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Furnishing Vessels: General Order, 17 December 1850

[Regulations for Furnishing Boat Guns and Field Pieces to Vessels of the Navy]

GENERAL ORDER

 

The following regulations for furnishing boat guns and field pieces to vessels of the Navy, have been prescribed by the Department.

1st. All boat guns and field pieces, are to be of bronze, of howitzer form, and are to be chambered.

2d. They are to be of 12 pdr. And 24 pdr. calibre; are to weigh not more than 450, and 750 lbs. for the 12 pdrs., and 1200 lbs. for the 24 pdrs.

3d. Ships of the line and frigates, are to have one boat gun of 24 pdr. calibre, and one field piece of 12 pdr. calibre, with a suitable carriage for each.

4th. The guns will be made after plans approved by the Bureau of Ordnance, and prepared with its sanction under the superintendence of Lieut. Dahlgren, upon whose plan all the necessary carriages will be made.

5th. For each 12 pdr. for the above mentioned classes, there shall also be a boat carriage prepared, by which a field piece and a boat gun, or two boat guns, as may be found necessary by the nature of the service, may be used.

6th. Vessels below the class of frigate, and of not less rate than a second class sloop of war, shall each have a boat gun, which is to be a 12 pdr. mounted complete for boat service.

7th. Hereafter, it may be deemed proper to extend the allowance of boat guns to the smallest class of sloops of war, and field pieces to first class sloops; but that will in a measure depend upon the facility with which they can be prepared, and the service on which they may be expected to be engaged.

Will. A. Graham
Secretary of the Navy

Navy Department
December 17th, 1850

 

Published: Tue Sep 12 14:32:50 EDT 2017