Comments on: When Infantry Weapons Dominated https://www.isegoria.net/2012/03/when-infantry-weapons-dominated/ From the ancient Greek for equality in freedom of speech; an eclectic mix of thoughts, large and small Sat, 06 Jun 2026 05:13:49 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.6.1 By: Joseph Fouche https://www.isegoria.net/2012/03/when-infantry-weapons-dominated/comment-page-1/#comment-448831 Joseph Fouche Mon, 05 Mar 2012 19:12:02 +0000 http://www.isegoria.net/?p=28372#comment-448831 John Mosier’s The Myth of the Great War is deeply flawed but strongly details how the innovation that made World War I particularly lethal was artillery with hydraulic recoil. A nearby cemetery has an 1898 vintage U.S. manufactured artillery piece erected as a memorial to local men KIAed during World War I. It’s steel, breech-loading, and has a rifled barrel like the guns of Krupp. But its hydraulic recoil is rudimentary and, since it can’t be elevated far, it’s optimized for direct fire and not indirect fire. The ability of 1914 German guns like the 15 cm sFH 13 (elevation -4° to +45°) or 15 cm sFH 02 (elevation -5° to +16°) to be elevated for indirect fire compared to Entente guns like the French 75 (elevation -11° to +18°) was a key reason why so many French soldiers disappeared mysteriously from the battlefield in 1914-1915. The French didn’t deploy equivalent guns until 1917.

]]> By: Isegoria https://www.isegoria.net/2012/03/when-infantry-weapons-dominated/comment-page-1/#comment-448718 Isegoria Mon, 05 Mar 2012 17:04:24 +0000 http://www.isegoria.net/?p=28372#comment-448718 I remember that piece of yours, Fouché, but I didn’t remember Sheridan’s observations on Krupp artillery. I suppose the newer style of artillery didn’t live up to its hype until the Great War — where it did tremendous damage but didn’t cause many casualties per shell.

]]> By: Joseph Fouche https://www.isegoria.net/2012/03/when-infantry-weapons-dominated/comment-page-1/#comment-447328 Joseph Fouche Sat, 03 Mar 2012 19:05:19 +0000 http://www.isegoria.net/?p=28372#comment-447328 Little Phil Sheridan accompanied the Prussians as the American military observer during the Franco-Prussian war. He was specifically interested in the effect the guns of Krupp had on French formations. He wasn’t impressed.

]]> By: Isegoria https://www.isegoria.net/2012/03/when-infantry-weapons-dominated/comment-page-1/#comment-446348 Isegoria Fri, 02 Mar 2012 21:18:55 +0000 http://www.isegoria.net/?p=28372#comment-446348 A similar point holds in the Franco-Prussian War, where the French were using a cutting-edge bolt-action rifle, the Chassepot, and outdated muzzle-loading artillery, while the Prussians were using the not-quite-as-advanced Dreyse needle gun and some very advanced breech-loading Krupp artillery.

]]> By: Sconzey https://www.isegoria.net/2012/03/when-infantry-weapons-dominated/comment-page-1/#comment-445941 Sconzey Fri, 02 Mar 2012 11:22:27 +0000 http://www.isegoria.net/?p=28372#comment-445941 Oh look, the heyday of populism in American politics was also the time when massed infantry dominated the battlefield.

Quelle surprise!

]]> By: Foxmarks https://www.isegoria.net/2012/03/when-infantry-weapons-dominated/comment-page-1/#comment-445804 Foxmarks Fri, 02 Mar 2012 06:33:12 +0000 http://www.isegoria.net/?p=28372#comment-445804 The CSA hadn’t much artillery. I wonder how Conferederate casualties compare, facing many more Federal cannon.

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