October the mortar had fired 381 rounds. It was hooped wJLth

A 12-incft breech-loading Wst-iron rifle wasf iifeceived in April 0^1385.. It fired 5 proof rounds with charges of 1^0 pounds of' powder. By the 137 round • bore erosions made the gun unsafe. In J^ugust of I88h Snyder Dynamite Shells (consisting of a brass head screwed .a wooden baaet and'.' con,taininf. 8-l/2AT?ounds of dynijaiite) wqre fired from a 2li- pounder gun that\ad a bore of 6 inches. The sTiells^'proved to1 be a failure. ,x ,, In .June.of 188^ an 8-inch rifle burst while firing at. steel^s^e,l^L filled with . .,', explosive gelrtine. "* i <*. v A 3.2-inch breech-loading rifle nay have been test-fired as a nunber of part were fabricated for this type of gun at the Proving Ground machine shop.

FY >•'? 1836: In March of 1C86 Brown Prismatic powder was being received in 1$,000 pound 1 Cj»6« To make space for the brown powder, 530 barrels of DuPont Hexagonal pov

Battery was a 10-inch Rodnan smoothbore fitted with S^rh-loadinr"mechanism. It was fired with 35-nound powder chtr-ges A ^ stiles. In late Karch at the 312th round the gun buist ShTeatUviolen e into many foments, demolishing the carriage. with great vioxen ^ William 1!. Medcalfe and Pvt. 1st Class Joseph Km % ' w^reCknied and Sgt! John Abbott and Cpls. George Clark and Walter Goodlno v,ov £ • ed by the bursting of a l?-inch shell.

J 1887: During the Calendar Year of 1887 there were 21 tests in progress at Sandy Hoot

Included were: breech-loading mortar and a 12-inch cast-iron breec* V*%L rifle Both g^ns had been at the Proving Ground since 1885. and IO3 JfhlfbSin f^ed^ron the mortar and 137 from the rifle, grounds were fSd from an 8-inch Rodnan smoothbore for tests off lark Sawe^s°3.2-Sch°fieldSgun shield was undergoing tests for endurance against ~ fire and shells. ./. "v*^. ^ -» » , 1886 25 pounds had been fired in experiments with a modified 3-incl *_\ '* ' ' • • • ' ''V -'• . ' •

ses \ fc..•••£. ^ *™J"J~™ ;DKT« for- a 3-inch mu7Zle-loadine rifle had been completed.

d rifles had been g°«^ ; fired froia an 8-inch steel breach-load ing n Since July 1886 U9 ^ « ^ eka chilled Aat fed been receiTe«U In ^pteinber 1886 five Bincn^rted ^^^ were read for ^^ S^'S S in 1^1887, 5 rounds had been fired fro,,the I^anit

Company's gun. . , Sawver's canister were on hand but'oone had be« A number of rounas ox j>.t xiw-n « „ "cushioned" gun and carriage were tested. A ^ Gatling Gun was tested Long Barrels). Gatlin7Guns was tested (Shoret Barrels), ^ses -d Sagler' s combination ffuseu s were tested. • - , Foundry Association Projectilel s werett testedd : 5S.^^^rSS3^^^ vi* ex,^ve gela. fron a 7-inch muzzle-loading ri'fle.

FY , - +hp saletflf unserviceable and, obsolete tiaterial tJ 1868! ^U1^^'£Sd wi?f the' ^nutactux, «f *e flinch, steel breech-

^ gch rlrSrmortar was subjeeted'to îrilWy firings 1 '•". '^covâl^raSs ?™ 1 tf 6*nil.s. 1» ro^ds were ftrS,-Of:?hich 76 ve: a 5-inch oreech-ioad^ sê rlT^ a, rS-^rorS^^gifjfjssssa ^ si, 2? 3.2-lnch steel field guns were ordered. ,!589: 8-inch breech-loading rifle had been fired an additional 61 times. 12-inch breech-loading mortar had been fired 33 tines with charges up to 82 pounds. j The 5-inch breech-loading steel siece rifle an^ the 7-inch breech-loading sie howitzer (also made of steel) were rendy for further testing. The 12-inch cast-iron tubed breech-loading rifle vas enplaned and ready for t The 12-Inch hooned rifle was n?ndy for tnsts. On October £, 1^89, a 12-inch breech-loading cast-iron nortnr burst while und ' coin? tests on the 20th round. There vere no injuries, but the mortar and it carriape were demolished.

Ft steel *189O: In December of 1809 a lli-1/2 ton 8-inchAbreech-loading rifle was test fired. In September of 1890 a 10-inch steel breech-loading rifle was test fired. A 10-inch cast-iron, wire-wrapped breech-loading rifle, a 3.6-inch steel breech-loading field gun and one 3.6-inch steel breech-loading ttortar and carriage were on order from the Watervliet Army Gun Factory. A 12-inch mu.zzle-loading mortar, which had been fired over U00 tines, was converted into a breech-loader and rebored and enlarged to 12.2 inches to determine a pitch of rifling that would permit firing longer shells than those heretofore used with the piece. When test fired the accuracy of the rebored weapon was not inferior to the Krupp 29 centimeter breech-loading mortar. • . 300 nunds were fired from the 8-inch breech-loading steel rifle.

(^•t ' - •' ';i . - x891: The No. 1 8-inch breech-loading steel rifle had been fired over 3D0 times. The No. 2 8-inch BL steel rifle had been fired over 100 times. ' This piece he been tested with both brown powder and smokeless powder procured froa Germany Rottweil-K61n works. The German powder had a nitrocotton base and proved far superior to the brown powder of American manufacture. The 10-inch breech-loading steel rifle had been fired about $li tines. The . proposed charge was 250 pounds of powder for a 575-pound shell. A 12-inch breech-loading steel rifle was awaiting testing. A 12-inch breech-loading steel mortar was awaiting testing.

. FY ..•'.'.'.•'• : 1892: By June 30, 1892 the 10-inch breech-loading steel rifle had been fired l£8 ti and the 12-inch breech-loading steel rifle 6U tines. ' No. 1 8-inch 3L rifle had been fired over 300 times, while No. 2 8-inch BL ri had been fired 17h tines. The accuracy of these,.puns'had been demonstrated, at a* t-ange of one mile ~foiir tout of^five pro^ec^les struck within pi 20 by 21 inch area. At 3,00G yards six shots impacted Within a 1-1/2 by U foot target Tests had also been continued and completed on Dr. VJoodbridge's. JtO-inch breec ' • adirig' rifle; Begun. in> 1861- it \>eip,hod about' 28 tons and ,ha4 fired 161 rounds. • It fired.'a ch'rfrge ^»f 160 pounds and a ^53-nound-nrojeo'tile. An1 evaluation ol tests concluded that the gun, consisting essentially .'of af'cas't^iyon body \;'.- ,\> •' strengthened by steel-wire winding, v»as inferior in power t-o\ stcndard guns of .. .*• •'•' same caliber. -^ " The 12-inch 3L cast-iron rifle sen4 to the Proving Ground in 1889 had been fi . 228 times, and the "advantape thrived fron the use of a steel llitfr.£ in protc ing the bore ap,ainst erosion f-om nowder gases" had been demonstrsted. ,._. ^1892: The 12-inch breech-loading cast-iron mortar was "adjudged" satisfactory for issue to the Array. The rate of fire for this piece, which was designed to f a maximum charge of 03 pounds of brown prismatic powder with a 630-pound prc jectile, was one shot every ll-l/2minutes, with "the present imperfect carrl Firing tests were in propress v/ith the 12-inch steel mortar received in 1891 This piece was designed to fire a 800-pound shell, with a maximum charge of nounds. A n 1893: The firings for experimental and test purposes involved rapid-fire guns - li the 6-pounder Hotchfcisses, 6-pounder Driffs-Schroeders, 6-pounder Seaburys, and li.7-inch Armstrongs — and field and siege guns. Test firings of seacoast guns was limited by powder shortages. The 12-inch Breech-loader had been fired 28. times, the 19-inch BL 52 times, and No. 2 8- BL 51 times. The 12-inch 3L cast-iron rifle firnd 263 rounds, with the charge varying fro to 275 pounds, depending on the quality of the nowder, with a projectile of 830 .pounds., When compared v;ith modern steel rifles of 12-inch caliber, the weapon's performance "fell very far behind." During the year there had been received for testing at the Proving Ground a 5-inch breech-loading rifle from the Brown Segraental Kire Gun Co. The 12-inch BL steel mortar had by this time fired 56 rounds. '

•'. • ' ' ' :. ••• • Test firings of seacoast pins was still limited by brown powder shortages. < 7 rounds had been fired from the 10-inch BL rifle end 19 rounds from the 12- BL rifle. No. 2 8-inch rifle had been fired 9h times during the year. This piece had : fired 319 rounds and shoved "rcore or less erosion of the bore and chamber am the rifling." The piece was still retained. The Brown 5-inch segmertal vire gun was tested, firing 19? rounds. After th« final round, which was with a 36-pound powder charge, two large cracks were pinpointed in the lining tube. U, In 1°93-9U another Woodbridge 13-inch wirde-wound gun was tested. This piec< was classified as a prototype of the Brown segmental gun, but its lining ext< ed throughout the length of the bore. On the 23rd round, the inner tube rup^ ed in five places. - . The 10-inch Crozier wire-wound rifle vras test fired. It consisted of a rath< heavy central tube of forged steel overlaid XJith a practically continuous la; wire from breech to muzzle. A steel jacket, carrying the breech-block and t- .nion hoop, was placed over the vire covering with very, slight ahrinkape, and connected, at its forvmr^end withHubn. By-thp.'end of the fiscaliyear, the Crozier had been .fired 66 tines, with no sign of weakness. Since 1P76 the Ordnance Dent, had tested a number of wire-wound guns, include the Crozier. Except for the Crozier, they all failed. The Brown, the only < not'panuffictured by t»he-*Dept.,had demonstrated great"endurance. These tests • satisfied the~DepV« as1 to the advantages possessed byf'the built up steel gun: those of wire-wound construction. ' h i' >, '', j.,.. •y,i The 12-ihch BL.-steel mortar had now been fired 176 tiShes w£ih varying charge: • ••'• Results' obtained slightly favored the erst-*iron mortar. ' •:,-.-

FY 1895= As of June 33, the !.'o. 7 6-inch rifle had fired 377 rounds and would probably admit $0 more before the tube v.onlri ha'e to be resleeved. .O '••' 4*895: The 10-inch rifle (its tube of Whitworth steel) had fired 26$ rounds, and it was scored and putted. By increasing the diameter of the rotating bands on i projectiles, the windnpe hnd boen reduced enough to retain the shot in its original position, and its accuracy wan unimpaired. The piece hnd been subj« to some very "heavy wave pressures" during its test. The 12-inch rifle (its tube of Lr Creusot steel) had fired 159 rounds, and w« still in good condition. The Crozier 10-inch wire pun hnd been fire 210 times, nnd appeared to be in < condition. The 12-inch BL steel mortar f\red 335 rounds, of which 10 rounds were with si of 630 pounds, 6 with shells of 775 rounds, 2^0 rounds vith n shell of POD pi . and 3? rounds with a 1000-nound a"mil. In respects to endurance, the mortar exhibited little or no erosion rnd g^ve every appearance of being able to em an infinte number of rounds. On February 19, 1895, a h.7-inch Hotckkiss rifle, while being test fired, bu: • mortally wounding Lt. Fremont H. Peck.

FT t •.-..• 1896: Tests, proofs, and experiments undertaken during the year*included siege rif and howitzers, rapid-fire breech-loading rifles, breech-loading rifled morta t seacoast guns, field guns and tests in the explosion chamber and sand. The experimental firings with the 10- and 12-inch BL riAes were finally com ed.' The 10-inch rifle had endured 292 rounds. The 12-inch rifle held up we also, firing 227 rounds. /"">• "he Crozier 10-inch wire gun had fired 275 rounds. By then the bore wes too eroded for additional firing, but the Ordnance Board concluded that the gun suitable to be put into government service. . . During the yenr there had been tested, proved, and shipped from Sandy Hook f ..:% installation in the seacoast fortifications 5 10-inch BL rifles,/, five 8^inch '! BL rifles and 6 12-^.nch nortars. '^- . 3 On September 28, 1896 death struck arain. 1st Lt. George Montgomery and a £ I crew were manning a Canet rapid-fire gun. A metallic cartridge-prematurely ^i • exploded, killing Cpl. Robert Doyle and Pvt. 1st Class Frank Cqriway, and wou :M ing Lieutenant Montr ornery, ?vts. 1st Class VJilliam McDonald and; Patrick B&BX 3 - and Pvt. 2nd Class James Coyne. The remains of Doyle and Conway; •were shippe 1 respectively to Philadelphia and Troy, New York, where they wereiairned ovei 2 relatives for burial. •.>:;'.;-''

1 FT. • •':•;-: •".•• '% 1897: Proved and Tested at Sandy Hook were the following guns: '4, -Two 8-inch brench-loading rifles •..'"• 3 TWenify-elght 10-inch BLvA-fle.s x -**•',• . ' • /, •-1 53JC 12-inch BL rifles 1 . Six 12-inch BL mortars .

% 'FT 7 . •'.. ".• '.- •--.-•" V ',. • A { 1 . •' 1898: Proved and Tested 'at Sandy Hook were ,the following gyns:t< ' > •S (i ( Two ,8-in.ch BL rifles A '"'\ ' ', L 1 <<;':» '•'.' Twenty-eight ^0-inch BL rifles *' ,\ • "JL:.m "' Six 12-inch BL rifles Six 12-inch BL mortars Thirty-two dunmy projectiles vere purchased and held for use in determining accurate range tables for the Dyrmnite Battery. On January 29, 1898, a 5-inch rapid-fire gun burst at noon, wounding an emp of the Postal Telegraph Comany. During this Fiscal Year tests of projectiles of various "grades and calibers," for acceptance under contract, were greater than in any previous year. They covered 352 lots of shrnpnel for field and siege guns, *and 128 lots of steel shot and shell for siege add seacoast cannon. A breakdown of the lots showed: SHRAPNEL: 7 lots 3-inch 217 lots 3.2-inch 69 lots 3.6-inch 21 lots 5-inch 38 lots 7-inch SHELL: h lots 5-inch rnnnon 16 lots 5-inch nrrior plercvln/: 2 lots 5-inch armor-piercing shot 2li lots 7-inch howitzer 11 lots 7-inch common mortar ARKOR PIERCING SHELL: 1*lots 8-inch 8 lots ID-inch 2 lots 12-inch ARMOR ' PIERCING SHOT: 9 lots 8-inch 5 lots 19-inch 5 lots 12-inch DECK PIERCING S1!ELL: 26 lots 12-inch TORPEDO SHELL: 9 lots 12-inch During the year there had been pro/fed and issued to the seacoast f ortif icatic from Sandy Hook: 56 8-, 10-, and 12-inch breech-loading rifles. /•/.- •66 12-inch breech-loading mortars. , On March 20, 1*99, a 10-inch BL rifle burst, killing the recording clerk, Hem Murphy, and wounding Pvts. Charles Diemen and James Harrington. • On July 13, 1899, a 3-inch Hotchkiss shell exploded, wounding Pvts. p'Neill, Czulgus, and Roberson. - V

FT 1900; In the year ending June 30, 1900, there were proved and issued fron. Sandy Hool Eight 6-pounder rapid-fire pins One 15-DOunder rapid-fire^ pin : , . , . . Nine 10-inch brj!echi-loading rifles J".- . . >' >• ' |V , ,' Tvrenty-tw'o 12-inch T3L rifles ' ; •., .. ( ;^ ./ . (

/"">• representing lots subnitted by contractors, had been undertaken along with nai tests with smokeless nowder. '4/J?0Qi Ballistic tests of service steel projectiles received fron contractors involv Shrapnel: Assorted lots for 6-pounder, 3-inch, and 3»2-inch. Shell: Assorted lots for^-pounder armor-piercing, 6- a*nd 8-inch armor-piercin 7-inch howitzer, 11- and 12-inch armor-piercing, 12-inch deck-piercing and 12-inch torpedo. Shot: 6-, 8-, 10-, and l?-inch armor-piercing.

Experimental trials included: A Vickers-Maxim mountain nun A Vickers-Maxira field gun Metallic carriages for machine funs with protective shields

New primers, exploded either by serrated wire or by electricity, were tried w success.

Experiments continued upon high explosives for filling shells, including wet cotton thorite, jovite No. 2, cerberite, and explosives of the lydite and amr nitrate classes. The desired explosive was one which was safe In the gun and storage, but which was certain to detonate on impact. Many which fulfilled t first condition were known and nost explosives ignited by the impact of a she on a steel tnrget, though the energy of the explosion varied. A compound ful filling both conditions and free fron all other objections was still needed.

During the year tests had been completed, or nearly so, on/ these guns: Sins-Dudley ?.£-inch dynamite gun. Vickers-Maxim 75mra mountain n10* •'.;<""'}%' Seabury U.72-inch rapid-fire gun. 5>-inch single-forging gun (by Senbury?). 3-inch built-up field gun (by Gordon?). 5-inch single-forging gun (by Gordon?).

A new Proof Battery was built in 1900-1901. • ^'TO/'jp&flg'e' Seven armor-plate backings were to be built for the following types of guns: 12-inch shot, 12-1 shell, 10-inch shot, 10-inch shell, 8-inch shot, 8-inch shell, and 12-inch 0. '-•.. • shell. * •••...... ;;>;•//ix-Yv FT ; . ' '• 'C :: I:: " •. ;. . 1901: Two high explosives for use in shells, and a reliable detonating|fuse were di loped at the Proving Ground. >•••-.•

Projectiles tested at Sajidy Jlook included: cor.isterj shrapnelj staxv shellsj 6-^, ID-,' and 12-inch armor pitf re ing shells j"i2-finch D.P. shells j'lg'-inch tori shells; and 6-inch armor piercing shells. The canister caliber was 1.65-, 3.2-, and 3-inch. Shrapnel caliber was 6-inch. Star Shell calibers were 3.2-!« and 3.6-inches. There were also lots of 12rinch torpedo shell. " ' ..>•>, -v • , A. . i • , . ,\ •' w * . . ,* . • •• Seventy-one guns off, various calibers had been proved,, 'ranging.. fr,6m .l$-pbunde: ^ 12-inch rifles, during- the year. More than 5,500 crofef rbunds'.Kad been firei •;',» '*., during the'12 months, a 2$ percent increase over the previous. Fiscal Tear.

'" Guns Proved included: 1 15-^ounder Dripgs Seabury Rapid-fire Gun 3 S-inch rat»id fire guns C 7-inch howitzers 19 7-inch mortars .901: 1 10-inch rifle 13 l?-inch rifles 26 12-inch mortars Smokeless pov.-der had been tested in 29 guns of differentkinds and calibers: 1.65-inch Hotchkiss mountain guns 6-DOunder Driggs-Seabury riapid-fire gun, Mo. 1 l5-pounder Driggs-Seabury rapid fire gun 3-inch Maxim-IIordenfelt mountain gun 3-inch Dnshiell 3-inch Stockett 3-inch Hotchkiss mountain gun 3.2-inch breech-loading rifle, No. 113 3.2-inch BL rifle, No. 13 U.7-inch Armstrong guns 5-inch BL siege rifle ,'M % 5-inch rapid-fire gun, No. 5 . • •£| v 5-inch rapid-fire gun, Model 18°7 (Service) •>1$j 6-inch rapid-fire gun, Model 1897 if 7-inch' howitzer 4j • 7-inch BL mortar, No. 1 •^ 8-inch BL rifles - •M 10-inch BL rifles • < ;J'!~^ 10-inch Brown sepmental gun ''"••«, ' y<^\ 12-inch BL nortars '1 i:;:r ' . " -,;'.-V,' ' Fixed amnunition loaded with smokeless powder had been tested in: 6-pounder Driggs-Seabury rapid-fire gun, No. 1 „, v~ 6-pounder Driggs-Seabury rapid-fire gun, Service *' ; v[ 15-pounder DrAggs-Seabury rapid-fire gun v M| 3.2-lnch breech-loading rifle (converted No. 225^• : • ' % " . # .-;•'-.,."•'.

J: • -...'•'•. ^ ' Hexagonal powder was tested in: •\ 3.2-inch breech-loading rifle, No. 1 W.A. (converted to Model 1897) "- • 5-inch BL siege rifle •$, 8-inch BL rifles ";,.

•^ Brown ''risnatic Powder was tested in: \ki- • 8-, 10-, and 12-inch BL rifles :J&" Sa^.u^yig,Powder was testft^in a 5-inch BL rifle^ ' " • , ' • -"tfy During the ;'ear ending June 30, 1901, the machinists had banded 25*0 8-inch anc ,J 67 10-inch Parrott projectiles for tarpet practice. • •> _ During the year on'^the -ieft flank'of' the Proof 3attery,'a 86- by ,6,7-foot platfc ."i for field and siege /guns was ^established, and peman

During the 12 months 135 puns had been proved, ranging in size from 6-poundei rapid-fire puns to 12-lnch breech-londinp, rifles. Issued from the Proving Ground for emplacement in the nation's coastrvl fortifications were: Fifteen 6-pounder rapid-fire puns Eleven 5-inch ranid-fire puns Six 6-inch BL rifles Tventy-four 6-inch rapid-fire puns One 10-inch BL rifle Three 12-inch BL rifle Thirty-two 12-inch BL mortnrs FY . 1903: Many lots of projectiles were subjected to ballistic tests including: 3-inch Driggs-Seabury shrapnel 6-inch Frankford Arsenal shrapnel 6-pounder Driggs-Seabury Armor-piercing shell 6-pounder American Ordnance Gonprny amor-piercing shell • 6-inch armor-piercing shot 10-inch armor-piercinp. shell .%'.'.•'. 12-inch D.P. shell v 12-inch torpedo shell -i':••••;

Guns proved and transported were: Nine 1-pounder subcaliber tubes Ten 6-pounder Driggs-Seabury raoid-fire puns Two lS-pounder Driggs-Seabury rnpid-fire puns v Eleven 5-inch siege guns • iv • Fifteen 5-inch rapid-fire guns f: •:•••';' . • One 6-inch breech-^oeding rifle J Twenty-three 7-inch breech-loading howitzers '; One 8-inch BL rifle " ' Twenty-Seven 12-inch BL nortnrs

Firing during the 12 months had involved espenditures of 92,727; pounds of i ' .19,£>3,pounds of high, explosives, and 3,399 rounds of fixed annunition. A of o,3*9* rounds vere f\rfed; .pr>.d !?• frftpmentnt^Lpn 'tests made.- ' 0* ;.»

On Decenber 1, 190U, CTJI. Georpe Anpler hnd his right hand mangled by exnl< of. p. friction primer for a l?-inch rifle.

> ' t ..; • t . -V ' * i, . i • ' • • ,•: For sor.e unexplained r^son historian BeaYjss did not« covei/ Fiscal Years l$0h and HI ,.,. in,his Historic Resource Study. Fir.col Year 1903 ends on'.pagfr 265* ^ind is folio ..^ „*•';». iiinediately .by "Fiscal Year 19^. - '• , ',, ' '• :•;• :

•. A i$T;/06: In the year ending June 30, 1906, r. total of 13,103 rounds had been fired. 7,365 rounds fired had been vrith fixed amunition, vhile 39 fragmentation tes" had been made. Three guns and also shrannel had been subjected to ballistic t* FT 19O7t Tuo pmr, nnd nhrnpnal and omjnctllon w.-m Bulvjnc.tod t" ballistic tests. Mori thun 6,3^0 rounds w«re ftr*sd, '',,996 T»rnjprt1"l«a And lfW rounds of fixed annun: ion, vhile 13h frngnentntion nnd miscellaneous tests were conducted. FY • 1908: Ballistic tests for service rere rade on lo/ts of shot, shell and shrapnel, 2 puns, and lots of powder and fuses. A total of 3,7^5 rounds were fired, including h31 projectiles and 167 rounds of fixed ammunition, in addition to U69 explosive tests. FT 1909: Ballistic tests of material for service in Fiscal Tear 1909 included assorted lots of shot, shell, shrapnel, tracer shells, fuses, powder, and proof of 2J ^ guns. .The number of rounds fired during the 12 months were 7,177 from guns of various calibers. In addition, there were fired 15,500 pounds from calibe: .30 machine guns, and 57 explosive tests. ."

FT * 1910: During this year ballistic tests of nateriel included assorted lots of shot, shell, shrapnel, tracers, fuses, powder, and proof of 27 guns. The.number of :: •;•••• rounds fired from guns of various calibers was h,Q73» •; On February UU and 15, 1910, Chief of Ordnance Crozier was at SandyyHobk and watched the test of projectiles from a 12-inch pun fired against a concrete . target. • . •;' yy •,•-••'.:'.'.. .'•".

FT • . J. -':^"' ••', 1911: Ballistic tests of materiel for service included assorted lots of;, shot, shell shrapnel, nipht and day tracers, fuses, nowder and proof of 5 fu*1**^ew and experimental mnteriel under test included guns, powders, projectiles/, ' primers, prenades, and electric and pneunantic firing devices forest cannon. The number of rounds fired from various caliber guns during the year was 5,605. . • ••#• v--:'';"'; •'. '.•• The lli-inch gun, Model 1907, wire-vrapned, was fired 59 times with powder pressures of as high as Uh,30D pounds per square inch, ih-inch arraor-piercin shot, sand-filled, and armor-piercing shell, loaded with explosive/TO^fand fu was m^de,. against large concrete taxpets. Later.'"the sake targets iv#refattack with navy 12-inch ainor-piercinr shell, filled vrith explosive "D'Ord-hd $Vise

FT • ' 0 "•".•.;;•. .--'.' 1912: During these 12 months ballistic tesjts of service "-and experimental materiel . included assorted £ots-.'of shot, shell', shrapnel,, shirannel bases, shell, tracer fixed ammunition, combination a'id detonating fuses, apd powder, «'•-• _ \' % »' ' •:'. • - "" t\ %\ "1 •" *. ..! Twenty armor plates were tested for acceptance and 23 puns proved. : The ^ principal experimental rviteriel under test vrere the ll-inch disatppearing carriage, Model 1907; the 12-inch mortnr carriape, Model 1908; tiirret and barbette armor-plate for two Us-inch pun turrets to be erected on El Praile Island (Fort Drum), Manila Br.y, Philippine Islands; the nilot 3-ihch mountain gun and carriape; a Ji.7-inch nnd 6-inch hov'tr.er am* carriape of'latest'desip and various designs of high explosive shrapnel. ..fJ FY • 1913s Ballistic tests of service and experimental artillery materiel included, as heretofore, ammunition, nrnor-plnte, and pins. The principal new experimenta nateriel under test consiste of a 6-inch disappearing carriage, Model 190$ M2 111-inch dissappearing carriage, Jtodel 1907} record and counterrecord system of Ill-inch turret mount; 12-inch nortnr carriapes, Models of 1^96 M3 and 1908; 12-inch nortars, Models 193^ and 1912; lh-inch funs, Models of 190?, 1907M, and 1909; 6-r>ounder balloon run, carriage, and sifht; 3- and 3.8-inch howitze and carriages; 2.95-inch Denort field run; ?,%- and 2.9?-inch Deport nountai • guns; and 1-pounder subcaliber tubes for 3-inch field puns and h.7-inch howit

FT .-"••• 191U: Tests with assorted lots of projectiles received from various contractors, lots of experimental projectiles, night tracers, shrapnel cases, rifle grenad fuses, powder and armor-plates were carried out. Fort-five guns and.29 carri we^re proof fired. During the year 6,256 rounds had been fired from guns of various caliber. 158 fragmentation tests of projectiles were made, v

• During these 12 months the principal materiel tested included lJj-inch'guns, Models 1907 Ml, 1909, and 1^10; lit-inch disappearing carriage, Model 1907 HI; 12-inch nortars, Models of 1900 and 1912; 12-inch rcortar •carriage's'/'Kqdels Ml and 1908; counter record systen of l)i-inch turret mount; 3^inch;,r»6uhte|jii howl /T~"\v and carriage, Model 1911; 3.8-inch howitzer and carriage, Model 1508)fU.7-lnc V - ;* howitzers and carriages, Model 1908; 6-inch howitzers and carriages, JJodel IS -•"* l-pou'nder subcaliber tubes for 3-inch field guns and U. 7-inch hovltzejrsj and 9.2-inch 50-caliber gun and nount for Bethlehem Steel Co. •'$£•:^-r]•''•'/• •;

This year test3 included Jt3 ter.ts against nrmor-platesj 171 tests/6f«j testing and retesting 7U lots of powder; arid-proof firinp. I4O guns; of various caliber. 133 tests were completed and 8,U7U rounds fired. ty |:';; -1; ; !

FT. • * • ' ':•>$&•-$.., •..•'• • 1916: This year tests included 33 tests against amor-plates; l51< testC^f fuses; testing and retestinn 133 lots of powder; and proof firing 39 ca^on" of varit caliber. 113 tests were completed and 6,955 rounds from cannon^red,--TlKe 1< inch disapnenring cnrriape "war still undergoinr test at Sandyv|t

F* •: . , . • •• /•'•• 1 • 1917: This year, tests inldlud'cd "51 tests' of' armor-platet 29!; jtests of fuses; testinj ' and retesting 277 lot's of povrder; and proof firing lii,cannon of 'Various calii , ^ ,85 te,st prpfrans were completed nnd 26,716 artillery pound's firefi;

F* "' ' ' -i"- • • "918: Included were tests of amor-plnte, fuses, lots of nowder and other ordnance eriel, as well as the proof firing of pins of various caliber. Although Sandy Hook was being phased out as the Army1s proving ground, there was no slowdown in the work load. Included were tests of guns, carriages, and anminition. There had been 1,150 tests and experiments involving materie valued at $99,950,060. For the year ending June 30, 1919, the number of rerun fired from Seacoast guns only, h.72-inches in caliber to lli-inoh war*. The total number of rounds fired from field and seacocst cannon "Were i6,277. Following table of tests is in Fiscal Years: Total number of rounds fired from field and aeacoast cannon in 1918 were U2,5 Total number of rounds fired from field and seacoast cannon in 1917 were 13*2 Total number of rounds fired from .33 cal. rifle and machine pun in 1913 - 11: Total number of rounds fired from .33 cal. rifle and machine gun in 1517 - 13 Total number of rounds fired from cannon including fragmentations and tests: 1911 1912 1513 1911* 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 3,261 3U93 -3U1U 3631 6338 6955 26716 U28U6 10353 Total roxmds fired in connection with other tests in 191fl was 28,329 and in 291$ I483.

On February 2, 1917, Colonel C.L.H. Rufgles, Commander of the Proving Ground Comman Te Chief of Ordnance Crozier that the nr-ed of a larger area for a Proving Ground :coining da«ily more acute. It would become more so when the "projected large calib mobile artillery, firing high capacity shell and the 16-inch gun andil6*inc& mortar arrive." Due to several factors, an ertensive search for a better location for the Proving Ground was made. General Grozier wrote that Sandy Hook, in 19lYj was too snail an area for a Proving Ground noting that the greatest range at which guns cou be fired across land was 6,700 yards. This was considerably less than ,the maximum range of a 3-inch fixed gun and "entirely inadequate for the proper test of guns an< ammunition of larger caliber." It was impossible at Sandy Hook, he explained, to f. 6-inch explosive shells, 05 those from larger pieces, at any distance on% the,beach range without endangerinp lives and property. ".'* '"

The Ordnance Department determined that a 25,333-acre area in Maryland1 a< Harford. County on the Gunpowder River would ansvrer its needs. Aberdeen Proving "Ground was formally established nn March h, 15>lR. As fncilities were developed at ^Aberdeen, those at Sar.dr Hook were Dhasad.aut. v -• •'• ' . * On December 9, 1912, a l)-inch rifle beinr trnted at the Proof 3attery burst. Flyii fragnents fron the piece did $333 rlrn&fe to Battery Richardson. ;

X _ >

/ . iYPES OF ARTILLERY & ARTILLERy PROJECTILES FIRED AT THE SANDY HOOK PROVING GROUND 187^-1919 (with probable location/discovery areas on Sandy Hook)

Compiled and written by Tom Hoffman, Park Technician, Historian, Sandy Hook Unit, Gateway N.R.A., June 17, 1979.

: 8-inch Rodman Rifle - 170-pound battering projectile (oblong, pointed artillery shell): May possibly find projectiles in the dune area east of Battery Richardson south through the present North Beach Bathing/Fishing Area Parking Lots and 700 yards further south on the ocean beach and back dune area. 1875: 8- and 9-inch Rodman Rifles - 200- to' 2U7-pound projectiles: Probable location and discovery areas same as those listed above. 1876: 8- and 9-inch Rodman Rifles New Model five-barrel Gatling Gun Hotchkiss Revolving Cannon 3.15-inch Sutcliff breech-loading field gun 3.07-inch Moffatt breech-loading rifled cannon. Large caliber experimental guns tested were: b'.'i-inch Mann breech-loading rifle •• 9-inch Sutcliffe breech-loading rifle 12-inch Thompson breech-loading rifle Probable location and discovery areas for field guns would be in the dune area east of Battevy Richardson south to the beach and dune area east and north of Battery Gunnison. '*' " Probable location and discovery areas for the large caliber guns would be in the same areas cited above, but possibly further south of Battery Gunnisa ' and. us far as 3 miles {if. the dune area east, of. the Radar site south to South Beach and south to the present Spermaceti Cove Visitor Center (i89*t Spermaceti Cove No. 2 U.S. Life-Saving Service Station). 1877: 8-iAch Rodman Rifles1: Probable location and discovery arenas sane as those cited above. .. ' ,' ... . '.' : 12.5-inch Armstrong muzzle-loading rifle - 600 to 700-pound projectiles. Krupp rifle is tested - 664-pound projectiles. Italian cannon is tested - 700-pound shot. 10-inch Rodman Rifle is test fired. 8-inch Mann B.L.R. is test fired. 9-inch Sutcliffe B.L.R. is test fired. 12-inch Thompson B.L.R. in tent fired. 10-lnch WoolbridKO Riflr in tout fired. Lyman multicharge gun is test fired. Lowell & Taylor Battery Gun is test fired. Lyle Guns are test fired. : Probable location and discovery areas for the field and heavy artillery gui 'same as those cited under Fiscal Year 1876. 1879 11-inch Rodman Rifle - shots fired weigh from 503 to 506 pounds: Probable fc • location and discovery areas would be in the dune area east of Battery Richardson south'in the Ocean, beach and back-dune areas to the vicinity n of South Beach. ."' - ^880 11-inch Rodman Rifle - 495-, 54O-, and 543-pound projectiles are fired: Probable location and discovery areas same as cited above* - Two 8-inch Rodman Rifle breech-loaders - fired battering charges between 1876 and 1850; Probable location and discovery areas would be in the dune area east of Battery Richardson south along the. beach and dune ;areas to th< vicinity of Battery Gunnison. ^ 3-inch rifled field piece - (probable weight of shell 10 to 12,pounds): Probable location and discovery areas same as cited under Fiscal Year 1879 8-inch rifle: fires 180-pound shot: Probable location and discovery areas same as cited under Fiscal Year 1879. , 8-i/ich Mann B.L.R. -\-j . v .•••..• , , 9-inch Sutcliffe B.L.R. 10-inch Woolbridge Rifle I^Ainch Thompson' BJL.R. ' . <.. . ' , . ' .'•''-'«'•'• ' '" 1' , ' Lyman multicharge gun. ' . •., , '' Probable-location and discovery areas for the fieldv and h«javy •Artillery gu cited above is the same as those cited under Fiscal Year 1876.

• '3 880: A 10-inch Parrott Rifle may have been fired at the Proving Ground from the mid-1870*s to 1880 for use in conducting experiments with Parrott shells. 1881: Two 8-inch and one 11-inch breech-loading Rodman Rifles are tested; Probable location and discovery areas is the same as those cited under Fiscal Tear 18' 1882: Experiments with canister fired from 8-inch and 1O-irich Rodman smoothbore gui taken from the Civil War Era "Fort at Sandy Hook** were made: Probable location and discovery areas would be in the dune area east of Battery Richardson south along the beach and back-dune areas to the vicinity of Battery Gunnison. 1883J For experiment firing a 15-inch Rodman smoothbore gun was transferred from "Fort at Sandy Hook.": Probable location and discovery areas would be in the dune area east of Battery Richardson south through and in the ocean, beach, and back-dune areas to the vicinity of South Beach* ' 1884: 8-inch' Rodman Gun is fired. 5j| ' 6.5-inch Mann breech-loading rifle is test-fired* 109-pound projectiles.

* Lyman-Haskell multi-charge gun tests are suspended. • -;t ,;; / ) /-"> Probable location and discovery areas for the above larger-calibeir guns fM "•-• might be in the dune area east of Battery Richardson south through and in th< ^ ocean, beach, and back-dune areas to the vicinity of South Beach* .;'.$ 1885: 12-inch cast-iron, muzzle-loading rifled mortar is- test fired - 610-pound ;-$• shells: Probable location and discovery areas might be up to 3 miles off * ;1 North Beach in the ocean or in the ocean, beach, and back-dune areas south ;! of North Beach to South Beach vicinity. I - 12-inch cast-iron, breech-loading rifle is test fired: Probable location ;? and discovery areas is the same as those cited under Fiscal Year 1884* . .; A 2'f-pounder (6-inch) gun fires Snyder Dynamite Shells (consisting of a

; ,.' ' brass head screwed to a wooden base and containing 8)6 pounds of dynamite)* A An 8-inch rifle burst whj.le firing^ steel shall'-filled with explosive

X(*f.. 'gelatine. ' -• . . .'"•.;"/, • \ t ,. -' 3«2-inch breech-loading rifle may have been fired at this time. '"

• ' 1886: An experimental 8Tinch ateel, breechrloading Vhitwqrth Rifle is shipped to the Proving Ground1., ' ;. ••••', ; ',:'• ••> •'1 O-inch Rodman smoothbore gun fitted with a breech-loa*ding jnfcchanisB is '',.—--..' test fired - 181-pound projeatiles are used. 1887I 12-inch breech-loading mortar. 12-inch breech-loading rifle. 'J 8-inch Rodman smoothbore gun. 8-inch steel breech-loading rifle. 8-inch muzzle-loading rifles. Dynamite Gun is fired 5 times. Michaelis1 "cushioned" gun and carriage were tested. 10-barrel Gatling Gun was tested. 6-barrel Gatling Gun was tested. 7-inch muzzle-loading rifle test-fires the Stevens Dynamite Shell, charged with explosive gelatine. ,..-•}, : • * West Point Foundry* Association Projectiles were tested. -; 3«2-inch Sawyer canister is on hand for testing. ,7-/ : 8-inch Eureka chilled shot was on hand for testing. '; ^ 3-inch projectiles (fuses and bursting charges) for muzzle-loading rifles were on hand for testing. ' "'•'M$r;^-:^:.';.- ;•' Probable location and discovery areas for the mortar might be_^-'-£o'";3Tkile8. off North Beach in the ocean, or in the ocean, beach, and back-jiunejjareas south of North Beach to the vicinity of South Beach. Prbbabi^location anc discovery areas for the other field and heavy artillery 8helljôu3j^bei frpt the dune area east of Battery Richardson south through the oce^, back-dune areas to the vicinity of South Beach. i&t$fc 18881 12-inch breech-loading rifled mortar was subjected to preliminary cover all ranges from 1 to 6 miles. ^3%-; 8-inch steel breech-loading rifle is test fired. v^ 7-inch steel breech-loading howitzer is test fired. . -^^•••••^^•^••:-:^ ' ' •' •'•• - .••t^;*!?'^-'-. .-,!-i-:v^-^.-'v-.''..:. • j5-inch breech-loading^siege rifle is test fired. "., v^||. " ?TH- • 10-inch breech-loading Whitworth Rifle is purchased for.,êst î^JîS ^ f . 3»2-inch steel field guns were ordered. /'^J''*?'"-^ v •- Probable location ax^d discovery areas for .these .artillery shells same as th cited above." V • '• , > ' 1'' .17 5-inch breech-loading steel siege rifle is test fired. 7-inch breech-loading siege howitzer is test fired. 8-inch breech-loading rifle in test fired. 12-inch breech-loading rifles are test fired. 12-inch breech-loading mortars are test fired. Probable location and discovery areas for the artillery shells fired from the above cited guns same as those arena cited under Fiscal Year 1887* 1890: 3»6-inch steel breech-loading field gun was ordered. M 3.6-inch steel breech-loading mortar wa6 ordered. 8-inch breech-loading steel rifle was fired. 10-inch breech-loading cast-iron rifle was ordered. 10-inch breech-lSading steel rifle was test fired. A 12-inch muzzle-loading mortar was enlarged to 12.2-inches and test fired for accuracy. Probable location and discovery areas for the artillery shells fired from the guns cited above same as those areas cited under Fiscal Year 1887* 1891: 8-inch breechr-loading steel rifles are test fired. ' . - :••- 10-inch breech-loading steel rifle - 575-pound shells. 12-inch breech-loading steel rifle & mortar await testing. Probable location and discovery areas for the arjtillery shells fired from these rifles could be from the dune area east of Battery Richardson south through and in the ocean, beach, and back-dune areas to the vicinity of Sout Beach. ' 1892: 12-inch BL cast-iron rifle had been fired 228 times.since 1889#- 10-inch Woodbridge BL rifle tests were completed - fired a if53*'pound project 10-inch BL rifle was test fired. 12-inch BL rifle was test fired.

.8-inch BL rifles were test fired. The accuracy.(of these guns had been demonstrated when, at a range of one mile,'four'out of five projectiles stru within an 20 by 21-inch area. At 3»000 yards six shots impacted: a i# by V foot target. ^ •> . . • 12-inch.'BL ca"st-iron mortar is test f^.red - 630«-pound''projectiles are used. , 12-inch .BL steel mortar is test fired - 800-pound projectiles are used* ^v52: 12-inch BL cast-iron rifle is test fired - fires 800-pound projectiles. 12-inch BL steel mortar is test fired. 5~i&ch BL Brown Segmental Wire Gun is received for testing. The 8-, 10-, and 12-inch BL rifles are test fired. Rapid fire field and siege guns are fired for experimental and test purposes including: . 6-pounder Hotchkiss. 6-pounder Driggs-Schroeder. 6-pounder Seabury. 4.7-inch Armstrongs. Probable location and discovery areas for the artillery shells fired fromthe

guns cited under Fiscal Years 1892-93 same as those areas cited under TX i891a -i89f»: U-, 10-, and 12-inch BL rifles are test.fired. 10-inch Woodbridge wire-wound gun was tested. 10-inch Crozier wire-wound gun was tested. • * 5-inch Brown segmental wire gun was tested. , 12-inch BL steel mortar was test fired. •5: 8-inch BL rifle is test fired. 10-inch Whitworth BL rifle is test fired. 12-inch BL steel rifle is test fired. , " ', 10-inch Crozier BL wire gun is test fired. . 12-inch BL steel mortar is test fired - shells of 63O-, 775-* 800-, and 1000- pounds are fired. ^.7-inch Hotchkiss rifles are test fired. , 1896: Tests, proofs, and experiments undertaken during this year included siege rifles and howitzers, rapid-fire breech-loading rifles, breech-loading rifled mortars, seacoast guns &field guns. -., \ ' ' 8-,M0-rf, and 12-inch BL rifles" .were Test fired* jr, . • »' - 10-inch Crozier wire gun was test fired. 12-inch mortars were test, fired. Canet rapid-fiife_ gun', was, test fired. A'- . . '" ,' ' |V , 1897: 8-, 10-, and, 12-inch'BL rifles were test fired. /. ("' -j ' % ;. *'"'!» ''\'12-ineh BL mortar's were test fired. •' '*• m i6*98: 8-, 10-, and 12-inch BL rifles are test fired. 12-inch mortars are test fired. 5-inch rapid-fire guns are test fired. 1899: 8-, 10-, and 12-inch BL rifles were test fired. 12-inch BL mortars were test fired. . 3-inch Hotchkiss rifles were test fired. Test of projectiles for acceptance under contract were carried out with: 3-t 3«2-, 3»6-, 5-» and 7-inch shrapnel. 5-inch cannon shells, 5-inch armor piercing shells, 7-inch howitzer shells, and 7-inch common mortar shells. 8-, 10-, and.12-inch armor piercing shells.

5-» 8-, 10-, and 12-inch armor piercing shot. t 12-inch deck piercing shell. ' : 12-inch torpedo shells. Probable location aind discovery areas for the artillery shells fired from •W ) the guns cited under Fiscal Years 189U-99 could be from the dune area east of Y Battery Richardson south through and in the ocean, beach, and back-dune areas to the vicinity south and east of the Spermaceti Cove Visitor Center and the "critical (washout) zone" north of where the seawall ends, 19OO: In the year ending June 30, 1900, there was proved and/or tested: . 6-pounder rapid-fire guns. •• ,..'•'/ 15-pounder rapid-fire guns. ' ' - '* ' 10-inch BL rifles* * 12-inch BL rifles. 12-inch BL mortars. - _ Sims-Dudley 2.5-inch dynamite gun. ' :. , Vickejrs7tyaxim 75mm mountain gun. v •»*'•'*' ' ' J 5-inch single-forging gun (by Seabury?). ' - ' 3-inch built-up field gun (by Gordon?). 5-inch single-forging gun (by Gordon?).. • • ' • ' ' ,s Vickers-Maxim fieJd gun. ' ' .'•.,,. 7 m jpOO; Test of projectiles for acceptance under contract were carried out withI '•323 6-pounder, 3-» and 3»2-inch shrapnel. .. , < ., * 6-pounder armor-piercing, 6- and 8-inch armor-piercing, 7-inch howitfter. • 10- and 12-inch armor-piercing, 12-inch deck-piercing, and 12-inch torpedo shells. 6-, 8-, 10-, and 12-inch armor-piercing shot. •. 1901: Guns proved and tested included: 1.65-inch Hotchkiss mountain guns. 6-pounder Driggs-Seabury rapid-fire gun. 15-pounder Driggs-Seabury rapid-fire gun. 3-inch Maxim-Nordenfelt mountain gun. 3-inch Dashiell. " • 3-inch Stockett. :*. 3-inch Hotchkiss mountain gun. < > 3«2rinch breech-loading rifles. "'-••• " <•'. ,' : **.7-inch Armstrong guns. 4i ; ' 5-inch BL siege rifle. ,^.% ;,* 5-inch rapid-fire gun. - 5-inch rapid-fire gun, Model 1897. 6-inch rapid-fire gun. Model 1897. 7-inch howitzer. -"'„/**.

7-inch BL mortar. ' *" -*w '

8-inch BL rifles. ^ 'f , ,\ 10-inch BL rifles. * V V- •*.-

..•".'..• . . t! > 12-inch BL rifles. F -v

• . • ,. * * * 12-inch BL mortars. . '-£,. - «<•/.' 10-inch Brown segmental gun. . , "'Ar."-'' '"'<'",' Projdctiies tested at ^ahtty!Hpokincluded:\c*nf8

I-65-, 3L. 2-^i find'^-i^chT' Shraprfel-"caliber was 6-J.nchf -SJtar Shell calibers ? • . ' • J < «* were 3.2-, and 3.fr-inches. More than 5»500 proof roj^nds',iiad.'b.een fired ;* <* .'*.'. • •» «. in.12 months. . " 1901: During the year ending June 30, 1901, machinists had banded 25Q§-inch and 67 1-inch Parrott projectiles for target practice* .

1902: Guns proved at Sandy Hook included: 6-pounder rapid-fire guns* » 5-inch rapid-fire guns* 6-inch breech-loading rifles. 6-inch rapid-fire gune. 10-inch BL rifle. 12-inch BL rifle. 12-inch BL mortars. Among, the tests was the Gathamann 18-inch gun and projectiles, ft project conducted by a joint board of 'Army and Navy officers. ' "' 1903: Guns proved at Sandy Hook included: 1-pounder subcaliber tubes. 6-pounder Driggs-Seabury rapid-fire guns.' 15-pounder Driggs-Seabury rapid-fire guns. 5r-inch siege guns* „,"''"«' V 5-inch rapid-fire guns. ' 6-inch BL rifle. • • • ". * , * 7-inch BL howitzers. - .a . "^ •• 8-inch BL rifle. ' V' . > '" ;, 12-inch BL mortars. , l * Projectiles subjected to ballistic tests included: * 3-inch Driggs-Seabury shrapnel. - 6-inch Frankford Arsenal shrapnel. ' .*• , 6-pounder Driggs-Seabury Armor-piercing shell* <*'''*', - 6-inth During the year a -total of 6,329 rourfds were f ired.. > '•. .•, .

•>. ••:/ •' ."•• :• - •' -V" • '.*.*

/$HS • '•••'••

^fcTlj 1906: In the year ending June 30, 1906, a total of 13fi83 rounds had been fired. *" . Shrapnel wa6 subjected to ballistic tests. 1907: More than 6,360 rounds were fired. Shrapnel and projectiles were subjected to ballistic tests. 1908: Ballistic tests for service were made of shot, shell and shrapnel. A total * of 3«755 rounds were fired. 1909: 27 guns were proved, and ballistic tests of shot, shell, shrapnel and tracer shells was carried out. 7,177 rounds were fired from guns of variovt calibers. In addition, 15,500 pounds were fired from .30 caliber machine g 1910: A 12-inch gun fired projectiles against a concrete target. Ballistic testes included shot, shell, shrapnel, tracers...and proof of 27 4,073 rounds were fired from guns of various calibers. 1911:.Tested at Sandy Hook for service were lots of shot, shell shrapnel, night a day tracers...and grenades. 5,605 rounds were fired from guns Of various calibers. ~*\- Model 190l7« 14-inch wire-wrapped gun fired 14-inch armor-piercing shot, san ] . filled, and armor-piercing shell, loaded with explosive *3)" and fused, »*

g /*^~^'> ••••'•. • • ••••'• •••••• . • •'•• • * • I f '• ••• against'large concrete targets. Later, the same targets were Attacked with navy 12-inch armor-piercing shell, filled with explosive ''D11 and fused. 1912: 20 guns were proved including: ,. . , - 3-inch mountain gun and carriage. : ,-•

4.7-inch howitzer and carriage. , " .., ^ ' #

6-inch howitzer and carriage. -;> - . * Turret and barbette armor-plate for two 14-inch gun turrets. / " *

Tested for service and experimental testing were lots of shott shell, high- explosive shrapnel, shrapnel cases, shell tracers, fixed ammunition,"etc. 1913; Principal new experimental materiel under test consisted of: • 12*inch mortars, Models of 1908 and 1912. ^ . '. 14-inch guns, Modsls of 1907', 19O7M, and . . 6-pounder balloon gun.

3.8-inchhowitzers howitzers* ;, ' ,v • * 1 . ' * ' '' '.•'•! w-1 2.95-in?H Deport field gun.^ ".. V ' :< it -n' ' ' "' 2*«56-'an* d 2«95-iach Deport mountain guns* :••>] •

AKTILLERY PROJECTILES & FUZES 1784 - 1861 & 1861 - 186.5

Between 1784 and 1861 spherical artillery projectiles used by the D.S. Army consisted of 1) solid shot (in 6, 12, 18, 24, 32, and 42-pounder weights and 8 and 10-inch diameters), 2) Hollow shells containing gun powder (in 12, 18, 24, 32, and 42-pounder weights and 8 and 10-inch diameters), and 3) spherical case shot (Shrapnel) in 6, 12, 18, 24, 32, and 42-pounder weights and 8-inch diameter.

To explode the spherical shells and case shot a conical shaped paper-case fuze (4), inserted in a metal or wooden plug that fitted into the fuze hole, was used. The fuze contained powder that would burn down into the main powder charge, and the rate of burning was shown by the color of the paper. A black fuze burned an inch every 2 seconds. Red burned 3 seconds, green 4, and yellow 5 seconds per inch. Since firing a shell from a 24-pounder to burst at 2,000 yards meant a time flight of 6 .seconds, a red fuze would ... . T*• serve without cutting, or a green fuze could be cut to 1J4 inches.

With the introduction of rifled cannon during the Civil War, elongated, pointed projectiles were permitted, ensuring their , flight point first wj.th great increase in range and accuracy. There were a great variety of rifled shells used during the Civil War varying in size & shape. The most successful types of rifle projectiles ^ were those whose base expanded into the spiral grooves of the cannon bore to impart spinning immediately aft^r firing. Jj.5) is ' a Confederate Read'J, 4.42-tinch, 24-pound< , j shell with a wrought-iron rotating cup at

• .;**» "' the base. (6) is a Confederate Head, 3.6-inch, 1^.5-pound shell with a copper ring rotating band at the base.

These nhells used the front percussion fuze to explode the powder charge in the shell. The shock of impact caused this fuse to explode the shell at almost the instant of striking* A front porcunoion fuse (7) hud « brand cnna which tier*wed Into the front (top) of the shell. Inside the fuze case was a plunger (A) containing n priming charge of powder, topped with a cap of fulminate. A braua wire at the base of the plunger was a safety device to keep the cap away from a sharp point at the top of the fuze until the shell struck the target. When the gun was fired, the shock of discharge dropped a lead plug (B) from the base of the fuze int -:«a • V-+i the projectile cavity, permitting the plunger to drop to the bottom of the fuze and rest there, held by the spread wire, while the shell was in flight. Upon impact, the plunger was thrown forward, the cap struck the point and ig the priming charge, which in turm fired the bursting charge of the shell*

Some shells had the rotating band located around the central mid-section of the projectile while others, like the English Whitworth shell (8), had hexagonal grooved sides machined to fit the bore

European nations also adopted studded shells (9)* The shells were provided with two (or more) rows of soft metal studs, so that as the shell was placed in the muzzle, the studs were engaged with the grooves. The shell was rammed home BO the studs rbfe down the groove's and, on firing," the studs rode up the grooves and imparted the necessary spin I to the shell! - Inu'addition to the ,6tuds, the shell had a "gas- check" plate fitted at the base. This corrugated plate was flattened by the explosion of the charge and was forced into the rifling grooves to seal the gas behind the shell and prevent erosion. 10 10 COMMON EXPLOSIVE SHELL - Thin shell was filled with gunpowder and ignited by a percussion (impact) fuze. Note that this shell is fitted with an expanding gas-check at the base (for use with rifled muzzle-loaders), along with a base fuze at the center of the projectile base. The base fuze was used with armor-piercing projectiles where it was desirable to have the shell penetrate armor for some distance before bursting. 11 SHRAPNEL SHELL - Lieut. Henry ftimpnel'n in- vention took on a new form with the rifled gun. The head was pinned to the body, which carried a charge of lead musket balla packed in ronin. A small bursting charge, of gunpowder was located beneath the payload and ignited by a time fuze flashing down the central tube. The re- sulting explosion drove the balls forward, '1 ) foraing off the head.

I- ••*••. 12 PALLISER SHELL (ARMOR-PIERCING SHELL) - A Captain Palliser of the Hungarian Army invented this shell in 186*U By casting it nose down in a chilled iron mould, the head waa . hardened and an exceptionally successful «. piercing projectile^was the result. Note the holes in the ogive for removal with a special tool (illustrated below). To unload a rifled muzzle loader it was necessary to reach down

the bore with this devj.ce until its jaws % clipped into the holes prepared in the shell ' . nose. Pulling on the handle then tightened the < grip and the she 1^1 Qould be drawn out. . .• ."- v •'.; . : "• " • SMOOTHBORE AMMUNITION (CANNONBALLS)

Smoothbore cannon fired many forms of projectiles: shot;, shell, carcass, grape, canister, spherical case, chain, bar, and elongated shot. ^Each differed from the others and had its special function evolved through the years in furtherance of the ever-changing art of war."

Bound Shot carried no explosive and were designed to cause death and destruction through sheer weight of impact. These solid, iron spheres were made in a wide variety of calibers and weights. Identification is merely a matter of accurate measurement although diameter will be roughly one to two tenths of an inch less than the corresponding bore caliber. This is due to a. small tolerance permitted the manufacturer and "windage," the reduction necessary to allow free movement of the ball in the .bore. As a rule, shot waa designed for guns and columbiads.

i •••"• Shells, hollow spheres filled with powder, combined incendiary and .explosive ^.. properties. Shells could be fired by most forms of ordnance to achieve JLong- V range destruction of men and equipment mainly through blast and fragmentation, although there was also a limited potential from impact in cases where the projectile failed to explode. Shells were divided into three categories: mortar, those for longer weapons generally called "common,11 and spherical'case.

••.••••••••. •• - •'•••'• -' ^

• ••' ' • ,'• * Tr Mortar shells, since they were fired with a light propellan• '•'•••t which > Teducevd* • the shock of discharge, had? relatively thin walls of uniform dimension "throughout. This resulted in a spherical interior of larger capacity than the thicker- walled common variety which was further reduced on the inside by reinforce- ment of the fuse hole. Case, although the walls were thinnest of all,, were

loaded with- lead or iron b&Llte which Increased jtfie^weight. % '

Wail thickness is an excellent mode of identification if the fuse has been removed/ If not,, anbthef mode of identiXiea'tion is the weight of the shell. Different wall thicknesses resulted in varied weights fo£ corpnon-'aid mortar 'feiiells.of similar;caliber, differences sufficiently pronounce* for identification purposes, particularly for 8- and 10-inch shells. .. Hkwl.

"#*• •f* 0

-FIGURE: XII-1 IDENTIFICATION: Miscellaneous Shot. Shell, and Spherical Case. SOURCE: Mordecai.

*15finch Solid Round Shot: Diameter 1^.85 inches: Weight M»0 pounds (If this > caliber shot was cored it weighed J4OO pounds; unlike shell, which also was hollow, cored shot contained neither powder nor fuse, and it was believed that the 5-inch thick walls rendered the ball virtually indestructible to afford sufficient weight to crush masonry walls of forts)• 15-inch Solid Round Shot: Diameter 12.87 inches: Weight 282.8^ pounds, 12-inch Solid' Round Shot: Diameter ;11 .fift inches: -Weifeht 222 pounds." *.»'.." 11-inch Solid Round Shot: Diameter 10.85 inches: Weight 166 pounds (Used by Navy only,)- 10-inch Solid 'Rouhu1-Shot: Diameter 9.87 irfches: Weight 127.£ pounds., , , 9-rinch So^.id R.ound Shot: Diameter 8.85 inches: Weight 90 pbunds" (*Lse4i.by Navy only ' V8-fnch Solid-Round Shot: Diameter 7.88 inches: Weight 65 pounds.' '•

1 j 42-Pounder Solid Round Shot: Diameter 6.8*4 inches: Weight ^2*5 pounds. 32-Pdr. Solid Round Shot: Diameter 6.25 inches: Weight 32.k pounds. 2*f-Pdr. Solid Round Shot: Diameter 5.68 inches: Weight 2^.3 pounds. 18-Pdr. Solid Round Shot: Diameter 5.17 inches: Weight 18.3 pounds. 12-Pdr. Solid Round Shot: Diameter *4.52 inches: Weight 12.25 pounds* , 6-Pdr. Solid Round Shot: Diameter 3*58 inches: Weight 6.1 pounds.

'i3-inch Spherical Mortar Shell: Wall thickness about 2.2 inches: Diaraet*r ' 12.87 inches: Weight 218 pounds. 10-inch Spherical Mortar Shell: Wall thickness about 1.6 inches: Diameter 9.87 inches: Weight 88.^2 pounds. 8-inch Spherical Mortar Shell: Wall thickness about 2.25 inches: Diameter 7.88. inches: Weight Mf.12 pounds. r

- ••'• "•' • * •r Spherical Shells for columbiads and seacoast howitzers:- { ,

15-inch Spherical Shell: Wall thickness : Diameter iVS? inches: Height ^ 352 pounds. •••".••' ^.|V • 10-inch Spherical Shell: Wall thickness 2 inches: Diameter 9.87 inches: Weight 101.67. ' :*' 8-inch Spherical Shell: Wall thickness 1.5 inches: Diameter 7.88 inches: height ^9«75 pounds. ' ' J

•- • *•.•••". J V B ' *

Spherical Case Shell: ' * v "^V''\

8-inch Spherical Case Shell: Wall thickness .7 inches: Diameter 7.88 inches: Weight 59.5 pounds: No. balls, Iron, .85-inch, 220. ,'"""'

The Artillerist's Manual of i860 noted that the maximum range of the,8-inch Columbia^ (Rtfdman 6moothbor^; cannpn) was k#'\2 yards^ and. of the 10-ifact columbiac (Rodman smoothbore cannon), 565*t yards. Dr. E.R. Lewis mentions in Ms took, Seacoast Fortifications of the United States, that the 10-inch Rodman smoothbore cannon had a, maximum r^nge. of about ^,000 yards with A 12J-pound shot: mnd the 10-inch rifled gun of 1890 had a range of about 12,300, yards with 'a :60*i-pound V projectile.. Lewis also noted that the 15-inch smoothbore cannon t>f the-Civil War Period had a maximum range of 5*020 yards (3 miles) with a 315-pound projectile, and that the same gun around 1880, when a heavier propelling charge and a stronger carriage were used, had a maximum range of 7«73O yards (k miles) with a Vj^-pound projectile.

.RIFLE PROJECTILES (OBLONG ARTILLERY SHELLS WITH POINTED OR ROUND NOSES)

R'ifle artillery projectiles offer the most difficult identification problem of all Civil War artillery because of the numerous experimental projectiles the North and South developed, tested, adopted and discarded. Rifle projectiles of this period generally took the name of their inventor and were made in numerous calibers as wall as varied forms including solid, shell, case, and canister. They differed mainly in methods of providing rotation, a major problem in-muzzle-loaders since the round had to slip easily into the bore, yet follow the twist of the rifling as it was expelled, i®J; • -

•£>>, The major types of U.S. Artillery projectiles consisted of Parrott,-:|£henkl, Dyer, Hotchkiss, Absterdam, Sawyer and James shells. Parrott shells^Were made in all calibers of his rifles from 2.9- to 10-inch and were general!^^ similar in appearance, although short and long models were made for 6.4- and 8-inch. • Bolts also fit all calibers and in most cases came in two flat-nose v&rieties- one with a rounded ogive, the other with a marke4 step to the flat ^

The advent of rifled artillery suddenly solved problems of detonat- M • T-V ion on impact. Since the projectile, theoretically at least, landed on its nose, a simple fulminate cap

would explode the round on striking HGURE: XIII-2 CATEGORY 1. IDENTIRCATIPN; Parrott, and could easily be made bore safe 3.67-Inch, Shell, U.S. WEIGHT: 16.5 poundi. SOURCE: Abbot. REMARKS: 20-Pounder. Bran cup, open type. ,by protecting it during discharge. . Time fuses were also u«ed with ,. ' <• rifled artillery and during the .•'.5 early days, which included the Civil War era, were often more efficient

than percussion. FIGURE: XII1-3 CATEGORY 1. IDENTIFICATION: Parrott, 4.2-Incb. Shell, U.S. WEIGHT; 25 pounds. SOURCE: Abbot REMARKS: 30-Pounder. Brass ring sabot. • f V

The raised nose, such as illustrated by the 10-inch bolt in FIGURE:XII1-6, is chilled iron and was designed for punching ironclads, although this specimen was fired at the masonry of «Fort Sumter. It ia cored, but unlike the 15-inch Dahlgren, wsn o*»r.t XIH-5 LOCATION: foil MoultrW. SC. without a hole to the core. Black 1. IDENTIFICATION: Miscellaoeous Parrott Shells, U.S. B MARKS: Left to right: founder's sand poured out when an 10-Inch (300-Pounder). Ungth — 12.S. Weight — 2: identical round at Surater was (approximate). 10-Inch (300-Pounder). Length — 23L5 (bcludes .25-in drilled some years ago in the mis- nut in base similar to that on 8-inch of Fig. XUI-10). Wci^ taken belief that it might have — 250 (approximate). • ' " 8rInch (200-Pounder, Navy ISO). Length — 20. Weight been loaded. 137 (shell recoverd from salt water and probably has • stained an estimated 13-pound weight loss). " *r r '. * 8-Inch (200-Pounder. Navy 150). Ungth — 16.9 (inclu* il The Washington Navy Yard had two .5-inch nut as in Fig. XIH-10). Weight — 138. 6.4-Inch (100-Pounder). Length —18,5. Weight — 90. 12-inch Parrott bolts, 23.5 inches 6.4-Inch (100-Pounder). Length — 15.8. Weight — 74. Note: Both 10-inch and one 8-inch unfired. Other 8-inch I long, with chilled heads that like- thrown off its brass ring. Smaller 6.4-inch is badly rusted a ly were made for testing one of has sustained an approximate 6-pound weight loss. Sabots brass. . • ; . y^t.'*,,. •.-•''' three 15-inch Dahlgrens bored to

12-inch and rifled in three FIGURE: XII1-6 LOCATION: Fort Moultrie, SC different forms - including 1. IDENTIPICATION: Miscellaneous Par>ott Bolts. MARKS: Left to right: i ^•' \ _ Parrott, 10-Inch (300-Pounder). Length _-J;(t5. Weight KWpounder). Length - M^.W^ Surplus Civil War era Parrott 6.4-Inch (100-Pounder), Length — 13.25-Weight—- projectiles were probably fired Note: Brass, ring-type sabott. from 8- and 10-inch Rodman Rifles being»fees£$d at the SandyvHppk Proving Ground after the Civil War. Proving Ground records support this bplief ^ ad ,dr> two ; , 10-inch shells found/on Sandy \ Hook, in tmm of 19?6 that strongly resemble the two 10- •3 inch shells in FIGURE XIII-5. '»*,•

• The bursting charge inside Parrott shells was black powder, but they were also modified to fire incend- FIGURE: XIII-8 CATEGORY I. IDENTIFICAJION: Parrott, 6 iary materials by casting the in- Inch. Incendiary Shell, U.S. SOURCE: Abbot. REMARKS: P terior with a partition which rott "Long" shell cast with two compartment* and bolt hole base to accommodate Bemoy'i incendiary composition. T separated the cavity into two cavity held a small bunting charge and'the bottom 6 pint* incendiary material. The bolt was removed for loading. Rli compartments. The top section type, brass sabot. * held a small bursting charge loaded through the fuse hoie. The bottom was packed through a hole in the base with cotton then filled with liquid incendiary composition and the hole closed with a Qopper washer and bolt.

A number of Parrott and Schenkl. shells have been found (in the FIGURE: XIII-10 LOCATION: Autbort Collection. C Charleston, S.C., area) to GORY 1. IDENTIFICATION: Parrott, 8-IndwSbell, VS. Le — 173 (includes .3 of nut). Weighty 157. REMARKS: contain a double charge* One fired, excellent brass ring. Nut may indicate a form of is consisted of powder mixed with diary shell although cavity is that of standard shell, tee an unidentified substance, which was poured into the projectile until the cavity was about half filled, and then permitted to harden into a solid mass. The second .charge, normal black powder, was placed on top. Apparently by making' fou'ghly half the caVlty' ••; solid, movement of the remaining FIGURE: XIII-I1 LOCATION: Author* Collection. C powder .was limited. Both black GORY 2. IDENTIFICATION: Schenkl. 8-Incfc, Shell. U5. Le: — 20. Weight —*L2S. REMARKS: 10 rihi Contained do powder and'composition.in the charge, see text/ Papier-mache sabot. • • 8-inch, Schenkl (Fig.&II-1i) ;.'.were found to be in excellent ' " ^ V' condition and burn well despite .; their age - vivid reminders that Civil War projectiles may still be dangerous. Schenkls were a common U.S. projectile, but were rare in this calit»er and were used primarily, if not entirely, by the Navy. Warren Ripley notes in hia book "Artillery and Ammunition of the Civil that:

The huge projectile in Figure XIII-28 is listed on Washington Navy Yard records as a 12-inch, 600-pound Hotchkiss shot, but judging from the protruding, plug : at the top, could be a shell. The plug presumably protects a cavity for either a fuse or lifting eye. If the former, the round doubtless is a shell and the five parallel grooves along the side are designed to let flame to the time train. If the ' cavity held a lifting eye during manufacture or for insertion prior to loading, the grooves were intended to reduce the strain by providing windage.

Since the grooves are not slant- 1 ed, they were not expected to FIGURE: XID-28 LOCATION: Washington Nary: Yard, D. fit the lands - as did the Rod- , CATEGORY 1 (tentative, see text). jDENimawiON: Hotchki 12-Inch, U.S. Length —24. REMARKS: lis*ed on N«vy Y* man 12-inch (Fig. XIII-29) - records as 600-Poiinder Hotchkiess Shot. However, m view and the projectile likely had a protuberance in the nose, which may be * form of fuse plu ...rear sabot. Its caliber and and 5 grooves in the side, the projectile iwqr t* * &*&* *• presence at the Navy Yard would text. indicate it was made for one of the experimental 15-inch Dahl- grens bored to 12 inches and rifled. The Rodman, also located at the Navy Yard, is probably one of twenty-five which the major i reported sending to- Fort Monroe : for use in his 15-inch, bored to 12 and rifled. These rounds, he told the Senate Committee "... have grooves cut in them so that they are locked with the gun and cannpt .get out without~jjjq)ta,ting • v. ..." The shot weighs about 6CK3 pounds and has 7 grooves, slanted to conform to the twist of the^rifling....The round is list- A ed out of cdntext,1 for-, comparison with the Hotchkise, for the 12- inch Rodmans, sent to Monroevwith a similar number of 8-inch, must be considered experimental pro- FIGURE: XIII-29 LOCATION: Washington *favy Yard. E jectiles and not general issue. CATEGORY 5. IDENTIFICATION: Rodman; 12-Jnch, Shot, t REMARKS: ••./ Listed on Navy Yard records *x £00 pound R man shot. Probably it was designed for the 15-Inch Rode cast and bored to 12-inch rifle and tested at Fort Mon: Note 7 slanted grooves designed to fit the lands. FIGURE: XII-S7 LOCATION: West Point, N.Y. TION: Fuse, Parroti. Percussion, VS. (Early Model) MARKS: Parrott Shell.

,¥*;..

' •*.'•;

# 1 ". FIGURE: XII-58 LOCATION: Estes Cpllectioni' MuHins, S.C t - V , IDENTIFICATION: Fuse.'Parrott, Percussion. VS. REMARKS: Two forms, of Parrott Percussion Fuse used during me \tur.«;•• r'A From about 1880 through the early 1900's many 3- and 3*2-inch rapid fire Coast Artillery and Field Artillery guns were test fired at the Sandy Hook Proving Ground. These guns fired oblong explosive shells and canister projectiles with lead or copper rotating bands on the base*

One field gun, the Model 1893 3.^-inch field gun, was tested at Sandy Rook and would be the U.S. Army's major field gun during the Spanish American War. It appears that these guns were surplus ordnance rifles that had given exceller service during the Civil War. Warren Ripley writes on pages 161-163 of his book "Artillery & Ammunition of the Civil War" that!

'Most important both in number and general achievement was the U.S. 3-inch, wrought iron field rifle M-1861 known and admired on both sides of the line as the "Ordnance Rifle" or "Ordnance Quh." The piece also had two other names which through the years have added confusion to its.origin and development. These are "Griffen Gun" and Rodman Rifle," and while there is considerable justification * for the first, there seems little or none for the second.

Since (John) Griffen's (an inventor of a wrought iron field gutt) original models were smoothbores and....the Ordnance Board was '< drafting a design for submission to the founder^.it seems Griffen's connection with the Ordnance Rifle was the process of construction- ' the form was a product of the Ordnance Bureau and hence the name., ,

•» ' •' . ••'• - .'•-.-• " . • -, y v' Rodman's connection, if any, is decidedly tenuous. His method^Of'"- interior cooling used in manufacture of certain columbiads, M .; ;f obviously didn't apply here since the Ordnance Rifle Was wrought* not cast, iron* He could, of course, have designed it for the ^ Ordnance Bureau, but contemporary records fail to bear out this, ' "' supposition and the only link of the inventor with the gun found" !_, thus far is Benton's: "The form of this piece...is the same ia ^ts'-; general character as all the guns of the Rodman pattern..." \- '-*"•"» - , .

•ft pissiiBle explanatioxHaky-'lie (with) the M%5*%nch. siege,rifle,> / ••A which resembled the 3-inch Ordnance Rifle closely in appearance and was often called an Ordnance Rifle. It was, however, cast iron, not wrought, and thus was erroneously supposed by a number t of'Artillery and.ordnance men'to have been fabricated by^Rodman's ,

r- method.' Consequently, since both calibers were outwardly similar, . it is possible that attribution to Rodman occurred through* a \ &; * 1 • • « '' combination of confusion and>error. Despite confusi'bn of, tame, , •;':, the 3-inch Ordnance Rifle gave excellent service and won praise both North and South. ; Toward the end of the (Civil) War, Hotchkiss and Schenkl projectiles were mainly used with Ordnance Rifles although various othera could be fired including the Dyer with which a test piece elevated 10# gave 2,788 yards range and at 20°, 3»972 yards. The charge in both cases was a single pound with a 9-pound shell.

Following the war, an attempt was made to retain use of the Ordnance Rifles through conversion to breechloaders and beefing up the weight of the projectile. The bore of a number of rifles was reamed to 3»2- inch and a steel breechblock installed, but the attempt seems to have met with little favor despite enthusiastic reports by ordnance boards through 1881 • The Ordnance Rifle (Fig. IX-1*) in the Petersburg collection is one of these conversions. •si

There seems to be a contradiction, according to Ripley's research, as to whether or not the Civil War Era Ordnance Rifles were actually the conversions that became the Model 1893 3.2-inch Field Gun that were used in the Spanish American War. Close study of old photographs of 3-3.2-inch field guns at the Sandy Hook Proving Ground and in Cuba during the Spanish America* War seem to indicate that while'Civil War Era Ordnance Riflea, which were converted into breech-loaders, were tested at Sandy Hook, the Model 1893 3*2-inch field guns appear to be of newer construction with slight difference in gun 'barrel desigi

In any event, surplus Civil War Era Hotchkiss, Sch'enkl and Dyer projectiles MIGHT HAVE been fired from the 3-3.2-inch field guns when they vere being tested at Sandy Hook from the 1880's to the early 1900' s. To Identify these types of shells, diagrams are included with this report, and werei Ripley's book. * . s

FIGURE: DC-4 LOCATION: Petersburg, Va. IDENTIFICATION: . Rifle, Field, 3-Incb, Model 1861, Wrought Iron. Converted to 3.2-Inch B.L.R. BORE: Diameter — 3.2. Rifling — 7x7, straight Length '— 68.75/ LENQTH O/A {excludes missing breechblock)': 68.757 TRUNNION'S: Diameter —: 3.67.' Length 2.8. MARKINGS: Muzzle Face — J.G.B., 1866. 945, P.I. & Co., 816 Ibis. Right Trunnion — Patented DeO.5, 1862, Phoenix Iron Co. COMMON NAME: 3,2-Inch B.L.R.

/• FIGIRE- XIH-16 CATEGORY 2. IDENTIFICATION: ' Schcnkl. 3-lnch. Shell. US Weight — 9.2. SOURCE: Abbot. REMARKS: Papier-mache mhot.

FIGURE: XIII-17 CATtooKY 2. liir.NTinCATlON:' Schenkl, 3-lnch. Shell. U.S. Weight - 7.8. SOURCE: Abbot. REMARKS: Papicr-machi sabot.

FIGURE: XI1M8 CATEGORY 2. IDENTIFICATION: Schenkl, 4.5-Inch. Shell, U.S. Weight — 26. SOURCE: Abbot. RE- MARKS: 6 ratchet-shaped ribs. Papier-mache sabot.

FIGURE: XIII-19 CATEOORY 2. IOENTUFICATION: Dyer, 4.5- Inch, Shot, U.S. Weight — 31. SOURCE: AbboL REMARKS: Lead sabot cast upon base and rev half of projectile.

. •• t

FIGURE: XIII-20 CATEGORY 2, IDENTIFICATION: Dyer, 4.5- Inch. Shell, U^. Weight — 23. SOURCE: Abbot. REMARKS: Lead sabot cast upon base and rear half of projectile. r

1 FIGURE: XIII-23 CATEGORY 3. IDENTIFICATION: HolcKkiss, 3.67-Inch. Shell. U.S. Weight — 19. SOURCE: Abbot. RB- MANM Sfpaiolo V««l IrOlt CU|» MlttepMHi lo«ll bund center inlo the tiding.

FIGURE: XI11-24 CATEGORY 3. IDENTIFICATION: Hotchkiss, . 3-Inch, Shell. U.S. Weight — 9. SOURCE: Abbot. REMARKS: Separate cast iron cup squeezed lead band around center into ' rifling.

*. -A ; +

• .v

nCURE: Xm<25 LOCATION: Manassas, Va. CATEGORY S. -J -?.;1/ .'-v •' IDENTIFICATION: Hcftchkiss, 3.67-Inch, Shot, UJS. Length —> /. 7.25. REMARKS: Separate cast iron cup squeezed central lead band into rifling at discharge. Bottom is marked: "Hotchkiss, Pat. 18SS. May 14. 1661.**

".'•}.'•¥ ;••'<>.

Canister projectiles were for use at very short range,-when the guns of a battery were being charged by the enemy. The projectile consisted of a number of small balls (iron or lead) contained in a metallic envelope so constructed that it would not break into pieces at the shock of discharge* In U.S. Service, circa 1907, cnnister was provided for mountain guns only. The canister for the 75nun Vickers Maxim gun is shown.

The case, c, was made of malleable iron, and was 5 a 0 solid at the bottom and open at the top. It was weakened by two series of cuts, s, each series consisting of three oblique cuts, each of which extended over an arc of 120 degrees. The case contained 2M* iron balls 5/8 of an inch in diameter H and weighing 30 to the pound. The balls were mIf. confined in the case by a tin cup, a, riveted in. * Three holes, h, drilled through the bottom of the m case'admitted the powder gases to assist.in u • rupturing the case* The metallic cartridge case was attached to the projectile by being crimped 1 at several points into the groove r. The copper I1 band, b, formed a 6top for the head of the cartridge case, and served as a gas check in the gun* The groove g, in other projectiles, was filled with n. i* i grease for the purpose of preventing the entrance of moisture into the cartridge case.

By1 1967,'the Ordnance Depairtment pWined not tof manufacture any more canister Shrapnel would take its place and would be so constructed so that it would burst within 25 feet of the muzzle of the gun.

7 ' ./ ; -v • , x.. .•• ' • , . • •:•• • • t ~ < •' .• 1 ' V • . . • 1 « • .V. « ;.. :^t^.,,'vJ?::-*

M Shrapnel was a projectile designed to carry a number of bullets to a distance from the gun and there to discharge them with increased energy over an extended erea. It was particularly efficacious against troops in masses and was not used against material. Shrapnel, in 1907, was "the principal field artillery projectile. It was also provided for.mountain and siege artillery, and for use in the small caliber guns of seacoast fortifications in repelling land attacks.

•U*l The diagram shows the shrapnel for a 3-inch field gun.. Ths case, c, was a steel tube drawn in one piece with a solid base. A steel diaphragm, d, rested on a shoulder near the base, forming a chamber for the bursting charge in the base of the projectile, and a support for a central steel tube which extended through the head, h. A small quantity of guncotton in the bottom of the tube was ignited by the flame from the fuse, and in turn ignited the bursting T charge. The balls, of lead hardened with antimony, were 252 in number. Each ball was ^9/100 of an v inch- in diameter and weighed approximately 16? grains, or kZ to the pound. After the balls were inserted, a matrix of mono- nitronaphthalene was poured into the case, filling ••'••''. the interstices between the balls in the lower half of the case. When cool this substance was a waxy solid. It gave off a deni m black smoke in burning. The purpose of its introduction was to fender the burst of the shrapnel visible from the gun so that the gun commander could determine whether his! ~p*i*.jecAilesswere attaining the desired .range/. Resin was used as the matrix in the forward half of the case. *

The1 matrix .fqrmett,'a "solid mass" with,the balls and.- pr^yeniped their deformatii *"••¥•'•• • 1 • » , by the pressure tMat they would exert upon each othflfr, dn the, shock of discharge in the gun, if they were loose in the case. Resin gave better support to the balls than naphthalene and therefore no more of the naphthale was used than was necessary to produce the desired amount of smoke* On beio expelled from the case the matrix burned and broke up, leaving the balls fr«

The head, ht of steel was given a cellular form to make it as light as possi The weight of the projectile complete was fixed at 15 lbs., and weight was saved as far as possible in all parts of the case in order that the greatest number of balls could be carried. The head was screwed into the body and fixed by two brass pins, p. The combination time and percussion fuse, f, wa screwed into the head. It was protected against injury or tampering by the .spun brass cap, b, soldered onto the head of the projectile. Theprojectile was fixed in the cartridge case as explained for the canister. Shrapnel formed 80 per cent of the ammunition supply of the U.S. Army field gun in" 1907. .

SHOT AND SHELL

By 1907 solid shot were no longer used in modern,.cannon except for target practice, at least in U.S. Army Service. Certain hollow projectiles with thick walls designed principally for the perforation of armor were denominat shot to distinguish them from shell, which name is given to thinner walled projectiles that djd not have as great a penetrative power, but carried larg bursting charges, and consequently had greater destructive effect after penetration.

The diagram shows a shell which prior to 19Q7 "were formerly made of cast iron, being: cast in one piece and subsequently, bored for the fuse. With the adoption of high explosives forjbursting charges, greater 'strength in the walls of shell

became aesirable^in' order to insure against acefidenttal .^

• 1 • explosion .of the projectile ^while in the gun. With "the V •X exception of some of the projectiles for guns of minor caliber in which black powder was used for the bursting /•: charge, all projectiles were by 1907 made of forged steel*

The diagram shows a steel shell for a 5-inch siege rifle circa 1$K>7» Steel projectiles for mountain, field and siege artillery of this period were aimilary constructed. The base of the shell was closed by a steel base plug, p, which was screwed in after the explosive charge had been packed in the projectile. The plug was bored and tapped for the base fuse, f, which when inserted was flush with the rear surface of the projectile. The wrench holes in the base pluj$^uo£ in head of fuse are filled with lead in order to make a continuous faring surf a for the copper cup, c. The cup is applied to the base of the shellto prever the powder gases in the gun from penetrating to the interior of the projectil by way of the joints of the screw threads. The edge of the. c_p;;^tj_,:_j-to tht circular undercut groove, g, and the joint there is sealed a—d jtj^te xj^ip held i place by lead wire hammered in. '<$?C!C^:f'-,•: '.'••.•

"•$^'W£;. ••-.

: ARMOR PIERCING PROJECTILES • ' . ^ ': . \ •• '.' ^gf^p-; ^-v

Armor piercing projectiles are of the same general construction ^^|fc|ie^Bteel: . shell just described^ Their distinguishing feature was a soft metal cap.;"';:> embracing the point of the projectile for the purpose of increasing /the power v of the projectile in the perforation of hard armor. . ' :-:?;v;.lA^',."/./'.. 44 A 10-inch armor piercing shot is shown in Fig. 179, and a lO-in^._*£__L':.£&• -'^ : :; ; •a* Fig. 180. . ^, v ^ •.-•'• • ]l?i~" i' ''' '- '• The AP shot had thicker walls knd head, and a less capacity for the bursting charge. The outer diameters of the two projectiles were the same, and the weight of each when, rejad^ for firings was. the same,1 6Ok pounds. To maintain

" uniformity of weigHt th'e shot was made;about UYi incheej'bho^ter, tljan the shell

'•m •• • I > ', •*•.',•• The penetrating cap was fixed to the head of the projectile by means of a circular groove, a, cut around the head of the projectile. The cap • before affixing is of the shape shown half in section and half in ele- vation in the figure between the projectiles. A shallow recess, b, was filled with graphite to lubricate the projectile y« ae it passed through the \:i cap and armor. To fasten the cap, the projectile with the cap on its point Was put in a lathe, and the excess metal at the base of the cap was mamraered into the groove of the projectile by means of pneumatic hammers. In naval projectiles the . camps were sometimes fastened on by passing Fio. 179. ^9 180. two''w£rfes'through holes •''**• . KWic Armor Piercing (''., 10-ih. Arto^ir Piercing SJ»el drilled in the cap and ' ' notches cut in the projectile. The soft steel cap increased the power of 'f • , .• f -v ' ' , x. . • • ' . ' • . JV 4 penetration to! the projectile in hard faced armor* ' ," . , 'I1,

••& THE ARMOR PIERCING SHELL & THE PENETRATING CAP

By the late 1880's the Armor Piercing (AP) Shell was developed for use against foreign warships that, by this time, were steel hulled and heavily armored. The AP Shell may look simple but it took years of research and trial to perfect it. The tip had to be hard to pierce the target while the body had to be resilient enough to withstand side-stresses during penetration. The explosii oh«rg# hml to rnnutln in«rt during tho nhook ttfarrival , 0i«> bnnn fuv.o had to wtMy lit filMG* until penetration was completed, and then ignite efficiently at the proper time.

Penetrating Caps (PC) were first proposed by a Lieut. « English of the Royal Engineers and then forgotten: i -tm They were revived by Admiral Makaroff of the Russian Navy and adopted World

/T>. wide. The penetrating cap absorbed t shock of impact, spreading itself ont the ahouldiers of the projectile, supporting the tip during initial penetration, and to some extent actually "lubricating" the passage of t\ projectile through the armor* ' I AP Shell

',*<

, When the AP Shell.'^tr.iKes the target it first deflects(.t6ward tlje plate, awa from its line of flight (far left). It then pierces ihe plajte'\(jjenter) and ,.'. then rotates to penetrate almost at right angles (right), ifc.is thi6 convol uted path which demands careful heat treatment of the shell body to prevent it shearing off. BURSTING CHAKQES IN PROJECTILES

During Fiscal Year 190C the Sandy Hook Proving Ground continued experiments upon high explosives for filling shells, including wet gun cotton thorite, jovite No. 2, cerberite, and explosives of the lydite and ammonia nitrate classes. The desired explosive was one which was safe in the gun and storage, but which was certain to detonate on impact. Many which fulfilled the first condition were known and most explosives ignited by the impact of a shell on a steel target, though the energy of the explosion varied. A compound fulfill- ing both conditions and free from all other objections was still needed*

In 1907 Lieutenant-jColonel Ormond M. Lissak, Professor of Ordnance, and the Science of Gu/inery at the United States Military Academy wrote: *3 The explosives used as bursting charges in armor piercing projectiles must have a great shattering effect in order to break the projectile into fragments and to project the •_ fragments with force; and at the same time the explosive ** * must be practically insensitive to shock, so that is will "*-, - " '• J > not be exploded by the shock of discharge in the gun or the* :- " % shock of impact on the ship's armor. The explosion of th«"y .' bursting charge of an armor piercing projectile is effected' by a detonating fuse so arranged as to cause the projectile to burst after it has perforated the armor. I

The explosives used by the various foreign nations as bursting charges in projectiles are all composed principally of picric acid or its derivatives. The French melinite, the English , " ' lyddite, the Japanese shimose powder are examples.

Some of the picrates, as the picrates of lead, calcium, ,_ mercury, and others, are more sensitive to friction and percussion than picric acid itself. In order to prevent the formation by" chemical action of any of these sensitive compounds when the • * bursting charge is^cfempoeed'*6t picric-acdyd, or of any of its. ,' .'•*j derivatives, the walls of the projectile and all metal parts that come in contact with the bursting charge are covered with a protecting coat of rubber paint.

"f • ••• • > . -v ' ' . u . '- • ',•'.• ,\ •••'.-. Thri wall^ olV the '-cavity of the shell, the base plug, and the body of the fuse ate so painted; also the screw threads pf thek base • ' plug end fuse. Red or White lead or other metal" lubr^Vant'mUstV not be used on the screw threads. ' : ...The explosives used as shell fillers are more stable under severe heat treatment than the service smokeless powders. The explosives should therefore be correspondingly safer to store in large quantities.

EXPLOSIVE D, used in our service, invented by Major Beverly W. Dunn, Ordnance Department, is safer to handle than black powder.

High explosives used as shell-fillers in 1910 consisted on gun cotton, nitroglycerine, picric acid, dynamite, explosive "D", maximite, trinitrotoluol, and blasting gelatine. Gun cotton was recommended for use for mines, torpedoes and edmolitions of all kinds. In color gun cotton varied from white to light yellow, and was usually issued in the form of compressed cakes or in pulp form. Nitroglycerine was used in the manufacture of dynamite, an accelerator for smokeless powders and for blasting purposes. Nitroglycerine was made from chemically pure ingredients, and should have the appearance of a water-white oily liquid without any odor.. • »

Picric acid was found by experiment to be too sensitive as a shell" filler for armor-piercing shell, but it was used successfully as a shell filler for field-artillery projectiles. Picric acid and it6 alts were largely used in detonating and disruptive explosives. Lyddite, melinite, shimose powder i ft and ecrasite consisted for the most part of picric acid. Picric acid crystals were long, flat and bright yellow lemon-colored. If heated suddenly-it would explode, and if added to any potassium salt formed a very sensitive explosive that had to handled with great care. The combination of picric acid with metal bases such as lead, iron and potassium made an exceedingly sensitive compound, and *'for*thi« reason great ^traW'h.ad to> be taken-Vhftn filling iron" shells -with ' picric acid or its derivatives. Of all the picrates of salts of picric add there was only one that was suitable for use as an explosive, and that* was ammonium picrate., which Unlike the metallic picratesi" was insensitive to' shock.

• 1 •• » :??. •'<; '.

In 1910 Dynamite in the military service was used as a standard explosive for submarine mines and in demolitions. Dynamite was pressed into cylinders - about 1 inch in diameter and 8 inches long. These cylinders are called sticks or cartridges, and are carefully wrapped in paraffine paper. In appearance dynamite had a light brown to. reddish-brown color and resembled brown sugar* Due to the fact that it contained nitroglycerine, which is one of the most sensitive explosives, dynamite could be exploded by friction or shock.

Explosive "D" was a picric acid derivative. It was used extensively as a shell filler, due to the fact that it was least sensitive to shock of all the explosives considered. The explosive was put in the cavity of the shell in small quantities and thoroughly tamped with either a copper or wooden tamper or mallet, until the cavity was completely filled. Explosive "D" was insensitive on impact and stood the maximum shock of discharge safely. It resembled powdered sulphur very closely in appearance.

Maximite was also a picric acid compound. It was fusible (that is, it could f°$. be melted or liquefied, whereas Explosive "D" could not be fusible) and was a suitable explosive for armor-piercing shells. It was melted when used to fill shells. It resembled explosive "D" except that it was much darker, having a light brown or buff appearance.

By 1910 Trinitrotoluol was rapidly superseding picric acid as a basis for '*. • - ; HMHHHHMHMHI . - .'••-" . . •. • • ' >• . w " • • • • •..••-• ^ .shell fillers. It was slightly less powerful than picric acid, but its main advantage was that it would not form dangerous combinations with other bodies with which it could come in contact, whereas picric acid in contact with m. certain metals forms very unstable and dangerous picrat'es.

In 1910 Blasting Gelatine was the most powerful explosive known. Its ingredients, were nitroglycerine and soluble nitrocellulose. It was stable Under hea And very insensitive* to'shock, but because this explosive was far too violent

••'••'•' ' • •' •'/ V* •'. •:•>• ' '•'-• ". .... '^fo r• many purposes, it had to be incorporated with some '.suitable batse, such as •> sodium nitrate and wood pulp, with a view of regulating the force of explosion iL It could not be used as a shell filler, and was only suitable for purposes of demolition. TYPES OF PROJECTILES FOR U.S. CANNON.

Bases StcAcns 375 Fia. 22.

By 1910 the Ordnance Department found that the best material suited for . projectiles designed tp pierce armor without breaking up on impact or changing shape was forged oil-tempered steel of special treatment and composition. The jfe;;<>-!•£ .projectiles illustrated above were in use by the U.5; Army Coast Artillery ~\^x- Corps in 1910.

ARMOR-PIERCING SHOT: Are made of forged steel with a small cavity designed primarily to facilitate the tempering and hardening process. The cavity, may_be filled with a "shell filler** consisting of a high explosive bursting^charge. They are armed with a delayed action fuse, thus permitting of the perforationc of armor plate before the bursting charge is ignited. '^ ;-

• • •"'• '. ; '-*",•• . ';' • •."• -\:; • ^ •'" ^ ARMOR-PIERCING SHELL: Are made of forged or cast-steel with a larger/cavity than that of shot. They are designed to carry a large bursting-charge of 5iigh-explosive and to attack the thinner side armor of battleships or the vertical armor of cruisers. They are also provided with a delayed action fuse. -iS, -' " . jNI? SHELL: Are ma1d«;~jpf • fprgeti or c&strGtef]. with a cavity of .about the same demensi'ohs as armoi-piercing "'shell. They are provided with a torpedo detona ing pierce fuse. v-*\ . .CAST-IRON^ SHOT: Are used exclusively f05. tests and service target practice. Thei weight and dimensions are identical with the armor-piefcing' shot. • > TORPEDO SHELL.:, Are made of forged _$teel and are designed to carry, a -very large \i* b'iuLirating charge of high explosive onto the decks of war vessels. They weigh eith . 866 or 1000 pounds, and are provided with a major-caliber base detonating fuse. COLORS FOR PROJECTILES

To distinguish the character of metal of which projectiles were made and their armor-piercing qualities, as well as the position and nature of their bursting* charge, conventional colors were prescribed for use on the exterior* \

The body color for all projectiles was to be black*

Colors to Distinguish the Character of Metal were:

Forged or Wrought Steel: Blue Gray. Cast-Steel: Warm Gray. Cast-iron: Olive Green. '..-.•'' Chilled Iron: Light Green. Brass: Light Yellow. Copper: Light Reddish-brown. ""t .

The colors above named were also used to indicate the degree of armor^piercing quality of the projectile, as well as the position of its center of gravity, the latter being essential to facilitate the raising and lowering of projectiles with

shot tongs. ' . * >"

To indicate the degree of armor-piercing quality, a greater or less portion of the head is painted with the color corresponding to the metal. The band indicating the center of gravity is also of the color corresponding to the^netal. It was one-half caliber wide and extended equally above and below the position of the center of gravity. It was also to be employed with the smaller-calibers of

projectile^ Jto indicate thc^haractex^of the metal.v ", _ 't-

Colors to Distinguish the Character of the Bursting Charge were:

"V. . • t ^ '•', Gun Cotton: White. t "bu

. On cannister, the entire body was painted black* , ,%v- *

Before these projectiles were filled with explosives they were supposed to be . coated* The cavities of cored shot, shell and shrapnel made to contain a bursting-charge of powder were coated with "Turpentine Asphaltum Varnish, best quality." Cored shot or shell which were charged with picric acid compounds " were first coated on the interior with paraffin or rubberize paint Nai» 2. The

object of these coatingsL was to prevent the generation of the sensitive ^qualit ies produced in some explosives*'when exposed "to Iron or steel, qualities "that could cause them to detonate from the slightest friction. These color scheme* and copting procedures were in u?e by the Coast Artillery Corps by 1910*

•,.'.i » ,JAeut.-Col. Lissak noted in. 1907 that "Projectiles are'-so paijue4',.,fts to indict the metal of which they are formed and the character of the 'bursting charge* greater part of the body is black. A broad colored band around the projectile over the center of gravity indicates by the color whether the projectile is of iron, cast or chiller, or of steel, cast or forged. The color of the base indicates whether the projectile is charged with powder or with high explosive. In assembled ammunition the base color is painted in a band just above the band of the projectile. The interior walla of hollow projectiles are coated with * lacquer of turpentine and aophalt for the purpose of making them smooth and of .reducing the friction between the walls and the bursting charge." . By 1907 a form of base with which good results had been obtained by the Ordnance Department wa6 in use on artillery projectiles. The metal of the shell was cut away, beginning at a short distance behind the rotating band, leaving only a narrow ring to support the band (see diagram below). In the perforation of i armor the band and the supporting ring are sheared off, thus • i relieving the projectile of the resistance due to thft greater diameter of the band. :.- -. ,

FIGURE: XIV-3 IDENTIFICATION: Hale War Rocket. FIGURE: XIV-5 IDENTIFICATION": Hale "War Jtocfc SOURCE: Bentbn. REMARKS: Introduced in JLK5. RoUtion SOURCE: Benton. REMAKKS: New type with two rotati orifices in head.' *<'•*• v, i. • , N. OnfiCM at-ctitejriOf gravity. Shell.- ''*•*' a — Bore and Vent. ',<:*"' • - V b~ Recess in base of head Hale W Rocketn were field tested along with Life^S*ving c —Tangential vents (three). ' - d — Head, solid In dm c*»e. ,BocHet« at the Sandy Hook Proving Ground in

',;•' SOURCE: Artillei2« by Curt Johnson, 2: Types of Shells Octopus Books, 1975, 1*»**pp. tep.

Gas shell: for French 75-mm field gun M-1897 This French shell was the prototype of all successful gas "shells used in World War I. The bursting charge was IIINI strung enough to crack the shell open. Too large a charge would have dispersed the gas over a wide area, rcrulcnnu it inerTce/ivc. Gas was not used in World War II. .

World War I Shell: Shrapnel This is modern shrapnel, not to be confused with spherical Case or early shrapnel, a type of shell invented by Licut- enant -Henry Sh/apnel and first used in 1804. Modern Shrapnel was developed in the 1880s and was used extensively in Word War I. It might best be described us an 1 airborne canistei' round. Shrapnel was of little use against 'field works or dispersed infantry and was soon discarded. IS x/ f'High explosive /The standard projectile for use against personnel or 'soft targets'. This shell depends primarily upon blast for crl'ect. but the shower of fine steel splinters from its casing w ill kill infantry in the open. '

HVAP: Hyper velocity armour-piercing This is a modern composite rigid armour-piercing shot considered to be about 50% more effective than standard AP» although about 60% lighter because of the aluminium sheath. It is really a sabot-type round in which the sheath (sabot) disintegrates when the projectile strikes the target. Only the hard tungsten carbide core penetrates. H\ \1* was the standard Aground fo/Gcrlich AT euns. **'*• •* . i. j

-HEAT: High explosive anti-tank •w- This shell'utilizes a physical priTiviplVt«>1M5netrjtc aii-.nur

%that was discovered by the American erigin^er Mnnnur (the Sipnroe* ^effect)., VXTicn the shell strikes the target- the jJ»o.ped charge is detonated by the base fuse and hecumet a { hot flame which, because of the slupc of the ch.irge, .burst forward in a thin jet and literally sear its »a\ through armour. ARTILLERY SHELLS AM) OTHER ORDNANCE FOUND AT THE SANDY HOOK UNIT OF GATEWAY NATIONAL RECREATION AREA

Written by Tom Hoffman, Park Technician, Historian, Sandy Hook Unit, Gateway _ I N.R.A., Box V57, Highlands, New Jersey 07732.

Since Sandy Hook came under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service I have seen or heard from other rangers that a number of artillery shells and 'other ordnance have been found b.y park personnel (including myself) and visitor.1 This section of my report detailn what type of ordnance hus been found at certain locations in the park from December 27, 1975* to June 27 « '1979- The numbers at the beginning of each incident paragraph correspond with those locat: marked on the accompaning three section1 detail map of Sandy Hook.

1) On December 27, 1975, ten World War Two era rifle gernades were found on Plum Island by visitors. Ranger personnel called the 5^th Explosive .Ordnanc Detachment (EOD) at Fort Monraouth, New Jersey, 07703 (201-532-1655 and 532- 3538), who picked them up at the park and disposed of then.

2) On Wednesday, May 5, 1976, a Bell Telephone work crew, digging a two-foot' deep ditch for an underground telephone wire, uncovered old artillery shells The projectiles were found on the east side of building #125 and^opposite , building #125's southeast corner, at distances of about 15 to 2Gyai*ds. Three 8-inch, one 5-inch and two 10-inch shells were recovered. The"three 8-inch and one 10-inch shells were tested by the EOD from Fort Monmouth and later returned to the park. The other two shells, upon being tested, "blew up at the Army range located at Fort Dix. -*' The rotating band of the 5-inch shell had rifling groove marks "on it which •indicated it had been fired. The other shells all had smooth rotating tandt indicating that they had not'-been fired. The Shells w.ereAapLl oblong '.vith pointed noses and fused at the base. The 8-inch shells were about 22-inchef long, the 5,-inch shell about IJJ4 inches in lengthg,, and the 2 10-inch shells about 16-incTfes 3s6n3s6ng.g * ' • •• '' {' . , , A local .historian told me that he had once seen an o^d army* mikp!«.that. marked the area that these shells were found in (today a sodded open field) as a "dumping ground." A two-story, wood-frame building, which was built to replace the loss of the first Ordnance Office Building that burned down in 1889, Stood in this open area for many years but is no longer standing*

3) On Monday, May 2*t, 1976, a park visitor found a 90mm (3#-inch) artillery shell in the fresh water marsh located about 'tOO yards northwest of the South Beach Parking Area. To get to this marsh, take the old dirt Jeep „ trail that branches off the north side shoulder of the gravel road leading to South Beach. It in the dirt trull Xocutoil juat before and went Of the western-most machine gun emplacement (pill-box), which is also located on the north side of the South Beach gravel road. The shell was about 8 to 9

inches in length, and was picked up by the Fort Monrnouth GOD. :>

h) "In June of 1976 I was a U.S. Coastguard construction crew digging a shalloi ditch along the north side of Canfield Road (located between Kearney Road and Hartshorne Drive) when they unearthed a "Torpedo Shell" (see illustrati and description ifnder "Types of projectiles for U.S. Cannon");, 'ctrheaheli lacked a base' fuse, the fuse hole being empty. It was an oblong pointed, nose chell about four feet long. It's ultimate fate is not pri6aeatiy.known to me, but it was probably removed by the 5**th BOD from Ft. MonraoutJiv :*. : \ m 5) On Monday, March 11*, 1977, a park visitor discovered a rusted unexploded 12 inch shell, lying exposed on the sand dunes*100 feet north of the South Beae Parking Area. The projectile was removed by the Ft. Monoouth EOD unit.

6) On Wednesday, March 16, 1977, Park Technician Ed Rezetko found* a 5-ihch sh« lying exposed on the eroding sand dunes about 30yards south of the South Beuch Parking Area. It was oblong, heavily rusted, and the rotating band «,had* r^,filing groove maslta which indicate the-shell was a fired roujid. The

Ft. Mor.mouth EOD unit removed the shell. " : ; * . :

7) On ^Monday;,t April-;i8v. 1977, I found two ' 3-inch anti-aircraft shells atop Battery Arrowsmith. I was taking pictures of 'the N/ci. 5.8-inch' disappear in g_un emplacement for the park- slide files when I noticed tfyat Vbneone had u earthed two shells and left their, lying on the sand next to the No. 2 anti- aircraft gun emplacement atop the battery (To guard against air attack two 3-inch anti-aircraft guns were mounted atop Battery Arrowsmith around 1921 Both shells were oblong with pointed noaee and fused in the base; one fuse was dated 1922. One shell's rotating band hud rifling groove, marka while th« other had a smooth rotating band. Evidently, someone had been using a metal detector at this site, located and dug up the shells down in the sand, but then prudentij left them next to the shallow hole from which they were dug out of^ Ft. Monmou't BOD picked up the shells for disposal.

8) On Saturday, May 7, 1977I H"y rcouir; found n 7S'mm (3-inch) nhell "in the North Beach Area," This projectile wan brought to the ranger station later picked up by the Fort Monmouth BOD unit.

9) On Saturday, May 21, 1977, A park -visitor found an oblong pointed nose artillery projectile on the west side, shore of Plum Islands It was a 12- .»•' inch round measuring 30-inches long encrusted with rust with no evidence of a fuse in the base. It appeared to be missing it's rotating band, which .. might have broken off when the projectile was fired, or it might have been surplus ordnance disposed of by burial by the U.S. Army long ago. "Ft. Konmouth BOD picked up the shell for disposal. . ../ , 4 • •/

10) On Sunday, February 12, 1978, park visitor Krs.'!Nora Higbee of Highlands found a U-inch artillery shell while walking along the beach due east of the north fence of the missile site. The'shell was found about 10 feet above the low water nark on the beach and was about i8rinches long. It was encrusted in rust and it's rotating band had rifling groove marks. The Ft. Monmouth EOD picked up the shell for disposal.

11) On Wednesday, May 10, ,1978, two young men found a 3-inch (75frt) furtij.lery shill' £ bout 100 feet\»p*pofei4e '£he south sifle^ 6f the 'dirt road ^^deadjs from the ocean beach to the ranger station, Bid. No. **70 (Thii$,roa

y'4 During the Summer of 1978 a local newspaper ran a picture of a young man posing with a 6-inch artillery shell that he "found at Sandy Hook." I didn't get to see this picture but I vuo told about it. Not a few months later I happened to be talking to one of the soldiers of the Ft. Monmouth BOD who waa visiting the park on his time off. I brought up the subject of this picture :

* - • and the soldier said that the way he understood the story the young man found the shell on Sandy Hook, took it home and called the local newspaper to get his picture taken and then brought the r>hell over to Ft. Monmouth. For my information, I was told that wheii the EOD took this shell to Fort Dix it blew up when they tested it on their ordnance disposal range.

12) On Saturday, January 27, 1979, a park visitor reported to Park Technician . Howard Hayden that he had found two artillery shells on the beach northeast of the South Beach Parking Area. Two 5-inch artillery shells were -found to have been uncovered by ocean wave action lying in the sand. Both were encrusted in rust, were oblong with pointed noses.and their rotating bands had rifling groove marks. About 30 yards north up the beach Park Technician Hayden discovered the top of what appeared to be a large round cannonball protruding up out of the sand. I dug around the object with a shovel to unearth a rust encrusted 15-inch Rodman Gun type cannonball. After the two 5-inch shells were removed, the Ft. Monmoutn EOD secured permission to test the cannonball on the beach with a -shape charge* The area was cleared and the shape charge fired, which knocked all the rust of! the cannonball tha,t left a perfectly round, smooth surfaced, 15-inch diameter solid shot cannonball weighing ^0 pounds (along with a'2-inch deep hole into the ball from the sharpe charge blast). The cannonball is~nov part of the Sandy Hook Museur. collection. ,

13) On Friday, Karch 2, 1979, Young Adult Conservation Corps* (YACCJ Work Leader John Colberg discovered an ordnance round in Building T-167 (a wood-frame

War. Two Officers^ Barracks) *u The .round consisted, of an. elongated sphere, approximately 6 inches long»and 3 inches in, 'diameter fct the widest spot, with a .1 inch diameter, cylinder extending about 12 jjnchVfl from the I " sphere's base. The cylinder had five fins on the opposite end of the •:| f sphere. The Ft. Monmouth EOD identified the round as a 2.36-inch anti- tank (Bazooka) shell. The EOD disposed of the round, which Mr. Colberg had found in the space under the north side central staircase landing leading 1*0 On Saturday, March 31, 1979, Park employee Arthur Robertson (Maintenance Division) discovered a spherical metal object about 6-inches in diameter, _ partially buried in the sand on the north side beach of the Horseshoe Cove peninnuln about 100 feet went of the southbound laneo of Hartahorne Drive, The Ft. Morunouth MOD crime out and removed the heavily rust-encruated object, The EOD later reported th/it. the object wan a 12-pounder solid shot cannon- boll.

15) On Tuesday, Kay 1, 1979, Maintenance Supervisor Joe Boyle and Maintenance . Division Carpenter Lou Hanson found a 3-inch Artillery shell in the dirt under the old wooden porch they had removed on the north side .of Bid. #3^. . The.projectile was only about 7 inohes long, the nose appeared to have a small fuse in it, and the base of the shell was rounded. The Ft. Monroouth JXDD picked up the shell and later reported that is was a "solid bolt," with no explosive chamber or charge inside of it. The shell resembled a T) Civil War ear 3*-inch Hotchkiss shell minus it's lead rotating band around the center of the shell. : .

16) On Saturday, May 12, 1979, a park visitor brought a 7-iiich artfillery shell (weighing about 100 pounds) to the front desk of the Spermaceti Cove Visit? Center. The shell wae found by the visitor in the back dune area aouth of '•'. the South Beach Parking Area and behind (south of) the easternmost "igloo" type TNT storage bunker that was built in 1938. The shell was in very gooc condition, was oblong with a pointed nose, a fuse in it's bas^;, and it's rotating band had rifling groove marks. The visitor spotted the fcase of the shell sticking out of a dune and carried it into the Visitor Center. Park Technicians Vidal Martinez and Howard Hayden removed the ahell^;out- side 'to the rear of the'"bu&dinc where it vafei later picked u£"r1tiy,'the Ft.- Konmouth EOD. ••' " V^."/.'vT :'•••

"V. •17) On Friday,' ffunev'1,-1979 , two young' men found prdnance'.not % qf, a aile nort

•' • ' • ••* ••.'' ,j of the ,South Beach Parking. Area on the beach. Fo'uhd were.' \ U A) Ttte bases' of two 3~inch shrapnel shells. r '• B) A 3-inch iron canister shell (much like the one displayed at the Sperm- aceti Cove Visitor Center). ' - ••••"<•!

•<.» C) A 2-inch oblong pointed nose artillery shell which did hot appear to have a base fuse. D) A heavily encrusted 5-inch artillery shell, oblong with pointed nose <

: rotating band that had rifling groove marks. A base fuse could not b< discerned at the time of discovery. E) An odd-looking and probably experimental projectile that had a round cylinder body about 2 to J feet long with u round warhead nnd 6 fins at the rear of the cylinder body. Sticking out from the rear of the main cylinder body was another shorter cylinder body that was also em in diameter. It vaguely resembled a World War II era "hedgehog" type depth charge. The Ft. Monmouth EOD picked up this ordnance for dispo*

38) On Wednesday, June 27, 1979, a construction crew was laying in a pipeline oh the northeast side shoulder of Atlantic Drive (and opposite - west of Battery Gunnison's south - No. 1 - gun emplacement) when their back hoe machine unearthed thwo shells, one 7-inch and one 6-inch, which appeared have been buried side by rdde. They were oblong with pointed noses, cov« with rust, and located about 2 feet down in the construction ditch* Shoj thereafter, two more similar 6-inch shells were discovered||iried side-bj side further along (to the west) along the northeast ahoulSer; curve of Altantio Drive. The shells did not appear to have rotating^ bandUs, which . seemed to be missing, nnd they appeared.not to have base fuaeo. The For1 Monmouth EOD removed the shells for disposal.

MISCELLANEOUS '> : :2, '••' ••' A

During May and June of 1977 a construction crew dug k to 6 foot deep ditches for a sewerage pipe line through the North Beach Area. I have, heard. JUri-cqnfi reports from Sandy Hook Unit park personnel that, artillery shells were-found during $h>e excavation wbrk*. t. .., '^ - ^ g \' ' • .• •' > \;: During the demolition of the old Quartermaster Wharf (in the Coast Guard Dock in the Spring of 1979 artillery projectiles were said to have been found down, the water around and under the old dock. . ;- Ther£ are two locations -on Sandy, Hook that appear' to "be .artillery shell "crat holes: one is-located atop the old dune.ridge northwest of the South Beach Pa: Area near and just •'south of the Scotch Pine Grove, th'e otfter m^gh/^ be a shell crater and.is in the Holly Forest and referred to by the park staff as the "nv pit." • ' : , " ' Past Post Commander Lt.-Col. Jack Pearce, Ret'd., informed me that in the ear! 197C1s a 15-inch Rodman Gun type cannonball vas found at South Beach. I have personally hiked through the back dune area north from South Beach to North o. North Beach and have come across, both chell fragements and shrapnel balls. •-. »•••*' SAFETY PROCEDURES WHEN DEALING WITH OKDNANCE

Usually it is a park visitor (ie. beachcomber, fisherman, boy scouts, etc*) who come across old artillery shells or other ordnance on the beach or in dune areas. Incredibly, some visitors will want to keep and take artillery shells home with them as souvenirs, but this is strictly forbidden because there is no way of knowing whether or not the ordnance is "alive." Take , for example the latest tragic incident that occured at Fort Dix, New Jersey, in June of 1979* A group of National Guardsmen from New York City had finished firing their weapons on a firing range when one of them spotted a 3.5-inch anti-tank round laying nearby. He picked up the shell and put it in his knapsack. When this soldier returned to his tent he dropped bis ' / knapsaqk to the ground and it turned out to be the last thing he ever did*

Vii,. • •. • . ')%.' '.;'•: .;,".;• -.•]!'•.•••.'"

Two soldiers died and four or five were wounded. One of the wounded-men/;.* ;. -,v later explained that the soldier who had picked up the round ^tfiought^it^w^t^ /§£^\a dud." What was the soldier planning to do with the round when he ^pt |t^ • '

••? vfc':» • * '-...-.• ., -, •; :. •;.<•--. .^-u\^^cr ••;,. ,- ^ home?: "He was going to make a lamp shade stand out of it." An Inc^j^ib^fr ; ; ' , but true, and Ead, story, because we should all know better! Remembe^':it£'''V>

i 1 ••- ' • ' ' • • - • »-. ..,'••'.'. .'•••j-;V'i'--:'".'V'." ,--j.! r\!''! always the •"duds" that go off. . , ' ' •' •' ..•;.•" '.^:M'i^h'$:^:''y'•.:••'

.'••• •'••'-'%.. • '"•'• ••" .-: •• 1 •':& IKillW .Hopefully, a person or persons who find ordnance at the park will le^yerit.;. .< >• where found and not attempt to move it. They should report their findvC»)'sl:^-:^

to the Ranger Station (Bl^i. 470) in person and give the ranger on d^t^"t^;v ?-'t * following information: ' v^^y'",1 ^

1 ,. • .'•• • • .'•••• "-• ^v s' ••-•'•••-• •-V' '-.'-"-" 1)-The exact location of the ordnance: If at all possible have rthe person .\.v;' wha finds any ordnance accompany rangers back to the .location of dipcoyery. : This can save valuable tine in lbcating ordnance instead of wasting"tiae-:•]''-i^' •'•'• -,i"' ' ••• -i '" ; .-..' looking "on the beach" or "near the bunker" where the visitor SAID it wats; ,.;• -" ," , found !,»If the, person, cannqt accorapany^a ranger to the location pt;ordnance ask the person to naiHe a reference pointior specific landmark (^e*'the Visitor

vC,enter,.'South .Beach, Battery Gurtnison, etc.) which mighf be nei^r tfte location 6f discovery. From here it is a matter of which direction to go, and I have personally found that people in general cannot tell direction fro- a reference point, even at Sandy Hock I I've used a sixple approach to solve this probler.: Since most ordnance is found on or near the beach aBk the person iff from a given reference point, they walked UP the beach (which would have to be north), or if they walked DOWN the beach (which would have to bp south). Better still, to determine the direction to go in from a reference point, ask the person if while facing the ocean which way they went, left or right, and thijs simplifies whether the direction is north or south.

Once you start out in the right direction be on the lookout for the ordnance. Try to find out from the finder whether it was on the beach near the water, up on the beach far from the water, up on a sand dune, back behind a sand dune in vegetation, etc. Something interesting to remember is the fact that what ii presently ocean beach and dunes was back-dune areas that were once hundreds of yards f^om the beach 50, 60, 70 or more .years ago when the Ordnance froving Ground was in operation at Sandy Hook. Hence, artillery shells found on the beaches or dunes have not washed up,but rather out of eroding sec%ions'.of ; Sandy Hook. It is visually wind and wave erosion action that uncovers ordnance

2) It'is important to obtain a description of the ordnance found, \3jicluding the diameter of the artillery shell at it's base (if it's an ojblpng shell), along with the length of the shell. This information proyes valuable to the 54th Explosive Ordnance Detachment Dispatcher at Fort Moni^tttfe, New • Jersey, 07705 (201-552-1655 and 532-3538).' \T'•' ^;-r

i : 3) Part of the description of the ordnance found is it's appe;araJic««,:'.;.is, -'i ti':;:;;. encrusted in rust or relatively clean, is it oblong or round, ;a%out,how ; heavy is it, is the rotating band near the base of the sli^il intact showing rifling groove marks (which indicates that the shell has peea^fijsed), and "'do'efe thfe shell or cann^TAball.. hav> a fuse?, -^These' are' imp'pr^tant^^iljthings to/r 4 notice, if possible, and tel"• l'• th• e Ordnanc• e Detachmen* ' , t .•" VDispatche .; •;&;*' , r• '•'' so' that/ their personnel will have some definite knowledge about the ordnance when

f 'f • ./ • f -s ' L. • • - • •' ' . they arrive J:o deal .with it. ' ' ,.• • f- *•.,.-, » .,' • • .s 1 > • • ••.: ' ., .;*. .:• 4) When ordnance is located doriH try to move or tamper with 4t or "clean it . s—>. off." (See accompaning Ordnance Safety Memo dated June 20, 1979* detailing ••' recovery and safety procedures). * A 7615 June 20, 1979 Assistant Superintendent, SHU Ordnance Safety k .» I Deputy Superintendent, GATE v ••:••. v-

Unexpioded ordnance 1s not a new problem at Sandy Hook," and the park staffv, currently has standard operating procedures for dealing with such ordnance. When ordnance Is found, the following procedures are Implemented: ^ »• 1. The area Is Immediately closed to the public, incl«dl'ii'"tl»*parl:..';S'c:v staff. A park ranger 1s assigned to maintain a watch over the «fâncc..-'.v-^V;:>- from a>safe distance/preventing ot^r. people from straying closttpît^^J/T *' 2. The 54th Explosive Ordnance Disposal ttetactrohVÊODp^ New Jersey, 1s notified Immediately.. .. r^ <._M^_ •» ^^t^'' "'•.'„.'S 3.' The beaches, trails, roads, structures, and other areas surrounding rf: the discovery area are cleared of people and secured. The distance cleared .':; '-•:\t a minimum of 400 yeards from the discovery site, per instructipnS^lof^^theî Fort Mpnmouth EOD. ' • • • ''V.....,- -v;:-'' ;;-.';:.- [Wcî^^Mri 4/ Fort Monmouth EOD removes the Item from the park to a secut^'area at ;• j, Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, for examination or detonation. If EODîbelteyes '?^>- It Is too dangerous to move, they may detonate 1t In place. Part JRangers follow EOD Insturctions for area evacuation In these cases. -•;;. ' ^/,;'¥f^-:'i::S:: / : *ia 5. A Case-Incident Report Is prepared, detailing the date, '"timf.a\nd"•• ">Tj;y location t»f the'discovery; the type of ordnance* If known; indi,tl|ff.^Betiipi|'-o.f;ivi disposal. "'• v - .- •• " • . • :•: •;;:• '•:••..'-v-''•''•• y.^-M^l--^/:/' >« .^î ••*<. The beach clean-up crews of the Maintenance Division traverse all active beach and dune areas dally. They have been alerted to the poss1b1l1ty-ofôrdnance* being exposed and have been Informed of the great variety of-shapesrtt may have Upon the discovery of the ordnance, these crews Immediately clear and securerth area-and notify the Ranger Station.. ^ .%';. ,'.; ; >?"'• :/g."y;;i W^:^"- The current potHferut Ion of signs at the park entrance would make a sign "about ordnance Ineffective. Rather, we will Install sigga at points-where-v1s1torsv enter the shell-Impact area. The foil wolng 1s-a draft sign proposal:

'WARNING: IMPACT ZONE '• !< This area was an impact.zpne for niHtary "i explosives for over 45 years. These Items are extremely dangerous. If any suspect object Is found or discovered, contact Park personnel immediately. Do not fry to move or A 7615 June 20, 1979 P 2

a'dopteIf thids bwordinge stapl. eI san nod tt oadequate the'point, I. would suggest that whatever language Is .

Park Technician Fred Harmon has contacted Lt. Hoore, Coamander of the Fort :-%. Momaouth tOO. She has agreed to conduct a survey of all active beach and dune . areas to determine the best method for an Insediate temporary clearance of --' ordnance. This survey 1s scheduled for Wednesday.. June 20. 1979, {this survey was conducted today and It. Moore will i>e forwarding .her findings).'"^^g'^'.j Coordination with nllitary E00 units will continue to determine the best procedures for sub-surface* clearance of areas slated for construction. Such clearance ray be prohibitively expensive jpd nay cause extensive daaage'1 to surface natural resources.,-Further. Infoirotlonforthcoia1n5*fi^>^'

.,Morgan^ SnLES/H0RCy«l^cn :'

-'*

• •••~-.fi- - = ,,,. t,

• ! _ t' .•

'.-•: r.1* Illustrated to the left is an oblong, pointed nose artillery shell, which is the type commonly found at Sandy Hook with base (rear) diameters measuring from 2 to 16 inches, and lengths of 1'tb V feet*

A smooth copper, brass or lead rotating band wrappe around the base of the shell expanded into the fspiral grooves of the cannon bore to impart spinnir immediately after firing. Rifled cannon using elongated, pointed projectiles ensured their flight point first with great increase in range and accura If the rotating band of a shell is smooth it usuall indicates that it hasn't been fired, fet.lf It is marked with rifling grooves it is a good indicatior that it has been fired!, ^VuTv*" *-./'

Many of these Post-Civil War era artillery shells of the 187^-191$ period .were wVH ••' $jj designed to pierce armor plating on warships, hence the fuses that-detonated the shells were screwed into the base and not into the nose. These 'base fuses

• ••; • > >. s were made of brass and were sometimes marked where and.when made»t>,JtJnder any circumstances do not attempt to remove a fuce, from an artillery projectile. This will almost certainly ignite the explosive charge within and blow-up the

For the sake of expediency the Army EOD at Fort Monmouth uses a ^»»all- \ -shape charge to determine whether or not artillery shells are "alive"*or ?dud;M When detonated, the shape charge breaks through the walJL of thePsiiell wnd, if the explosive inside the projectile is active, €ill explode and "destroy the round.. If the explosive inside the projectile has.'leached out over the "year* the charge will usually blast a,email hole into th,e shell and creak it open, • leaving the round Relatively intact. ' . • • • i1' -. . " < • l -, * •

»:••

.••'•-"" •-. ^•""ULC'-''•''*; .'-''t'••••'

&-J § Spermaceti Cole Visitor Center (built in I89p as Spermaceti Cox No. 2 U.S. Lijfe-Saving Station)

Impact area If 3»?5 mil* rang* I 1897

End of seafalaf l (July < ^979) I FisherraansyParking Area II

•••.'• . A

•••••.•' • '•':.' ..i '.wf.it' •".-.•.; '""**- *."' '••'••fr;

••• -^r--;:. '•• :*"'&'•• '^.'.j'^'t-J?'

*« •••

,•?•-•' i ar.^""*" In the old smooth bore cannon round cast iron shot and shell of diameter nearl equal to the caliber of the gun were used. The shrapnel Bhells, like the oblong pointed-nose projectiles Inter used, contained fuses to ignite the explosive charge within. In its first form shrapnel contained a number of lead balls with loose powder in the interstices. The walls of the shell were made thick to resist deformation by the movement of the contained balls. In its later forms (see illustrations below) the spaces between the balls were filled with melted sulphur, and a chamber for the bursting charge was provided as shown. By this arrangement the walls were no longer subject to the impact from the loose balls, and therefore could be made thinner, thus providing room for a greater number of bullets. Therconfining of the bursting charge in a chamber.made its explosive effect greater and permitted a reduction in its weight.

; *

t _