TOPIC:

Having just seen a thread about driving bands, I thought it might be worth starting a topic devoted to artillery and ammunition.

To start the ball rolling, here is a photograph of "Boer Ammunition (Shells, etc.) and Rifles in charge of Chief Magazine Master and Staff", with key.





A. 120 mm Krupp Howitzer (common shell, with percussion fuze)
B. 75 mm Creusot Quick-Fire (common shell, with percussion fuze)
C. 120 mm Krupp Howitzer
D. 155 mm Creusot “Long Tom” (common shell, with percussion fuze)
E. British 4.7-inch Q.F. Naval Gun (Lyddite, fired)
F. 155 mm Creusot “Long Tom” (shrapnel shell, with time fuze)
G. 120 mm Krupp Howitzer (shrapnel shell, with time fuze)
H. 75 mm Creusot Quick-Fire (shrapnel shell, with time fuze)
I. 120 mm Krupp Howitzer (common shell, with percussion fuze)
J. 75 mm Krupp Quick-Fire (common shell - possibly manufactured by Begbie & Co., Johannesburg)
K. 75mm Krupp Quick-Fire (grape shot ? - Durban-based photographer, B.W. Caney describes this type as "made in Pretoria" - probably manufactured by Begbie & Co., Johannesburg)
L. 15-pdr Breech-Loading (believed to have been manufactured by Begbie & Co., Johannesburg, for use with captured British 15-pdr guns)
M. 8-inch Mortar
N. 120 mm Krupp Howitzer shell case

With Lee-Metford, Martini-Henry, Mauser and Vickers-Maxim 1-pdr "pompom" shells in foreground.



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Boer shells fired into Ladysmith during the siege (apart from the British Naval 4.7-inch shell, back row, on left)





A. 120 mm Krupp Howitzer
B. British 4.7-inch Q.F. Naval Gun (Lyditte, with Direct Action Percussion fuze)
C. 75 mm Krupp Q.F. (common shell)
D. 155 mm Creusot “Long Tom” (common shell)
E. 75 mm Krupp B.L. (shrapnel; married with 75 mm Krupp Q.F. cartridge - see F)
F. 75 mm Krupp Q.F. cartridge
G. 75 mm Creusot Q.F. (shrapnel, with time fuze)
H. 120 mm Krupp Howitzer
I. 8-inch Mortar (built by gun founder Bailey Pegg & Company in the 1850s)
J. 150 mm spherical projectile – possibly a star shell, fired by the 8-inch mortar, using wooden sabots
K. 120 mm Krupp Howitzer cartridge
L. 120 mm Krupp Howitzer (shrapnel, with time fuze – possible marriage)
M. Fragment of Krupp Howitzer breech (captured during the sortie to Surprise Hill, 11/12/1899)
N. 8-inch Mortar (Bailey Pegg & Company)
O. 120 mm Krupp Howitzer percussion fuze
P. Three Vickers-Maxim 37 mm 1-pdr “pompom” shells
Q. 37 mm Krupp-Gruson Q.F. Mountain Gun projectile married with 37 mm Vickers-Maxim 1-pdr “pompom” shell case
R. 75 mm Creusot Q.F. (shrapnel)
S. Spherical hand grenade
T. 75 mm Creusot Q.F. (shrapnel, with time fuze)
U. 75 mm Krupp B.L. (shrapnel)
V. 155 mm Creusot “Long Tom” (shrapnel, base)
W. 75 mm Krupp Q.F.


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Krupp Breech-Loading Segment and Shrapnel shells, with British 15-pound shrapnel shell for comparison. All brought home by Lieut. Hugh Steuart Gladstone, 3rd K.O.S.B.

Left to right: Krupp segment shell from Christiana (unfired), Krupp shrapnel shell from Magersfontein, British 15-pounder shrapnel shell from Modder River.



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Pendant made from a small fragment of Krupp BL lower driving band (see last post)






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Neville, this is an interesting and very useful thread both for education now and reference going forward. It brings into focus what the contemporary accounts of incoming shells really meant for the folk in Ladysmith and etc. I have read accounts of 250 + shells striking the town in a given period of one day. Thanks for posting, I know that I will be returning here as I read the accounts of units under shell fire.

Owen

Another photograph of shells fired into Ladysmith.

The eleven 75 mm Creusot Q.F. shells at the back are all unfired, indicating that they were captured some time after the lifting of the siege.

Note: several of the annotations are incorrect:

"BOER 16 LB" ........... British 15 lb B.L. shrapnel shell
"BOER 45 POUNDER" ........... Boer 35 lb common shell (120 mm Krupp Howitzer)
"LONG TOM" ........... British Naval 4.7-inch Q.F.
"4.7 LYDDITE" .......... British 15 lb B.L. shrapnel shell



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