Handbook for Light Artillery

by A. B. Dyer

THE CAISSON.

Fig. 64.

Weight of caisson complete, without limber			1396 lbs.
Weight of caisson and limber complete, without ammunition			2436 "
Weight of caisson and limber complete, with ammunition		Light field-battery	4607½ "
		Heavy field-battery	5080 "
Length from end of pole to end of spare-wheel axle			24½ ft
Distance between centres of axles			8 "

Fig. 64a.

NOMENCLATURE.

1. Lunette
2. Middle rail
3. Front cross-bar
4. Foot-board
5. Pickaxe attachment, front
6. Ammunition-chest keys and chains
7. Brake-chain
8. Side rail
9. Spare pole
10. Ammunition-chest
11. Brake-lever
12. Front ammunition-chest handles
13. Pickaxe attachment, rear
14. Axe and spade board-irons
15. Middle rail
16. Brake eye-strap
17. Rear ammunition-chest handles
18. Ammunition-chest keys and chains
19. Spare-pole stirrup
20. Spare-wheel axle-bolster
21. Spare-wheel axle-washer
22. Spare wheel
23. Spare-wheel axle
24. Toggle

The limber of the caisson has already been described. The caisson, [Fig. 64a], consists of one wrought-steel tubular axle and two Archibald wheels (57¾ in.), same as for limbers, the caisson-body, and connecting parts, viz.:

The Middle rail (central part of body formed of two angle-irons) receives the lunette in front and spare wheel in rear, and is attached to the axle by an understrap, and to the side-rails by front and rear cross-bars, with connections stiffened by brackets, and the strength at axle increased by middle-rail braces.

The Side-rails, which are attached to the axle by understraps and joined to the middle rail by the front and rear cross-bars.

The Foot-board is fastened to the middle and side rails with brackets to incline the surface of the board.

Floor-rods, passing through middle and side rails, between rear chest and rear cross-bar.

Two Road-brakes complete, and attachments for implements and spare parts.

The lever road-brake now supplied is similar to the ordinary wagon-brake, and so arranged that each side may be operated separately. The shoe is applied in rear of the wheel, and the brake-lever stands upright inside the wheels, opposite the front side of the rear ammunition-chest.

The caisson body carries two ammunition-chests same as for limber.

ON THE CAISSON CAN BE CARRIED:

A Spare Wheel, which fits upon an iron axle-arm attached to therear end of the middle rail, or a spare pole.
Two long-handled shovels.
Two pickaxes One spare pole,		by suitable attachments underneath.
Two spades, Two axes,		between chests.
Four watering-buckets, canvas.
One or two lanterns.
Two paulins, on chests.
One manœuvring-handspike, right side, along the side-rail.
One section of picket-rope, coiled around spare-wheel axle-bolster, oraround floor-rods and rear cross-bar.
Two extra boxes of ammunition can also be carried, one on each side ofspare-wheel axle, resting on the floor-rods and lashed on.

STOWING OF CAISSON IMPLEMENTS.

Long-handled Shovels.—The concave faces of the blades are toward and resting against the axle, under side, the shovel-points being passed into staple-straps in rear of the axle and the shovel handles afterward into catches on the front cross-bar, against which the ends of handles rest.

The Pickaxes, which must be put on before the shovels, are carried beneath by fixtures attached to both middle and side-rails. The ends of the handles are brought together, the pointed halves of the blades overlapped, one in advance of the other (if the spare pole be on, this must be done above the pole); handle-ends are then passed into a broad strap of sheet metal depending from the middle rail, and at the same time the outer blade-ends into brackets or shelves on the side-rails. In this position the overlapping blades should be under a catch and immediately in front of a bracket or shelf on the middle rail, which is to support the picks, and to get them into which they should be pressed up against the spring and toward the axle until the spring falls behind them.

This spring has, toward the axle, a long branch on which to place the hand when pressing up the spring to remove the picks.

The Axes and Spades are carried between the chests. A board is there, permanently riveted to the side-rails at each end. Within the rails, on opposite sides, are slots, into which the blades are placed vertically, the halves resting on top of the board. The spade-blades, spade-handles crossed, are placed on the board, one at each side, between the helve of one and the blade of the other axe, concave face toward the axe-blade, the ends of spare blades against the outer branch of the upright metal stops fastened to the board-ends; the handles of the spades are then forced down until the ends rest on top of the axes.

The Canvas Buckets are carried in left compartment under limber foot-boards.

The Lanterns.—Lanterns are carried in canvas bags hung across the spare-wheel axle-bolster. They hang below the floor-rods and do not swing.

The picket-rope section, manœuvring-handspike, and spare pole or spare wheel are carried as already indicated. Spare wheels, spare poles, and manœuvring-handspikes are not considered part of the regular caisson equipment. In war-time it is proposed to carry on each spare caisson a spare wheel, on the left caisson of each platoon a spare pole, and on the right caisson of each platoon a spare handspike.

In horse-artillery the front chest of each caisson-body should be removed to bring the gun-team and caisson-team loads to an equality and give space for forage.