Changes In Weaponry Flashcards
Use of rifles and bullets
Rifles-where more effective and more accurate then muskets . Could hold more ammunition at once
Minié bullets-expanded once in barrel making load times faster
Conical bullets-more aerodynamic increasing range
Breech loading-makes reloading four times faster
Magazines-allowed guns to have a higher capacity of bullets
Light field artillery
John ‘iron mad’Wilkinson made thinner and lighter cannon barrels
Cannons were being made out of bronze making them lighter
By 1890 guns where designed so that they recoiled making firing quicker
Heavy artillery
Steel cannon was stronger than bronze
Cannons began to have rifled barrels increasing range
By 1900 shells could contain chemicals that would be released on impact
From 1890s smokeless powder was developed so that their aim was not blocked and positions were not revealed .
Impact on tactics and formation
In the battle of waterloo infantry were ordered in squares to repel the enemy however in the crimean war because the rifle was introduced new ways on arranging infantry had to be developed .
Development of trench warfare
In the crimean war trenches where used , this gave protection form enemy fire and allowed troops to to more supplies through the battle field with little risk. The power of defensive fire was greater than that of an attacking force
Machine guns
Gatling guns had several small revolving barrels allowing for 150 bullets to be fired per minute . Maxim guns were introduced in the 1880s . They were lighter and more practical to use . These guns were introduced into the british army in 1899 but had the most impact after 1900.
Factors affecting change
Spiraling changes-if one country improved others would race to go one better
Industrialisation caused improvements in science and technology
