30-pounder long gun

30-pounder long gun

30-pounder without rigging.
Type naval gun
Place of origin France
Service history
In service 19th century
Used by French Navy
Wars Invasion of Algiers, Battle of the Tagus, Battle of Veracruz
Production history
Manufacturer Factories of Saint-Gervais, Nevers and Ruelle
Unit cost 1517.5 Francs
Specifications
Weight 3,035 kilograms (6,691 lb)
Length 315.8 centimetres (124.3 in)
Barrel length 282.9 millimetres (11.14 in)

Calibre 164.7 mm[1]

The 30-pounder long gun was a large piece of artillery mounted on French warships of the Age of sail. They were the heaviest component of the unified system standardised on the 30-pounder calibre, replacing both the 36-pounder long guns in their usages, and even some 24-pounders.

Usage

Installed on the lower deck of the larger warships from the 1820s, the 30-pounder long gun was the largest caliber used in the Navy of the Age of the Sail. On three-deckers, the middle deck used 30-pounder short guns, and the upper deck used 30-pounder carronades.

History

In the wake of the Napoleonic Wars, the Navy undertook a number of reforms, most notably a reform in the artillery system. In contrast with the 1788 system, where large warships armed their main batteries with large 36-pounder long guns and upper deck with smaller long guns using smaller shots, it was decided to standardise on the 30-pound calibre, and deploy a variety of guns of different weights, as not to overload the tops. The differences in weight were obtained by fielding a large 30-pounder long gun, a shorter 30-pounder with a thinner barrel, and a 30-pounder carronade.

This allowed a much simplified handling of ammunition, and significantly increased the broadsides of warships. A first-rank 60-gun frigate of the 1840s thus armed had a heavier broadside than a 74-gun ship of the line of the 1780s.

Sources and references

References

  1. Aide-mémoire de l'artillerie navale, p. 14

Bibliography