TEXT-BOOK OF ORDNANCE AND GUNNERY REVISED AND ARRANGED FOR THE USE OF MIDSHIPMEN AT THE U. S. NAVAL ACADEMY BY Lieut.-Commander WILLIAM F. FULLAM, U. S. Navy AND Lieutenant THOMAS C. HART, U. S. Navy ANNAPOLIS, MD. THE UNITED STATES NAVAL INSTITUTE 190 3 COPYRIGHT, 1899, BY u. S. NAVA L INSTlTUT6 COPYRIGHTl 1903, BY P. R. ALGER Secretary and Treasurer, U. S. Naval Institute ~~¢ 20rb ~dftimort (puss 'I'Ht-: FRIEOENWAT.O COMPANY RAL'I'IMORI:!:, MD., U. S , A. PREFACE The last edition of Ingersoll's Text-Book of Ordnance and Gunnery (which has been the standard in the Navy for many years) having been exhausted, and the author not being in a posi­ tion to revise the work, this volume has been prepared to meet the demands of the Naval Academy as well as the service at large. In preparing this work, Ingersoll's Text-Book and various offi­ cial and standard publications have been consulted, and, with a view to bringing the book as nearly up to date as possible, only modern service materials and methods have been described in full. Chapter I, on "Metals, Gun Forgings and Manufacture of Armor Plate," was prepared with the assistance of Lieutenant Henry F. Bryan, U. S. Navy, Inspector of Ordnance. The plates and some of the data for this chapter were obtained through the courtesy of Edward M. McIlvain, Esq., President of the Bethfe­ hem Steel Company. Chapters XXIV, on " Gunpowder," and XXXI, on " The Prov­ ing Ground," were prepared by Lieutenant Joseph Strauss, U. S. Navy. Chapters XXIX and XXX, on "Armor Protection for Ships and Guns," and "Penetration of Projectiles," respectively, were prepared by Lieutenant Cleland Davis, U. S. Navy. Chapter XXXIV, on " Practical Naval Gunnery," was prepared by Lieutenant-Commander William S. Sims, U. S. Navy, and Lieutenant Ridley McLean, U. S. Navy. The official publications and pamphlets issued by the Bureau of Ordnance and edited by Lieutenant F. K. Hill, U. S. Navy, . and Lieutenant William C. Watts, U. S. Navy, have been freely consulted with the permission of the Bureau, and the editors are indebted to Lieutenants V. O. Chase and F. K. Hill, of the Bureau of Ordnance for much valuable information and assistance. The following named officers, on duty at the \Vashington Navy IV PREFACE Yard, have greatly assisted the editors by furnishing material and all necessary information relating to the most recent work at the Naval Gun Factory: Lieutenant-Commander John H. Shipley, U. S. Navy. Lieutenant Horace W. Jones, U. S. Navy. Lieutenant William D. MacDougall, U. S. Navy. Lieutenant Joseph W. Graeme, U. S. Navy. Lieutenant Willis McDowell, U. S. Navy. Lieutenant Victor S. Houston, U. S. Navy. The Naval Institute Proceedings, the Publications of the Office of Naval Intelligence, and the articles on Ordnance, by Professor P. R. Alger, U. S. Navy, have also been consulted. WM. F. FULLAM, Lieut.-Comdr., U. S. Navy. T. C. HART, Lieutenant, U. S. Navy. NAVAL ACADEMY, Annapolis, Md., October, 1903. CONTENTS CHAPTER 1. PAGE METALS, GUN FORGINGS AND MANUFACTURE OF ARMOR PLATE ... .....• 1. Definitions.-z. Physical Properties of Metals.-3. Elasticity, etc.-4. The Most Necessary Qualities for Gun Metals.-s. Bronze.-6. Cast Iron.-7. Wrought Iroll.-8. Cast Stee1.-9. Forged Stee1.-ro. Temper.-II. Characteristics of Stee1.-12. Definition of Stee1.-I3. Processes of Obtaining Cast Stee1.-14. High and Low Stee1.-IS. Nickel Steel. GUN FORGINGS •••••.••••.•••••••••••••••••••••.. ••••.•.••••..••.• 8 16. The Open Hearth Process.-I7. The Regenerative Gas Fur­ nace.-I8. Carbon.-I9. The Siemens Regenerative Gas Fur- nace.-20. Casting the Ingot.-2I., The Flask.-22. Fluid Com­ pression.-23. Defects of Ingots.-24. The Discard.-2S. The Mandrel.·-z6. Forging.-z7. Reduction of Cross Section by Forging.-z8. Annealing.·-·29. Tempering.-30. Process of Tempering.-3I. The Oil Bath.-32. Re-annealing.-33. Speci­ mens for Testing.·-34. Recapitulation of Processes.-35. Ef­ fects of Tempering and Annealing.-36. Testing Metals.-37. Testing Machine.-38. Comparative Strength of Forgings.- 39-47· Inspection of Forgings.-48-57. Tests and Acceptance. ~ . MANUFACTURE OF ARMOR PLATE. " ••..•.•. " •.• ... ..• •. ... ... ... ••• 22 58. Modern Armor.-59. Face-hardened Armor.-60. Harvey Armor.· -QI. Krupp Armor.--62. Manufacture of Armor.- 63-64. Casting the Ingot.-65. Forging.-66. Forging Press.--67. Process of Forging.-6.'3. Carbonizing, Harvey Process.--6g. The Dry Carbon Furnace.-70. The Krupp Process.-7I. The Gas Carbon Furnace.-72. Depth of Carbonization.-73. Treat­ ment after Carbonization.-74. Oil Tempering.-75. Anneal­ ing.--76. Machine Work.-77. Bending.--78. The Bending Pl-ess.--79. The Bending Process.-80. Spraying.-8I. Speci­ ncations and Tests.-82. !vIanufacture and Chemical Analy­ sis.-83. Processes.-84. Tests for Uniformity.-8S. Rectifying Curvature. CHAPTER II. NAVAL RIFLED GUNS ..•• ••. •.•... ••. • - .••••.. • • - • . • . • . • . • . • •. 35 I-ro. Definitions.-II. Object of Rifling_--I2. Manner in which Rotation is given.--I3-IS. Definitions of Twist.-16. Forms of Grooves.--17. Driving Side of Groove.-I8. Uniform com­ pared with Increasing Twist.-I9. Windage.-20-24. Classes of Guns 011 board Ship.--2S. Field Guns.-26. Small Arms.- 27. Boat GU11S.-28. Top Guns.-29. Minor Calibre Guns.- 30-41. Definitions and Names of Types of Guns.-42. Desig­ nation of Guns.-43. High Powered Guns.-44. Increase of Power since 1879.-4S. Practical Questions in Gun Construc­ tion.-46. Principles of Varying Elasticities.-47. Principle of Vi CONTENTS PAGE Initial Tensions.-48. Shrinkage.-49. Thickness of Walls.­ So. Built-up Guns.-sI. Building-up Secondary GUIlS ·-S2. \Vire-wound Guns.-53. Foreign Wire-wound Guns.-54. Nickel Steel v. Wire Windiug. CHAPTER III. CONSTRUCTION OF NAVAL G UNS..... .. .... ... ....... ...•. ...... .. .• 55 1. General Features of Main Battery Guns.-2. Recent and Future Changes in Gun C0l1struction.·-3. Gun Forgings.-4. Receipt of Forgings.-s. Assignment of Shrinkages.--6. Rough Boring and Turning Forgings.-7. Machining the Jacket.-8. Shrink­ age Sheet.-g. Boring and Turning the 'fube.-1O. Balance Rod for Testing Long T ubes.--II. Preparations to Assemble JackeL·-Iz. E xpanding the Jacket.-I3. Hot-air Furnace for Jackets.-I4. Shrinking on the Jacket.-IS. Stargauging Tube for Jacket Compression.-I6. Boring HOOpS.-I7. Assembling HOOpS.-I8. The Jacket HOOpS.-I9. Finish Boring.-20. Fin­ ishing the Outside.-zI. Chambering.-zz. Threading Screw Box.-23. Stargauging after Finish-Boring and Chamber­ ing.-24. Slotting Screw BOX.-2S. Rifling.-26. Rifling Ma­ chine.-27. Rifling Bar.-28. Guide P late.-29. Rifling Head.- 30. Method of Rifling.-31. Lapping the Bore.-32. Toler­ ances.-33. Stargauging and Calipering for Shrinkage Sur­ faces.-34, Fitting the Breech Mechanism.-3S. Method of Chasing the W elin Threac\.-36. Elevating Band.-37. Center vf GravitY.-38. Weight.- 39. Rece!1t Designs- Mark VI, 50- calibre 6-inch Guns.-40. Latest 6-inch Gun.-4I. New 7-inch GUl1.-42. Latest 8-inch, JO .. inch anel I2-inch Guns.-43. Table of Elements. CHAPTER IV. BREECH MECHANISMS . .................. .. ....... .... .... .. ... 84 1. Definition of Breech Mechanism.-2. Requirements for a Breech Mechanism.-3-4. Breech Block.-5. Systems of Breech Blocks in U. S. Naval Guns.--6. Interrupted Screw Systems.-7. Slid­ ing Wedge System.-8. Rotary Block System.-g. Combined Rotary and Sliding Wedge.-IO. Conical Spiral Thread Sys­ tem.-II. Sliding and Turnbolt Systems.-I2. Special Ferma­ ture.s.--I3. Systems of Operating Breech Mechanisms.-I4. Distinction between Ordinary and Quick-acting Breech Mech­ anism.-I5-I8. Types of the Ord i n ~.ry System.-I9. Types of Quick-acting System.-20-2.T. The Gas Check.-22. Broadwell Ring.-23. De Bange Gas Check.-24. Details of De Bange Check.-2S. Adjustment of De Bange Check.-26. The Cart­ ridge Case as a Gas Check.-27. Cup Gas Check.-28. Method of Operating Quick-acting Breech Mechanism.- 29. Designa­ tion of Breech Mechanisms.-30. Names of Mechanisms in U. S. NavY.-3I. Nordenfeldt Rapid-fire Systcm.-32. Haeseler System. CHAPTER V. I2-INCH BREECH MECHANI SM MARK VI. ... ... ... " " . .............. 102 I. Breechhlock.-2. Operating gear.-3. British "Vickers" Mech­ anism.-4. Mark VIII Firing Lock. CONTENTS Vll CHAPTER VI. PAGE BREECH MECHANISMS FOR QUICK-FIRING GUNS ................ ...... ro6 I. Cartridge Cases as Gas Checks, CtC.-2. General Features.­ ,). The Breechblock.-4. The Carrier.-s. The Operating Gear.-6. The Loading TraY.-7. Operation of the Mechan­ ism.-8. The Firing Lock.-9. Safety. CHAPTER VII. THE DASHiELL BREECH MECHANIS ~1. .. .. ..••..•...•.•......•.•..• II3 I. General Features.-:2. The Breechblock.-3-4. The Collar and Plug Tray.-:-s. The Tray Latch.-6. Operating Gear.-7. The Extractor.-8. The Percussion Firing Mechanism.~. The Elec­ tric :Firing Mechanism.-ro. The Action of the Mechanism.­ II. Closing.-I2. Safety.-·I3. Notes on the Manipulation. CHAPTER VIII. THE FLETCHER BREECH MECHANISM................................. 122 1. General Features.-2. The Breechblock.-3. The Carrier Ring.- 4. The Locking Device.-5. The Operating Lever.-6. The Extractor.-7. Operation of the Mechanism-Opening.-9. Closing.·-Io. The Electric Firing Mechanis111.-I1. The Per­ cussion Firing Mechanism. CHAPTER IX. MARK VI MECHANISM FOR RAPID-FIRE GUNS .......... ........ .. I29 . 1. General Features.-2. The Breech Plug.-3. The Carrier Ring.- 4. The Operating Gear.-s. The Firing Mechanism.-6. The Extractor.-7. The Action of the Mechanism.--8. Points of Safety. 3-INCH R. F. BREECH MECHANISM·S .. ......................... .... 9. Genera1.-ro. 3-inch Breech Mechanism Mark n .-II. The Breech Plug.-I2. The Carrier.-I3. The Operating Lever.- 14. The Firing Mechanism.-IS. Operation of the Mechan­ ism.-I6. Safety. THE MARK III 3-INCH MECHANISM .. .... ... .. .. ... ..... ......... 17. General.-I8. The Breechblock--I9. The Hinge Plate.-2o. The Operating Lever.-21. T he Firing .Case.-22. The Ex­ tractor.-23. Operation of the Mechanism.-24. SafetY.-2S. Elswick Mechanism for R.