Changes In Weaponry Flashcards
Rifles
Made in 16th centrury but technological improvements from 1850 made them more practical and effective
Minie bullets
Made in 1847, these small bullets expanded within the barrel, making loading easier
Conical bullets
More areodynamic, these increased the range of rifles
Percussion bullets
Made loading easier and rifles more reliable by ending their reliance on powder and flint
Breech loading
Made reloading four times quicker than the musket
Magazines
Allowed several bullets at once in the barrel
Developments in technology and industry led to improvements in light field artillery such as
John “Iron Mad” Wilkinson made thinner lighter cannon barrels.
Experiments with bronze made cannons more lighter.Meant that cannons could be used across the battlefield and move quickly.
By 1890 field guns were able to recoil.This made firing easier and quicker
Developments in technology and industry led to improvements in heavy artillery such as
Steel cannons were stronger than bronze.
Breech loading cannons reloaded five times faster than muzzle loading cannons.
Cannons with rifled barrels increased the range from hundreds of metres to 5km
From the 1890 smokeless powder stopped smoke affecting aim or revealing position
Why was trench warfare effective
As the power of defensive fire was greater than the power of attacking fire
When were system of trenches employed
System of trenches were empolyed in the Crimean war. It gave protection from enemy fire and allowed troops and supplies to be close to the frontline
machine guns
Small cannon like guns , Gatling Guns had several small revolving barrels so could fire 150 bullets per minute.
Development of machine guns
Smaller more practical machine guns like the Maxim were used in the 1880s and cou,d be moved by one man.
