Trooping the Colour

Couvi · Sun Jun 14, 2015 5:21 pm

Excellent footage on the King's Troop at about two minutes.

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=tro ... EBAFE33549

Jim Bewley · Tue Sep 01, 2015 4:28 pm

I was expecting that thing to recoil and could not believe they were sitting on and behind it. Fooled me.

Couvi · Tue Sep 01, 2015 7:39 pm

Jim Bewley wrote:I was expecting that thing to recoil and could not believe they were sitting on and behind it. Fooled me.

The 18-pounder Quick-Fire has an on-carriage recoil system, so that the tube and breech assembly recoil between the two cannoneers. Not having to re-lay the gun after each shot, as with inertial recoil systems, led to very rapid increase in fire. The 18-PDR (QF) had a burst rate of fire of twenty rounds per minute and a sustained rate of fire of four rounds per minute. Guns that had to be laboriously returned to the ‘in-battery’ position after each shot would have a rate of fire of about two to four rounds per minute, and a sustained rate not terribly different from that.

It is also amazing at how close the cannoneers get to the recoiling mass of the gun. Note that the cannoneers have specific places to place their hands and feet when firing.

American 3-inch Field Gun, M1902, in full recoil.

Dave Carter · Wed Sep 02, 2015 10:16 am

Just to be pedantic, the King's Troop are equipped with the 13-pdr rather than the 18-pdr, which was too heavy to be used by the RHA in their intended role of fire support for the cavalry.

Couvi · Wed Sep 02, 2015 2:24 pm

Dave Carter wrote:Just to be pedantic, the King's Troop are equipped with the 13-pdr rather than the 18-pdr, which was too heavy to be used by the RHA in their intended role of fire support for the cavalry.

Dave! You know you made me look up 'pedantic!'

Yes, Horse Artillery would have been equipped with the light weapon.

Jim Bewley · Wed Sep 02, 2015 4:17 pm

Couvi wrote:
Dave Carter wrote:Just to be pedantic, the King's Troop are equipped with the 13-pdr rather than the 18-pdr, which was too heavy to be used by the RHA in their intended role of fire support for the cavalry.
Dave! You know you made me look up 'pedantic!' Yes, Horse Artillery would have been equipped with the light weapon.

I feel better now, because I had to look it up too.

Dave Carter · Thu Sep 03, 2015 11:59 am

Yep, them English lessons wasn't wasted!