1862: Monitor USS Passaic test fires her new 15 Inch Dahlgren guns.

[uss frolick]

Member "DaveBrt " posted this newspaper article over on the Civil War Talk Discussion board:

 

 

"Charleston Mercury, December 2, 1862

The new monitor Passaic made another trial of the 15 inch gun, of which the Cincinnati Gazette says:

A skillful gunner might throw a shell into a porthole large enough for these guns; therefore the porthole was fixed for firing through without protruding the gun, being little large than the ball. The first fire was as much as the crew cared to risk in that experiment. The smoke and flame filled the turret. Then a flange was fitted to the muzzle of the gun and the curve of the turret to increase the space. The last trial was this contrivance. Thirty five pounds of powder and a hollow shot were fired. The concussion lifted the perforated shield plates on top of the turret, one of which fell on Captain Worden's foot. The volume of flame from the muzzle set the tackle for hoisting the shot on fire, burned the eyebrows and hair of one of the gun's crew, and the force of the gas tore off the flange. It was found also that although the extra flange might fit the inside curve of the turret, the gun must recoil before the charge left it. It was rather queer that ordnance officers should have to experiment to find that out. The result proved that the porthole must be enlarged so as to let the muzzle of the gun protrude, or some sliding arrangement like the joints of a telescope must be contrived to keep up the connection with the porthole while the gun recoils."

 

 

[mtaylor]

I wonder if the Army was involved in this set-up.  One would think the Navy types would understand since all their guns (except on the weather deck) were "casemented" (as the Army called that type of mount). 

 

Then again, I saw an Navy project where cabling for the whole turret didn't have any connectors.  To remove one of the guns or any of the fire control units essentially required the entire turret wiring harness be removed. 

 

 

[Canute]

The Passaic class was the first class supposed to have a 15" gun in the turret. Monitor had 2 x 11" Dahlgrens. Firing out of the "cheesebox" must have been pretty exciting,no matter what caliber cannon.   Up-gunning must have been a real eye watering experience, with all the goings on reported above. Wowhee-zowhee! :o

[Stevinne]

I just think it's funny that the Charleston Mercury is reporting the results of the test-firing. Kind of like the Berlin Times reporting on the New York Times' coverage of a test of the B-17s' Norden bombsite. Or Pravda's reporting on a testing of the sidewinder missile.

[Canute]

Newspapers of the opposing sides back then would print up stuff reporting errors and failures by their opponents to buck up the morale of the hometown populace.I'd bet the New York Times or Herald Tribune in those days, put a different spin on it.

 

I believe since WW II, all negative occurrences are treated as some level of security/need to know by a country's press.

[US-SteamNavy]

Is everyone is already aware of the required Ericsson retrofit?:

A "smokebox" was fitted to the muzzle of the 15-inch gun in each Passaic-class turret,  to allow fire through the undersized port.  The 11-inch Dahlgren (retained as in the original design) had no problem when the blast of the bigger smoothbore was contained.