what I want to know . . .

[ritaxis]

I want a nonfiction description of the work of gunners using large artillery. I want a blow-by-bulow description of hsetting up, handling ammunition, firing, all the things that have to be done in the course of operation, cleaning, maintenance, etc. What do I find on wikipedia?

specs.  Nothing but specs.  And lots of words, but nothing about the work of the men operating the things. It's all so abstract.

Comments

[jeriendhal.livejournal.com]

Well it may not quite as detailed you'd like, you might want to try this episode (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x84uzzVynY8) of Lock 'n Load which at least shows you all the details of loading up the weapons (along with, inevitably, stats).

[green-knight.livejournal.com]

You need an appropriate reenactment society. They tend to have good explanation of what it's like, both for newbies and for spectators.

[heleninwales.livejournal.com]

I found quite a lot of stuff when I was researching for The One About the War. I'll see what I can dig out later, but is this the sort of thing you were looking for?

http://www.civilwarnews.com/artillerysafety.htm

http://www.americancannons.com/images/Directions-SAFETY%20ZONE.pdf

http://youtu.be/pGcfm27ec6Y

I recommend searching in Google rather than wikipedia. There ought to be stuff from American and British civil war re-enactment societies, or Napoleonic Wars.

[kate-schaefer.livejournal.com]

I have no specs for you, but I do have a word: matross. It's a gunner's mate, the guy who cleans and loads the gun, but doesn't aim or fire it. One of my ancestors was a matross in the American Revolution, which tickles me because the grandmother who was in the DAR used to talk about him as if he'd been an officer. All our ancestors seem to get post-mortem promotions.

[carbonel]

I don't have any useful suggestions, but I just want to let you know that you have earwormed me with Phil Ochs' "The Men Behind the Guns."

[ritaxis.livejournal.com]

You're welcome!

[dd-b.livejournal.com]

Muzzle-loading black-powder artillery? Or something more modern? And small pieces that can be pulled around by just a few horses, or the big ones in coastal forts (which were I think the same as the high end of what was used on ships at sea in the Napoleonic era)?

Not that I can point you at a good non-fiction source for any of those, but they're big differences.

These look like they might be useful, though they're the subtly different thing of instructions on how to do it for recreation and to today's safety standards.

http://ncwaa.com/ncwaaman.pdf

http://livinghistoryassn.org/safety_manuals/CW_Artillery_Safety_Manual.pdf

[ritaxis.livejournal.com]

I need post-1890 technology, so breech=loading, if I understand properly.

[dd-b.livejournal.com]

Oh dear, early breech-loaders, yes. I think there's a LOT less info on that around -- partly because they're not available to play with legally much.

Good luck.