Info on Artillery Guns and Mortars?

mmattockx

mmattockx

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I don't know if this is the right place or not, but OT seems even less correct...

I would like to find some reading material on artillery pieces and mortars. Technical info, designs, details of how it all works and so on. Not really interested in historical books on their use in warfare, more the details of how they have developed over time and how it all works today.

Any help is appreciated.


Thanks,
Mark
 
There are three books in the Ballantine Illustrated History series by Ian Hogg. The Guns: 1914-1918, The Guns: 1939-1945, and Barrage, which deals with how they were used in combat. The Guns deals more with the technical aspects.

P.S. He also wrote another called Grenades and Mortars. Mortars are a form of artillery, so you might want to include that.
 
9.3mauser said:
There are three books in the Ballantine Illustrated History series by Ian Hogg. The Guns: 1914-1918, The Guns: 1939-1945, and Barrage, which deals with how they were used in combat. The Guns deals more with the technical aspects.

P.S. He also wrote another called Grenades and Mortars. Mortars are a form of artillery, so you might want to include that.
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Lot of good books in that series, but hard to find and almost a collector thing. Here's another good book. Goes into early mortars, a wooden mortar would you believe ?


https://www.amazon.com/Weapons-Trench-War-Anthony-Saunders/dp/0750918187


Grizz
 
The GVRD library's have quite a bit on heavy weapons, check your local library catalogue.

Inter-library loans can be had.

I have had books on loan from the National Archives to read in the past.
 
It also depends upon what type of artillery you are interested in. Muzzle loading or breech loading?

Wooden mortars? Yes, there are examples of the wire wound Albrecht type in the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa and also the Canadian Military Historical Museum in Brantford, Ontario.

For Muzzle loading artillery and mortars, "Round Shot and Rammers" covers a lot of them, including drawings, mostly North American type.

The best book on where to find Artillery in Parks, Museums, Displays and such all across Canada is "Shelldrake" by Harold Skaarup.
 
sail32 said:
The GVRD library's have quite a bit on heavy weapons, check your local library catalogue.
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I've been brain dead on this, never even thought to look at the library. Alberta has a system that includes almost all of the libraries in the province, I will do some searching there.


purple said:
Anything written by Ian Hogg is worthwhile. He was a career gunner in the British Army and provides a great source on both technical and practical aspects of artillery and gunnery.
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I have read some of his books on small arms, will look for the artillery ones now.


buffdog said:
It also depends upon what type of artillery you are interested in. Muzzle loading or breech loading?
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Breech loading for the most part on guns, mortars I am more interested in the current man portable systems in use. For the guns I am interested in the details of things like the base bleed drag reduction systems and other technical improvements, so more recent stuff. I guess you could say from WWII and newer.

Thanks to all for the suggestions, I now have some things to research.


Mark
 
Check the MKL as there a few old precis in there, such as:

1915 Treatise on Ammunitionhttps://www.milsurps.com/content.php?r=329-1915-Treatise-on-Ammunition
Author: War Office
Format: 592 pages plus plates, (115 in colour)
ISBN: 1843425602

Contains details of all ammunition in use by the British Army at the end of 1914. With few exceptions, it covers ammunition, explosives and propellants in service to the end of the First World War. This volume covers explosives, propellants, fuses and igniters, together with details of all QF and QFC ammunition for field guns. It also covers military pyrotechnics and signal flares, together with the sole British hand grenade. Other sections deal with small arms ammunition, and there is a section on the manufacture of the items covered in this important volume. The volume includes many colour plates and black and white drawings.

(Click PIC to Enlarge)

(Click PIC to Enlarge)


1905 Treatise on Ammunition
Author: War Office
Format: 304 pages plus plates, (many in colour)

Contains details of all ammunition in use by the British Army at the end of 1905. This volume covers explosives, propellants, fuses and igniters, together with details of all QF and QFC ammunition for field guns. Other sections deal with small arms ammunition, and there is a section on the manufacture of the items covered in this important volume. The volume includes many colour plates and black and white drawings.

(Click PIC to Enlarge)

(Click PIC to Enlarge)


Regards,
Doug
 
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Here's another one top look for on Amazon; "Elements of Ordnance" by Hayes published in 1938. This is a 711 page West Point textbook on the theory of guns and gunnery. While dated, some of the basic theory is still valid.
 
purple said:
Here's another one top look for on Amazon; "Elements of Ordnance" by Hayes published in 1938. This is a 711 page West Point textbook on the theory of guns and gunnery. While dated, some of the basic theory is still valid.
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Always found the concept of wire wound naval guns interesting. :d

Grizz
 
I have quite a few books on Artillery in my library.
But artillery goes in many directions you have Naval, Tanks and antitank, Aircraft and infantry weapons.
I have between 2,500 and 3,000 books lots on each subject and I am still looking for more.
If you can find Jane's books, Older Jane's books have a wealth of information
Brassey's Artillery of the World,
Ian Hogg, A History of Artillery
Michael E. Haskew, Compared and Contrasted Artillery
Christopher F. Foss, Artillery of the World
Ian Hogg, German Artillery of World War Two
Hogg & Bachelor, Artillery
Curt Johnson, The Big Guns Go To War
Harold L. Peterson, Round Shot and Rammers
Ian Hogg, Twentieth-Century Artillery
Christopher F. Foss, Jane's Pocket Book of Towed Artillery
Denis Archer, Jane's Pocket Book of Naval Armament
Jane's Fighting Ships of World War II
Ballantine Books, I have the whole series of WW I & II books
I have a few of the original training manuals for artillery pieces through the years. One is for the Q.F. 18-PR Marks I To II* Guns on Marks I to II Field Carriages, Land Service
Another source is older books on WWI and WWII they sometimes show more pictures that you don't see in modern books.
Books on Ammunition also help, Ian Hogg, The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Ammunition,
 
ipscgraz said:
Gunboards is loosely similar to CGN and IIRC has a forum on heavy weapons and arty.
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I will have a look this week.


BadgerDog said:
Check the MKL as there a few old precis in there, such as:
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MKL?


purple said:
Here's another one top look for on Amazon; "Elements of Ordnance" by Hayes published in 1938. This is a 711 page West Point textbook on the theory of guns and gunnery. While dated, some of the basic theory is still valid.
Click to expand...

Excellent, will add it to the pile of things to look for.


Thanks to all for the help. I have one of the Ian Hogg books on order at the library and am searching for more.


Mark
 
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