122 MILITARY SCIENCES. 



implements requisite for the service of the piece. For cannon and howitzers 

 the carriages have throughout the same form, and consist, in most armies, 

 of two cheeks, A A {pi. 37, figs. 1, 4), which are formed partly in straight 

 and partly in curved lines, and broad at the foremost end, the " breast," and 

 growing narrower as they run back terminate in a curve, the " trail," so 

 that they may glide more easily over the ground in the recoil. Besides the 

 axle-tree, these cheeks are held together by several transoms, of which the 

 foremost is called the breast-transom ; then comes the centre-transom, and 

 last the trail-transom, in which is the " pintle-hole" {fig. 6, the dotted line 

 at 6), and the rings, a a, for the insertion of handspikes, to move and guide 

 the trail. Previously there had been a fourth transom, behind the axle, the 

 travelling-transom, upon which the breech was let down when the piece 

 was being transported. The cheeks are plated all round with iron bands, 

 to secure them from splitting and give them more solidity, and through the 

 transoms run screw-bolts, to keep the cheeks together. For the trunnions 

 there are iron trunnion-plates, which are closed with iron trunnion caps, 

 fastened with key-bolts. Between the cheeks is the directing or elevation 

 apparatus, of which we shall speak below. The English at present, and also 

 the French, have the stock-trail, or block-carriage. In this the carriage 

 proper {pi. 37, fig. 18) is a beam. A, to which in front two short cheek 

 pieces, B, are secured for receiving the trunnions. As the trail-transom is 

 here wanting, and the trail itself is very narrow, a strong iron ring is secured 

 to it {fig. 1, B) through which the pintle-bolt passes when limbered up. 



Fig. 1 shows the side-view, fig. 4 the upper-view, of a Bavarian field- 

 piece. A is the cheeks ; B is the trail-transom, which has here no pintle- 

 hole, but a pintle-ring ; C, the two handspikes for direction, which are 

 attached with a hinge, and when not in use turned back between the cheeks, 

 or else laid in two rings for the purpose on the transom {fig-^). The ram- 

 mer, a, with the sponge, c, on a staff, h {fig. 31); the worm, c, with spindle, 

 (2, and screw, h, for drawing the charge {fig. 32) ; and the " tire-sabot," a, 

 with the toothed ladle, h, for adjusting the ball in the bore {fig. 33), are all, 

 when not in use, attached to the carriage by iron fittings for that purpose. 

 E, fig. I, is the elevating-screw; F, a ring for hooking on the water or tar 

 bucket, and the bricoles. Fig. 6 is a Bavarian seven-pound howitzer, with 

 cheeks partly removed, A ; B is the store bed, C the elevating screw, D the 

 centre-transom with the female screw, E hooks for implements and for the 

 bricoles ; a a rings for the handspikes (^^5. 29, 30 a, with h, hooks for hanging 

 them on the cheeks), the dotted lines near 6 mark out the pintle-hole, and at 

 one end of the same plate is a hook for the bricoles in moving backwards ; 

 c, hooks for sponge, handspikes, &c. ; d, draw-bolts, //, keys for the cap- 

 squares. Fig. 10 is a French twelve-pounder, with block-carriage, newest 

 pattern. A, trail block ; B, attached cheeks ; C, implements of service ; D, 

 water bucket ; E, locking plate ; F, coiled prolonge ; G, elevating screw. 

 Fig. 18, French twenty-four pounder, heavy field gun, on block-carriage: 

 A, trail block ; B, cheeks ; C, elevating-screw ; D, lifting-bar, for limbering 

 up ; E, drag-chain. 



Between the cheeks, or on the axle-tree of the field-carriage, is placed a 

 598 



