Parados. An elevation of earth which is effected behind fortified places, to secure them from any sudden attack that may be made in reverse.
Parætonium, or Ammonia. Formerly an important city on the northeast coast of Africa. It was a strong fortress; restored by Justinian, and continued a place of some consequence till its complete destruction by Mehemet Ali in 1820.
Paraguay. A republic in South America, discovered by Sebastian Cabot in 1526; conquered by Alvarez Nuñez in 1535, and civilized by the Jesuits, who in 1608 commenced their missions there, and established an exclusive government, which they held until their expulsion in 1768. Paraguay rose against the Spanish yoke in 1811, and achieved its independence. Paraguay was recognized as an independent state by the Argentine Confederation in 1852, and by Great Britain in 1853. On November 11, 1864, hostilities between Paraguay and Brazil began, when a Brazilian steamer was captured as an intruder on Paraguayan waters; in the same year Brazil was invaded by the Paraguayans, and on April 14, 1865, Lopez (president of the republic) invaded the territories of the Argentine Republic, which immediately made alliance with Brazil. In September, 1865, the army of Lopez was defeated. The war continued almost without intermission until 1870, when Lopez was killed. Since that time Paraguay, though nominally independent, has been almost completely under control of Brazil.
Parallels. Are trenches cut in the ground before a fortress, roughly parallel to its defenses, for the purpose of giving cover to the besiegers from the guns of the place. The parallels are usually three, with zigzag trenches leading from one to another. The old rule used to be to dig the first at 600 yards’ distance; but the improvements in artillery have rendered a greater distance necessary, and at Sebastopol the allies made their first trench 2000 yards from the walls. The third trench is very near to the besieged works, and from it saps and zigzag approaches are directed to the covert way. See [Siege].
Paramount. The highest in rank or order; the chief.
Parapets (Ital. parapetto, “breastguard”). In fortifications, are breastworks, walls, or bulwarks of earth, brick, wood, iron, stone, or other material. The battlement around a flat roof, or the railing of a bridge is also called a parapet. The parapets of field-works are always made of earth, which is also largely used in permanent fortifications. Earth has great advantages for this purpose, being readily obtained, easily handled, and affords good cover on account of the absence of splinters and flying fragments when struck by a shot. The presence of rock or large gravel in the earth is objectionable for this reason. Of the different earths, sand, hard clay, tufa, etc., resist penetration better than rich soils. The profile of the parapet is determined by its location and purpose. The earth to form it is taken from the ditch, which is sometimes in front and sometimes in rear. In inclosed works, or works built at leisure, the ditch is always on the outside, leaving the natural surface for the parade. Works built hastily, or under fire, have the ditch on the inside. In this way cover is more rapidly obtained. This form of parapet is used in all the trenches in siege operations and the temporary lines thrown up on the field of battle. The [command] of a parapet is the height of the interior crest above the site. For isolated works the command should be at least 8 feet, as the chances of a successful resistance increase with the command. The profile of a parapet is a section taken at right angles to its length. In infantry parapets the [banquette] is the bank of earth in rear of the parapet, on which the troops stand to deliver their fire. This is usually about 4 feet wide, and about 4 feet 3 inches below the interior crest. The height of the banquette depends upon the command of the parapet. The [interior slope] of the parapet, against which the soldier leans in firing, has a slope of 3 on 1. To support the earth at this inclination a revetment of sand-bags, fascines, gabions, sod, pisa, or plank, is used. The [superior slope] of the parapet is usually 1 on 6. It should be steep enough to give a fire just above the farther edge of the ditch, but not so steep as to weaken the parapet. The [exterior slope] is 1 on 1, or the natural slope of the earth. If it is made steeper than this it will be beaten down by the projectiles of the enemy; if less steep, it will offer a less obstacle to open assault. The [berme], or space between the foot of the exterior slope and the edge of the ditch, is objectionable, in offering a breathing-place to the enemy in the assault, but it is usually necessary to prevent the weight of the parapet from crushing in the scarp. The dimensions of the ditch are regulated by the amount of earth necessary to form the parapet. The scarp and counterscarp are made as steep as the stiffness of the soil will allow. As a general rule, the depth of the ditch should not be less than 6 feet, and its width should not be less than 12. The greatest width is regulated by the superior scope of the parapet, the line of which produced should not pass below the crest of the counterscarp. In excavating near a salient it will be found that more earth is furnished than in re-enterings. On this account the width of the ditch is usually made variable, being less at the salients than elsewhere.
The thickness of a parapet is the horizontal distance between the interior and exterior crests. This thickness should be one-half greater than the penetration of the projectiles it is designed to resist. As the rifled guns now in use have much greater penetration than the smooth-bores of former times, a proportionate increase in the dimensions of parapets has become necessary. The parapets of semi-permanent field-works are usually calculated to resist the fire of siege-guns; those of permanent works to resist the most powerful ordnance in use. The trenches so much used in modern times to cover operations of armies in the field are shallow ditches, with the earth thrown outwards.
Parasang. A Persian military measure, sometimes assumed as a league, but equal to about 4 English miles.
Parbuckle. To hoist or lower by means of a parbuckle.
Parbuckles. Are 4-inch ropes, 12 feet long, with a hook at one end and a loop at the other. To parbuckle a gun, is to roll it in either direction from the spot in which it rests. To do this, place the gun on skids, and if it is to be moved up or down a slope, two 41⁄2-inch ropes are made fast to some place on the upper part of the slope, the ends are carried under the chase and breech of the gun respectively, round it and up the slope. If the running ends of these ropes are hauled upon, the gun ascends; if eased off, it descends. If the ground is horizontal, handspikes only are necessary to move the gun.