Spiking a cannon

[Jib]

I was watching the movie "Alatriste" over the weekend and they show a few Spainards spike a series of cannons. I imagine that given time the touch hole could be drilled out or a new one bored in. Just wondered if that indeed intended to the gun was ruined or just a hassle to repair?

[Graydog]

Spiking a gun is to put it out of immediate action. Spiked guns are normally repairable.

[Dorian Lasseter]

Aye,

Spiking the gun is quick and puts the gun out of action for a time...

Depending on if you have someone who can remove the 'spike' without causing further harm to the touch hole...

You really want to put the gun out of action completely? Blow the trunnions off...

[Cascabel]

You really want to put the gun out of action completely? Blow the trunnions off...

Out of period, but it seems to me that back when I was doing Rev War, that I read in the orders from General Howe, that the British troops sent out from Boston to take charge of any war material stored at Concord were instructed to "knock the trunnions from any cannons found", presumably using a large hammer. Seems reasonable to me. I would suspect that the technique had been fairly standard for quite some time. I really don't know how they could be blown off easily, but some well-place blows from a sledgehammer would do nicely, at least on the average field gun.

>>>> Cascabel

[HarborMaster]

Exactly Cast Trunnions are easily broken ., Klink ! Many cannons in parks around the country are missing cascabels . Cast Cannons varied greatly with the one inherant problem castors could not control even in the 21rst century . Porosity ! That is a big problem. This is why the NSSA has rules ., and why the cannon was improved over time. I have many examples perhaps I will start another thread. However here is something worth reading for all of you. Here is a story of a sucessful trunnion field repair.., that did infact take place in the field .

Please enjoy this read.

Broken trunnion story

You really want to put the gun out of action completely? Blow the trunnions off...

Out of period, but it seems to me that back when I was doing Rev War, that I read in the orders from General Howe, that the British troops sent out from Boston to take charge of any war material stored at Concord were instructed to "knock the trunnions from any cannons found", presumably using a large hammer. Seems reasonable to me. I would suspect that the technique had been fairly standard for quite some time. I really don't know how they could be blown off easily, but some well-place blows from a sledgehammer would do nicely, at least on the average field gun.

>>>> Cascabel

Edited March 10, 2009 by HarborMaster

[Littleneckhalfshell]

One of the things I seem to remember regarding spiking a gun is the 'spike'.

They were if possible specially prepared and carried on a mission that was meant to take fortification cannons out of action. The spike would be made as 'hard' as possible on the part that would remain at the touch hole, but the end that was to be put down the hole was made 'soft' so that it would bend, thus preventing it from being easily removed. Think of a clenched nail. With the hardened end broken off flush, what remained would be difficult to drill out. An alternate hole could be drilled and the gun tube put back into service, but this would take time, thus allowing whatever action it was intended to permit, ie. getting a ship cut out from under a fortified position. Spiking a cannon is much faster than busting off the trunnions if you have the proper tools.

Speaking of more modern times, my grandfather who was a member of a heavy machine gun group in WW-I in the trench warfare, spoke of there being a particular part of the water cooled machine gun that could be removed and tossed into the latrine before abandoning your position if it was about to be overrun, thus preventing your own gun being run around 180 degrees and being used upon you as you retreated. Basically, what they did was in a sense 'spike their gun'.

[gunner Gordon]

Bear in mind the spike is only stuck to the amount of energy it took to put it there. Drilling a new vent and firing the gun would give you two vents ultimatly. fuse and heavily wadded proof charge though time consuming will fix the problem with no real tools or skill.

[Littleneckhalfshell]

Bear in mind the spike is only stuck to the amount of energy it took to put it there. Drilling a new vent and firing the gun would give you two vents ultimatly. fuse and heavily wadded proof charge though time consuming will fix the problem with no real tools or skill.

I beg to differ, the bent end of the spike that protrudes into the chamber of the gun will prevent the spike from being blown out by a discharge. The end could be bent by rammer or worm since that end of the spike was 'soft'. To my understanding, the only way to remove a spike was by drilling.

Again, the spiking of a gun was to prevent it from being used against you as you retreated from the placement of the gun, be it that you wanted your ship to leave the harbor unmolested by the guns of a fort, or if in the field, not letting the cannon being turned on you if recaptured. Gunners being overrun by the foe, would often spike their own guns, so that grape would not follow them in their retreat from their overrun position. It is a temporary application to prevent the use of the gun in the short term.

[gunner Gordon]

Bear in mind the spike is only stuck to the amount of energy it took to put it there. Drilling a new vent and firing the gun would give you two vents ultimatly. fuse and heavily wadded proof charge though time consuming will fix the problem with no real tools or skill.

I beg to differ, the bent end of the spike that protrudes into the chamber of the gun will prevent the spike from being blown out by a discharge. The end could be bent by rammer or worm since that end of the spike was 'soft'. To my understanding, the only way to remove a spike was by drilling.

Again, the spiking of a gun was to prevent it from being used against you as you retreated from the placement of the gun, be it that you wanted your ship to leave the harbor unmolested by the guns of a fort, or if in the field, not letting the cannon being turned on you if recaptured. Gunners being overrun by the foe, would often spike their own guns, so that grape would not follow them in their retreat from their overrun position. It is a temporary application to prevent the use of the gun in the short term.

I have to agree with you in theory, I'm just wowdering about the capability of drilling and not wandering off to the softer metal of the gun. If presented the same problem with their tools I might explore the possibility of knocking off that soft end in the tube and proceeding as suggested. of course if the top end of the spike could be grabbed or heated to destroy the temper ? at any rate none of these would likly put the gun back in action in time top do any good, exactly the purpose you've stated.

[Joe Pyrat]

The Botafuego (linstock) we use at the Castillo resembles a three tonged pitchfork. The center tong is specifically designed to be use to spike a cannon if necessary.