At the beginning of the 19th century. In the Urals, in Zlatoust, a new plant was created, which received a very characteristic name: Zlatoust White Weapons Factory. Soon it gained wide popularity for the manufacture of various types of edged weapons - sabers, checkers, broadswords, bayonets, dirks, etc. Damask steel produced by Ural craftsmen was in no way inferior to the best foreign samples. Everything forged here was called “white weapons” at that time. Since the middle of the 19th century, another term has finally become firmly established in Russia - “cold steel”. The most ancient combat melee weapons with a short blade among sailors were daggers, intended to defeat the enemy in a boarding battle. They became widespread at the end of the 16th century. Later, the dirk became a traditional weapon for naval officers. Its very name was taken from the Hungarian word “ card” - sword.
The dagger had a blade of either a triangular or tetrahedral cross-section, or a diamond shape with a very slight bend at the sharp ends, which were original blades. This blade shape gives it greater rigidity.
For the first time, historians mentioned the dagger as a personal bladed weapon for officers of the Tsarist Navy in the biography of Peter I. The Tsar himself loved to wear a naval dagger in a sling. The Budapest National Museum houses a dirk that was long believed to belong to Peter the Great. The length of its double-edged blade with a handle was about 63 cm, and the handle of the blade ended with a cross in the form of a horizontally lying Latin letter S. The wooden scabbard, about 54 cm long, was covered with black leather and in the upper part had bronze holders with rings for a sword belt 6 cm long and about 4 cm wide each, and in the lower part there are the same holders about 12 cm long and 3.5 cm wide. The blade of the dagger on both sides and the surface of the bronze holders of the scabbard were richly ornamented. A double-headed eagle topped with a crown is carved on the lower metal tip of the scabbard; on the blade there are decorations symbolizing Russia's victories over Sweden. The inscriptions framing these images, as well as the words placed on the handle and blade of the dagger, were like a hymn of praise to Peter I: “Vivat to our monarch”.
The dirk, as a personal weapon for naval officers, repeatedly changed its shape and size. In the post-Petrine period, the Russian fleet fell into decline, and the dagger as an integral part of a naval officer's uniform lost its importance. In addition, they began to introduce it into the uniform of the ground forces.
Since 1730, the dagger replaced the sword for some army non-combatant ranks. In 1777, non-commissioned officers of the Jaeger battalions (a type of light infantry and cavalry) were given a new type of dirk instead of a sword, which could be attached to a shortened muzzle-loading rifled rifle before hand-to-hand combat.
Since 1803, the dagger again became an indispensable part of the naval officer's uniform. At that time, the dagger blade had a square cross-section and an ivory handle with a metal cross. The end of the 30 cm blade was double-edged. The total length of the dagger was 39 cm. On a wooden scabbard, covered with black leather, in the upper part there were two gilded bronze clips with rings for attaching to a sword belt, and in the lower part there was a tip for the strength of the scabbard. The belt made of black multi-layered silk was decorated with bronze gilded lion heads. Instead of a badge, there was a clasp in the form of a snake curved like the Latin letter S. Symbols in the form of lion heads were most likely taken from the coat of arms of the Russian tsars of the Romanov dynasty.
Wearing a dagger with any form of clothing - except for the ceremonial uniform, the obligatory accessory of which was a naval saber or broadsword - in some periods was considered absolutely mandatory, and at times it was required only when performing official duties. For example, for more than a hundred years in a row, until 1917, when a naval officer left the ship ashore he was required to be with a dagger. Service in coastal naval institutions - headquarters, educational institutions, etc. - also demanded that naval officers serving there always wear a dagger. Only on a ship was wearing a dirk mandatory only for the watch commander.
The Russian naval dagger was so beautiful and elegant in its shape and decoration that the German Kaiser Wilhelm II, walking around the formation of the crew of the newest Russian cruiser “Varyag” in 1902, was delighted with it and ordered the introduction of daggers for the officers of his “High Sea Fleet” somewhat modified Russian model.
In addition to the Germans, back in the 80s of the XIX century. our dirk was borrowed by the Japanese, who made it look like a small samurai saber. By the beginning of the 20th century. The Russian dirk became part of the uniform of officers of almost all navies in the world.
In November 1917, the dirk was canceled and first returned to the command staff of the RKKF in 1924, but two years later it was abolished again and only 14 years later, in 1940, it was finally approved as a personal weapon for the command staff of the Navy.
After the Great Patriotic War, a new form of dagger was adopted - with a flat chrome-plated steel blade of a diamond-shaped cross-section 21.5 cm long (the length of the entire dagger is 32 cm).
On the right side of its handle there is a latch that protects the blade from falling out of the sheath. The tetrahedral handle is made of ivory-like plastic. The lower frame, head and cross of the handle are made of non-ferrous gilded metal. A five-pointed star is placed on the head of the handle, and an image of the coat of arms is applied to the side. The wooden scabbard is covered with black leather and varnished. The scabbard device (two clips and a tip) are made of non-ferrous gold-plated metal. On the upper frame, an anchor is depicted on the right side, and a sailing ship is depicted on the left. The upper and lower holders have belt rings. The sword belt and belt are made of gilded threads. The belt has an oval fastener made of non-ferrous metal with an anchor. Buckles for adjusting the length of the belt are also made of non-ferrous metal with anchors. A belt with a sword belt is worn over the dress uniform so that the dagger is on the left side. Persons on duty and watch duty (officers and midshipmen) are required to wear a dagger over a blue jacket or overcoat.
Dirks as personal edged weapons, along with lieutenant shoulder straps, are presented to graduates of higher naval schools (now institutes) in a ceremonial atmosphere at the same time as they are awarded a diploma of completion of a higher educational institution and awarded the first officer rank.
I would also like to mention the so-called half-saber that existed in the Russian army in the 19th century, introduced into the infantry regiments of the Russian army in 1826. It differed from the saber in having a somewhat shortened and straightened blade and was worn in a wooden sheath covered with lacquered black leather. A lanyard made of silver braid with two strips of black and orange silk along the edges was tied onto its hilt; the width of the lanyard was 2.5 and the length was 53 cm. We mentioned half sabers because since 1830 they were introduced for Russian officers and admirals navy and were a mandatory attribute of the dress uniform - with a uniform with orders. Since 1874, half sabers in the navy were replaced by sabers, which differed only in slightly longer length and had a blade length of about 82 cm. The blade of a naval officer's saber was almost straight and only slightly curved at the very end. With the introduction of the saber into the navy, the custom of giving honor with it also appeared.
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“Saber etiquette” was initially considered to have come from the East, where the younger, saluting with the saber, simultaneously covers his eyes with his raised hand, blinded by the magnificence of the elder. However, more recent research indicates that “saber etiquette” came from the Crusaders. The image of a crucifix and cross on the hilt of a sword and on the hilt of a saber was common during the time of chivalry. It is still preserved on the dirk of English sailors. In those distant times, there was a custom of kissing a cross or crucifix before the start of a battle.
In the modern rendering of military honor with a saber or saber, the history of the distant past seems to be reflected. Raising the saber “high,” that is, with the hilt to the chin, is like performing the ancient ritual of kissing the cross on the hilt. Lowering the blade point down is an act of ancient custom recognizing one's submission.
In England, another curious custom associated with the saber has survived to this day. During the trial of a naval officer, the accused, upon entering the courthouse, unfastens his saber and places it on the table in front of the judges. Before the verdict is pronounced, he leaves and, when he returns again, he already knows the result by the position of the saber: with the tip towards him, it means he is accused, with the hilt towards him, it means he is acquitted.
In the 16th century A broadsword was also used as a boarding weapon, a cutting and piercing bladed weapon consisting of a long (about 85 cm) and certainly straight blade with a hilt with a safety guard. Until 1905, sailors of the Guards Fleet Crew carried broadswords, which were later replaced by cutlasses. Until 1917, the broadsword was worn as part of a naval uniform by midshipmen of the Naval Corps. Marine Engineering School named after. Emperor Nicholas I and Separate midshipman classes. In our Navy, the wearing of broadswords by cadets of higher naval schools was introduced on January 1, 1940. Since 1958, it has become only a piece of uniform equipment for assistants at the Naval flag or banner.
In the Russian army and navy, one of the highest awards for officers, admirals and generals was the salary of those who distinguished themselves with award weapons.
Directly related to the military order of St. George was the so-called Golden weapons. Golden The saber differed from the ordinary one in that the metal device, except for the blade, was made of 56-carat gold and on both arms of the saber hilt there was an inscription: “For bravery.” On such a saber, the silver lanyard was replaced by a lanyard from the St. George Ribbon of the 4th degree of this order, with the same brush at the end as the silver lanyard. Persons who had sabers with diamond decorations did not wear lanyards on such sabers. Persons to whom gold sabers with or without diamond decorations were complained also had a dagger with a gold handle and the inscription: “For bravery.” At the top of the saber and dirk was attached a small enamel cross of the Order of St. George. These two awards - the Golden Arms and the Order of St. George - were so close in spirit that in 1869, in connection with the centenary of the order, those awarded the Golden Arms were counted among its gentlemen. In 1913, this award received the official name St. George's weapon.
We already know that the award weapons also included a saber and a dagger with the Order of St. Anne of the 3rd degree attached to them since 1797, and with the addition of the 4th degree in 1815, its badge began to be worn in a similar way, that is, they attached it both to the top of the grip of an ordinary saber and to the top of the handle of the dagger. Since 1828, the weapon on which the sign of the Order of St. Anne was attached was equipped with a lanyard made of a red order ribbon with a yellow border, and it received the unofficial name Anninsky weapon.
On infantry swords and naval half sabers, these lanyards ended with a round red pom-pom, which received the name “cranberry” in army jargon, which also passed into the navy. Since 1829, the inscription was placed on the hilt of the Anninsky weapon For bravery and the award officially became known as Order of St. Anne, 4th class with an inscription For bravery. This was the most massive military officer order. Most of the officers who fought had weapons with “cranberries”. For example, the Order of St. Anne, 4th degree “For Bravery”. Anninsky weapons and a certificate were awarded to the midshipman of the Guards naval crew Nikolai Shcherbatov “ in honor of the distinction rendered during
supplying fire ships to Turkish warships and bridges being built near the fortress of Silistria...” during the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878.
The tradition of awarding those who particularly distinguished themselves in military operations with Golden Weapons continued after the October Revolution. Honorary revolutionary weapon, or, as it was usually called during the Civil War, Golden weapons was in the period 1919-1930. the highest award. It was awarded exclusively to the highest command staff of the Red Army for special military distinctions. The right to award the Golden Arms belonged to the All-Russian Central Executive Committee (VTsIK), its Presidium and the Revolutionary Military Council of the Republic (RVSR). According to the decree of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee of April 8, 1920, the honorary revolutionary weapon was a saber (dagger) with a gilded hilt. The Order of the Red Banner of the RSFSR was placed on the hilt.
The first awards with the Honorary Revolutionary Weapon (saber) called Military golden weapons with the sign of the Order of the Red Banner took place before its official approval on August 8, 1919. The Presidium of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee awarded the Commander-in-Chief of all the Armed Forces of the Republic Sergei Sergeevich Kamenev with combat golden weapons for military merits and organizational talent shown by him in the fight against the enemies of the Republic, and Army Commander Vasily Ivanovich Shorin - for military merits shown in battles against Kolchak's forces, and skillful leadership of the 2nd Army of the Eastern Front. The third cavalier was the commander of the Cavalry Corps, Semyon Mikhailovich Budyonny (November 20, 1919). The fourth to receive weapons was the commander of the 5th Army, Mikhail Nikolaevich Tukhachevsky (December 17, 1919). After the decree on the establishment of Golden Combat Weapons, they were awarded to 16 more prominent military leaders of the Civil War on January 18, 1921, two holders of award edged weapons - S.S. Kamenev and S.M. Budyonny - were also awarded firearms of Honorary Revolutionary Weapon.
By decree of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR of December 12, 1924, an all-Union Honorary revolutionary weapon was established: a saber (dagger) with a gilded hilt and the Order of the Red Banner applied to the hilt, a revolver with the Order of the Red Banner attached to its handle and a silver plate with the inscription: “To the honest warrior of the Red Army from the Central Executive Committee of the USSR 19.....”. On April 23, 1930, the famous Soviet military leader, hero of the Civil War, holder of four Orders of the Red Banner, Stepan Sergeevich Vostretsov, was awarded the All-Union Honorary Revolutionary Weapon (saber). for distinction in eliminating the conflict on the Chinese Eastern Railway in 1929”, where he commanded the 18th Rifle Corps. This was the last award of the Honorary Revolutionary Arms. In total, 21 people were awarded the Honorary Revolutionary Weapon, including 2 people twice. Subsequently, in connection with the establishment of the title of Hero of the Soviet Union in 1934, the awarding of Honorary Revolutionary Weapons was not made.
In 1968, the Presidium of the Supreme Council reintroduced the awarding of honorary weapons with a gold image of the State Emblem. For special services to the armed forces, the marshals of the Soviet Union were awarded honorary registered weapons: I.Kh. Bagramyan, F.I. Golikov, I.S. Konev, K.A. Meretskov, V.I. Chuikov, Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union S.G. Gorshkov and other military leaders.
Military antiques are a memory of past battles, past victories and defeats.
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Heavy cavalry saber model 1867, Sweden. The blade is steel, slightly curvature, single-edged, double-edged at the combat end, with one wide fuller on both ends of the blade. The hilt consists of a handle and a guard. The handle is made of wood, wrapped in thin light leather, and has transverse...
Heavy cavalry saber 1854, Sweden. The blade is single-edged steel, of slight curvature, with one wide fuller. There are registration and production marks on the butt of the blade. The hilt consists of a brass guard with two wide protective bows, a pommel that goes into the back of the handle, and a wooden...
Officer's cavalry broadsword, model 1893. With lanyard. Sweden. The blade is straight, double-edged, with two narrow fullers. On the left heel there are stamps: G.M., crown, E. SVALLING ESKILSTUNA. The hilt consists of a handle and a brass guard. The handle is covered with leather and wrapped along grooves with two rows of twisted steel...
Infantry officer's saber, model 1859, Sweden. The blade is steel, single-edged, of medium curvature, with a tubular spine and a needle point. The hilt consists of a brass guard, decorated with an openwork pattern on the front side, a protective bow that goes into the pommel, a cavilion bent to the side and wood..
The gun was tormented. XIX century Algeria/Morocco..
Soldier infantry saber mod. XI year. France, early 19th century. Steel, copper alloy, leather, wood. Forging, casting, metalworking operations. The blade is steel, slightly curved, single-edged, without fullers, wedge-shaped section. The blade has a mark in the form of the letter L. The hilt is copper-alloy, with a protective bow..
Jambia dagger. Türkiye. Mid-20th century The blade is double-edged, with significant curvature. The handle is metal with a small pommel, decorated with grain. The scabbard is wooden, covered with metal and decorated with the same stones as the handle, also decorated with grain. Total length 305 mm; blade length 170 mm. Width at os..
Jambia dagger. Türkiye. Mid-20th century The blade is double-edged, with significant curvature. The handle is metal, decorated with two blue stones. The scabbard is wooden, covered with metal and decorated with the same stones as the hilt. Total length 330 mm; blade length 192 mm. The width at the base of the blade is 40 mm. ..
Chrises are one of the most common types of bladed weapons among the inhabitants of the Malay Archipelago. It is believed that the kris carries magical powers and is not only a weapon, but also a talisman that protects against enemies and evil spirits. Chrises are credited with many magical properties, for example...
Trisula – ceremonial trident. Indonesia. The two side blades of the trident bear dragon heads. Wooden handle. The scabbard is wooden, painted. Total length 515 mm; blade length 230 mm. ..
Knife in sheath. Indonesia. First half - mid-twentieth century. The blade is steel, single-edged. The number 5 is stamped at the base of the blade. The wooden handle has the shape of a man squatting. The bolster is made of copper alloy. The scabbard is wooden, consisting of two halves fastened together. ..
Tombak - a spear tip in a sheath. Indonesia. XIX century The blade is made of layered steel. The type of pamor is not distinguishable. Wooden scabbard. Total length 355 mm; blade length 200 mm. The width at the base of the blade is 16 mm. ..
Knife Batak. Sumatra (Indonesia). XIX century The blade is made of layered steel. The copper alloy handle is shaped like a human figure and decorated with a tuft of black hair. The metal sheath is covered with the skin of an animal with light hair. The end of the scabbard is in the shape of a human figure. Total length 226 mm;..
The knife is bare. Indonesia. End of the 19th century The blade is steel, single-edged, of slight curvature, made of layered steel. The handle is wooden, decorated with carvings, the pommel is in the shape of the head of a mythological creature. The scabbard is wooden, with an asymmetrically widening mouth. The scabbard and hilt were made in a later...
Cavalry private's saber, model 1822, France. The blade is steel, slightly curvature, single-edged, double-edged at the combat end, with one wide fuller and one narrow fuller at the butt. The hilt consists of a handle and a brass guard. The handle is attached to the strip in a mounted manner: the end is a shank..
An officer's sword with a lanyard in a sheath. France. End of the 19th century The blade is straight, double-edged, lens-shaped, with one narrow fuller. The hilt consists of a brass guard with a cavillon lowered down on one side, a protective bow connected to the pommel on the other, and a wooden handle with grooves. ..
Soldier's cavalry saber (in sheath). France, Chatellerault arms factory. Beginning of the 20th century Made for the Chilean army. Steel. Forging, metalworking operations. The blade is steel, with slight curvature. The hilt consists of a handle and a guard. The cross-section of the handle is oval and has transverse grooves. Garda..
Cavalry saber. Uninstalled model. German states. XIX century A massive single-edged blade of slight curvature with one wide fuller. There is a mark on the butt of the blade. The hilt consists of a steel cup, two protective arches, a pommel that turns into the back of the handle and a wooden handle. Judging by...
It has been repeatedly repaired and restored. ..
The knife is bare. Indonesia. Beginning of the 20th century The blade is steel, single-edged, of slight curvature. The handle is wooden, decorated with carvings, the pommel is in the shape of a bird's head. The scabbard is wooden, decorated with carvings. Total length: 360 mm; blade length: 220 mm; blade width: 22 mm. ..
French naval officer's sword model 1837. Steel blade, rhombic cross-section. The handle is made of dark bone, barrel-shaped, oval in cross-section. The head of the sword handle is conical, with a dome-shaped top. Under the head of the handle and at the bottom there are identical bushings decorated with relief...
Diplomatic official's sword housings. France. XIX century Sword of an official of the diplomatic corps. France. Mid-19th century The blade has a triangular cross-section with etching and engraving from the manufacturer Klingenthal. The hilt has a complex design and consists of a brass openwork cup, a protective bow, a wooden hand...
Dagger Chris. Sulawesi. XIX century Small kris dagger, Sulawesi Island (Indonesia). XIX century Iron, rock nickel, steel, wood, copper alloy. Chris with a straight but slightly curved overall blade. The pamor is faintly visible. The wooden handle is of the ayam patah tekah (chicken with a broken neck) type...
Tombak knife. Indonesia. First half of the twentieth century. Traditionally, the tombak is the tip of a spear, although it has its own sheath. Less commonly, the tombak was used, as in this case, as a knife blade. The blade is double-edged, lens-shaped. There are inscriptions in Arabic on the blade. The handle, like the scabbard, is curved..
Cavalry saber. Spain. XIX century The blade is steel, slightly curved, single-edged, the combat end is double-edged, with a single wide fuller. On the heel of the blade there is a mark indicating the place of production (TOLEDO) and the manufacturer, as well as a military registration number stamped on top of it...
Sword of military justice and gendarmerie officers, model 1853, with lanyard. Steel, brass, gilding, engraving. The blade is straight, double-edged, with two narrow fullers. On both heels of the blade there are marks and engraved inscriptions - the name of the manufacturer: Klinengtal. Cast brass handle...
Tibetan traveler's knife with chopsticks. The blade is straight, single-edged, and the handle is bone. The scabbard is wooden, with a ring for fastening on the belt, covered with metal. The sheath has two additional holes for sticks. Total length: 210 mm; blade length: 120 mm. ..
Cavalry saber, model 1904, Austria-Hungary. The blade is slightly curvature, with a tubular spine and a needle-shaped end. The tip is shifted to the line of the butt. The hilt consists of a handle and a steel guard. The handle is covered with rough leather and has seven transverse grooves. The back of the handle is covered with steel...
Qatar, stabbed Indian dagger of the 19th century. The blade has a reinforcing “rib” on both sides. The end of the dagger has a special extension for piercing chain mail. Katar is an Indian dagger of the stabbed type. Another variant of the name is jamadhar (“blade of the god of death” or “tongue of the god of death”). Designed..
Short wakizashi sword. Japan. XIX century The blade is in a shirasaya sheath. Shirasaya literally translates as “white scabbard”. This is a special sheath that was used for transportation and long-term storage of the blade. At first, shirasayas were made in the form of a box, into which the entire...
Dagger Chris. Indonesia. XIX century Chrises are one of the most common types of bladed weapons among the inhabitants of the Malay Archipelago. It is believed that the kris carries magical powers and is not only a weapon, but also a talisman that protects against enemies and evil spirits. Chris is credited with many magic...
Officer's sword. Beginning of the 19th century France. The blade is steel, double-edged, straight, lens-shaped. The blade has gilded needle etching. The hilt consists of a brass guard, one cavilion, a protective bow and pommel; and a wooden handle with spiral grooves. The end of the cavilion in the morning..
Lancer officer's saber mod. 1889 Mecklenburg (Germany). The blade is steel, single-edged with one wide fuller. There is etching on both holomenias of the blade. On one holomen the name and number of the regiment are etched, on the other there is a drawing of a military theme. On the butt of the blade there is also etching with growth..
Sword. France. Mid-19th century The blade is steel, single-edged, straight, with one fuller. The hilt consists of a brass guard with a protective bow and pommel; and a horn handle with transverse grooves. Leather scabbard with brass end and mouth. There is a peg at the base of the scabbard. Total length: 885 mm; length..
Pocket pistol, capsule. France. Mid-19th century The barrel is steel, made of Damascus. The lock box has a floral design engraved on it. Wooden handle with inlaid ornament. Total length: 190 mm; barrel length: 75 mm; caliber: 13.6 mm. ..
Alemang Buginese. Indonesia. XVIII - XIX centuries The blade is straight, single-edged, made of laminated steel. The handle is made of black wood. Leather scabbard, ending lost. The handle and scabbard were made at a much later period than the blade. Total length: 600 mm; blade length:..
Sword. Sumbawa Island (Indonesia). XIX century or earlier. The steel blade has a slight curvature and has a so-called “one and a half” sharpening (the cutting edge of one of the sides starts from half the length of the blade). The number 1790 is stamped at the base of the blade. The handle is made of black wood, significantly wider..
Golok. Indonesia. First half of the twentieth century. The blade is steel, single-edged, of slight curvature. The blade is artificially darkened with a black compound. The handle is wooden, decorated with carvings, the pommel is in the shape of the head of a feline animal. The scabbard is wooden, decorated with carvings. Total length: 450 mm; blade length:..
Golok. Indonesia. XIX century A very unusual specimen with a blade from Chris. The blade is made of layered steel, the stain is visible. The handle is carved, wooden, in the shape of a parrot's head. The scabbard is wooden, covered with snakeskin. The mouth of the scabbard is made of white metal with chased ornaments. Total length: 420 mm; blade length: 295..
Kunjang. Indonesia. XX century Kunjang is a weapon native to West Java (Sundan region). Without the necessary equivalent in Russian, we will call it a sickle, despite the fact that its shape is significantly different from the shape of a regular sickle. In fact, the name of the sickle in Indonesian is "chelurit"..
Sword. Germany. XVIII century Sword. Germany. XVIII century The blade is steel, double-edged, straight lens-shaped. Despite its elegance, the blade is quite strong and reliable, but at the same time lightweight, which makes this sword a good weapon in the hands of a skilled fencer. The hilt consists of a handle, a gar..
Cavalry saber. Sweden. XIX century The blade is steel, single-edged, slightly curvature, with one wide fuller. The hilt consists of a brass guard with three protective arches, a pommel that goes into the back of the handle, and a wooden handle with transverse grooves. There are registration marks on the hilt. Steel scabbard..
Austrian military officials' sword, model 1878. The blade is straight, double-edged with one wide fuller. There is etching on the blade. The hilt consists of a handle with a brass curved lion's head and a brass guard. The handle is formed by two mother-of-pearl cheeks, fastened with two brass ornamented...
Infantry officer's sword mod. 1867 Saxony. Swords of this model were in service with the German army until the beginning of the twentieth century. The blade is nickel-plated, double-edged, straight, with two narrow fullers. The blade has gilded etching in the form of an imperial monogram under a crown. The hilt consists of a brass fold...
Infantry officer's saber, model 1821, France. The blade is steel, single-edged, of medium curvature, with one wide fuller. Half of the blade on each holomeni is blued and gilded with military-themed designs made by needle etching. The hilt consists of a brass guard with two protective arms..
The traditional weapon of the inhabitants of the Malay archipelago is the kris dagger. This type of kris is typical of the Mindano Island (Southern Philippines). The blade is steel, double-edged, with a wavy cutting edge. The handle is wooden with a pommel bent at a right angle. The blade and the handle are connected by a copper ring...
Cleaver, Philippines/Luzon. First half of the twentieth century. The blade is steel, single-edged, of slight curvature. The guard and bolster are made of brass alloy, the handle is made of ebony. The pommel of the handle is made in the shape of the head of a mythological animal and trimmed with copper alloy inserts. Wooden scabbard...
Heavy cavalry saber model 1864 Sweden. A massive steel blade, single-edged, of slight curvature, with one wide fuller. There are production marks on the heel of the blade. The hilt consists of a brass guard with two protective arches that turn into a pommel and a wooden handle with transverse grooves...
Artillery saber mod. 1831 Sweden Artillery saber model 1831 Sweden. A massive wide blade, single-edged, of slight curvature, with one wide fuller and one narrow lobe. The hilt of the so-called Blucher type has a D-shape. The blade and hilt have manufacturing and...
Artillery saber, model 1831, Sweden. A massive wide blade, single-edged, of slight curvature, with one wide fuller and one narrow lobe. The hilt of the so-called Blucher type has a D-shape. There are production and registration marks on the blade and hilt. Steel scabbard with two edges..
Infantry cleaver model 1848 with lanyard. Sweden. The blade is steel, straight, without fullers, single-edged. The hilt consists of a handle and a cross. The cross-section of the handle is oval, smoothly curved towards the blade of the blade, formed by two black wooden cheeks, fastened to the shank of the blade by two...
Hussar saber. Bavaria. Mid-19th century The blade is single-edged steel, of medium curvature with one wide fuller. The blade has a needle etching - the monogram of King Ludwig II of Bavaria. There is an inscription on the butt of the blade, probably the signature of the master. The hilt consists of a steel guard with three protective arms..
Artillery saber mod. 1822 without scabbard. Bavaria. The blade is single-edged steel, of medium curvature with one wide fuller. The hilt consists of a steel guard with three protective bows, one end bent downwards - a cavilion, a pommel, a back and a wooden handle. The handle is covered with leather and has a transverse...
Infantry saber model 1845 without scabbard. France. The blade is steel, single-edged, with a needle point. The blade has one wide fuller and one narrow fuller. The hilt consists of a brass guard with a cavillon lowered down on one side, connected to the other by a protective bow with a pommel and a wooden...
Kukri in sheath. India. Beginning of the 20th century The blade is steel, single-edged, with significant curvature. The blade of the blade runs along the inside of the curve. At the base of the blade there is a “cho” notch. The handle is made of rosewood. The scabbard is wooden, covered with black leather. Kukri (kukri, another trans..
Unique Buryat knife. The wooden parts of the handle and sheath are made of walnut, the metal parts of the sheath and handle are silver. The scabbard is decorated with precious stones. The scabbard contains the coat of arms of the USSR. Dedication signature on the blade. Length 40cm. Prepayment 100%. Delivery at buyer's expense...
Bebut, early 20th century, Chrysostom. the marks on the blade were cut down into civilian ones, for obvious reasons, but the circle of the word “Chrysostom” is still quite legible. Acceptance stamps are visible on the scabbard holder. Prepayment 100%. Delivery at the buyer's expense. ..
The eastern bebut, the so-called “tiger fang”. 19th century, horn handle, rivets and glass on the scabbard - silver. Prepayment 100%. Delivery at the buyer's expense. ..
Bavarian ceremonial saber, 19th century. Excellent condition. Blade Solingen, marks erased. Double sided etching. Advance payment 100% Delivery at the buyer's expense Delivery by Business lines or other transport company..
Original original. The medal is in its original plexiglass box and cardboard packaging. The cardboard packaging reads in Japanese and English: Designed by Seibo Kitamura Hard physical and mental training is a prerequisite for championship athletic performance. The beauty of young people ex..
Original original. Payment token (Wertmarke) part with field post number 37282 Dienststelle Feldpostnummer -37282-. 50 pfennigs. Zinc, diameter 30.2 mm, weight 5.34 g. Super condition, shiny surface. Shipping only within Russia at the buyer's expense. I don't send abroad...
Original original. The medal is in its original box with its original booklet. The booklet in Japanese and English reads: The Tokyo Olympics Memorial Medal is sponsored by the Japan Athletic Promotion Foundation. Material: gold plated copper. Obverse design: Scene...
Original original. Akita Prefectural Police Desktop Commendation Medal. Diameter 65 mm, weight 156.16 g. Obverse: Akita Prefectural Police Headquarters building against the background of a giant butterbur leaf (in Japanese Akitabuki 秋田蕗) Reverse: 賞 Sho > award; 秋田県 Akita-ken 警察 K..
The blade is steel, slightly curvature, single-edged, with one wide and two narrow fullers on both sides. The fighting end is double-edged. The hilt consists of a handle with a head and a brass guard. The guard is formed by a front bow extending from the outer part of the handle and smoothly turning into a cross. ..
Checker of the Kuban-Caucasian region of the second half of the 19th century. Russian empire. Perfectly balanced for horse riding. General characteristics: overall length: 994 mm, blade length 835 mm, blade width 31 mm. On the end of the blade there is a marking in the form of a stylized crown and numbers..
Bebut artillery model 1907. The blade is steel, double-edged, with two narrow fullers. The bebut handle is made of wood and is attached to the blade handle with two brass rivets. Without a sheath. - length in sheath 64 cm. - length of bebuta 59.5 cm. - blade length 44 cm. - blade width 3.6 cm...
Problem with the hairpin. The enamel is intact...
Reproduction of red table wine for the German Armed Forces in 1941. Label inscription Nur fur die Deutche Wehrmacht For German Armed Forces only. Controlee NSDAP party control of the NSDAP. Red table wine 1941, 9-11%, volume 0.7. Made in Europe Excellent collectible..
Breastplate and helmet of a carabineer officer of the Second Empire, France, 1852 - 1870. Excellent condition, no dents. There are no side straps. ..
Nicholas II. Without pad. ..
Nicholas II. St. George medal with block. ..
Europe. Pipe diameter 12cm. Brass, leather. ..
Germany 1920-1945 Dimensions: total length 20.5 cm, blade length 17 cm...
Germany. Dimensions: total length 20.5cm; blade length 10.5 cm. 1940-1950.
Norway, 1960 Silver details. Total length 22 cm; blade length 10.5 cm...
The Second World War. This knife was awarded to pilots of Japanese kamikaze units in order to save themselves from suffering during a ram approach. Dimensions: total length 19cm; blade length 11cm...
Dimensions: total length 108 cm, blade length 83 cm...
Table souvenir: Cannonball on a cast iron stand. 18 century. A support stand with a surface decorated with relief patterns. Product of Kasli masters. Cast iron cannonball from a 4-pounder cannon from the Napoleonic Wars era. The items are connected to each other with a brass bolt. Real historical tabletop..
Original original. Silver, diameter 27 mm, weight 5.69 g. Obverse: portraits of newlyweds, above them two shaking hands. Circular legend: OMNIUM RERUM NEXUS NOBILIOR, below Fides 1654 Reverse: coat of arms of the groom, circular legend CL GALLAND Sr DE BEAUSABLON ET DAME C GUYON S ESP The token is private, poet..
Piracy has existed since man learned to sail the sea. And accordingly, the pirates’ weapons also changed over time. We will consider the weapons of pirates of the period of the XV-XVII centuries, since before this period they were not much different from the usual weapons of the armies of those times.
Among pirates, firearms were well known, but edged weapons were given priority.
Piracy has existed since man learned to sail the sea. And accordingly, the pirates’ weapons also changed over time. We will consider the weapons of pirates of the period of the XV-XVII centuries, since before this period they were not much different from the usual weapons of the armies of those times.
Firearms were well known among pirates, but priority was given to melee weapons. The pistol could misfire, take a long time to reload, and the gunpowder could become completely damp, while a good blade would never fail. The most famous type of pirate blade is the so-called cutlass.
The Kutlass was a rather crude weapon with a short blade, which was very convenient to use in close combat, in particular in tight spaces, where it was necessary to hit very hard with a small swing. An effective and practical weapon, the cutlass was very popular among pirates and military personnel in the 17th century.
Other pirates stocked up on so-called bukans - large knives that were originally intended for chopping meat and tendons. The pirates of those territories called themselves buccaneers, precisely from the name of their weapons, which, by the way, were first made from broken sabers.
As for the Mediterranean pirates, they were traditionally armed with special curved sabers, which were very effective in battle.
KUTLASS
Kutlass was the main melee weapon of sailors. It was a short sword, pointed on one side. The blade was about 60 cm long and was curved, with the pointed side being the outer curve. Outwardly, the cutlass resembled a saber, but was shorter and more massive. Thanks to its greater mass, with the help of a cutlass it was possible not only to fight the enemy, but also to cut ropes and masts and even heavy doors. Since sailors most often fought in narrow spaces, often in strong conditions, the shorter length of the cutlass was also an important advantage. The thick and short blade made the cutlass strong, but not heavy. During the battle, the main decisive factor was hand-to-hand combat. The use of piercing weapons (rapiers, swords) was ineffective, since their blades often got stuck and broke, and the time to attack was prohibitively long.
SABER
Known in military affairs since ancient times. Therefore, let’s immediately move on to a description of some of its interesting varieties. Back in the 16th century, Venetian naval soldiers had a saw sword with a “toothed” blade, 45 cm long, tapering to a point. The handle is equipped with a cross with a closed bow and a short protective hook. This sword had an advantage in a quick boarding battle, because even with unaimed blows he quickly incapacitated his enemies. In Italy, namely in Genoa and Venice, which were in peaceful or hostile, but constant contact with the East, you can find a sword called cortelas (Italian cortelas, coltelaccio), which means “big knife.” Since Venice was an active mediator between East and West until the 17th century, its fencing schools chose the cortelas as a fencing weapon, both one-handed and two-handed types. Eastern influence is also recognizable in the dussac (French dusak), which is an iron single-edged blade, slightly curved. An elongated hole is cut out at the upper end for gripping with four fingers. A characteristic feature of the eastern saber is the pommel, placed parallel to the crosspiece, on which there is a crosshair.
CUTLASS
One of the popular types of saber is the boarding saber, designed for combat in small spaces, such as the deck of a ship, cabins, etc. It is distinguished by a curved wide blade with a sharpening on the curved side and a butt on the concave side. The blade may have fullers. This weapon is characterized by simplicity of finishing. The handle is usually made of wood. The hilt has a bow or shield type guard. Wooden or metal scabbard. It was used until the 19th century. The length of the blade is 70 - 80 cm, width 5 cm. The boarding saber was the main boarding weapon. It is a mistake to consider a boarding saber (cutlass) a cutting weapon when its priority is a piercing weapon. A boarding saber has a bend to increase strength, and not for cutting properties - the bend transfers the center of gravity to the middle of the blade, which increases the block against other heavy weapons and reduces fragility. Arab sabers have a strong bend to increase chopping properties; in a boarding saber it is small and retains piercing properties. On the deck where others are fighting within centimeters, there are shrouds all around, cramped cabins - there is no meta for a swing, so only a piercing blow is acceptable.
DAGA
Daga (Spanish: daga), a dagger designed for the left hand, while the right holds a long-bladed weapon. The length of the daga is about 40 cm, the length of the blade is about 30 cm. The daga is intended for protection, as well as for delivering retaliatory blows and thrusts. The daga became most widespread in the 16th century. At the same time, dags appeared with a special device: when you pressed a button, the blade, under the action of a spring, folded into two or three parts, which made it possible to easily catch the enemy’s weapon and disarm him. Such devices could have additional slots and were called a sword breaker. Pirates armed with rapiers and swords were mainly used as auxiliary weapons.
DIRK
A piercing weapon with a straight short double-edged (less often single-edged) narrow blade, which can also be faceted (triangular, tetrahedral, diamond-shaped) with a bone handle. There is no consensus regarding the origin of the dagger. Some consider it a type of dagger, others argue that it appeared as a shortened version of the sword. It would be a mistake to judge this on the basis of modern officer daggers: being purely symbolic weapons, they are more modest in size than their military ancestors. Only one thing is indisputable: a dirk was required for boarding. Dirks are the most ancient boarding weapon with a short blade, intended to defeat the enemy in a boarding battle. The dirk became widespread at the end of the 16th century, and later became a traditional weapon for officers of the navy. According to one version , British sailors were the first to use dirks. With these weapons they could pierce the plate armor of Spanish soldiers who were part of the crews of warships as marines and transported the valuables of galleons. It was extremely difficult to cut such armor with a saber or an ax, and with a halberd on a ship, of course, you couldn’t turn around, so in fights they were stabbed with rapiers or swords in unprotected places or joints of armor.
In a close boarding battle, sometimes there was not enough space to strike with a sword - but the existing daggers and knives were a bit short. Therefore, in the second half of the 16th century, weapons that were either a large dagger or a shortened sword gained popularity. This was the dagger.
However, “saber” type daggers are also known - with a slightly curved blade and sharpened only on one side. They are said to have evolved from cutlasses. Moreover, in the English fleet, “saber” daggers became so popular that they began to be called “English”, and daggers with a straight blade - “French”.
PEAK, HALBERD, AX
The pike or halberd was not very popular among pirates during sea boardings; rather, it was a weapon of intimidation. The sailors used the so-called boarding pike during boarding. The pike was somewhat shorter than its “land” counterpart and was used for throwing at the enemy or as a regular spear. The weight of this weapon was about 2.7 kilograms, and the length was 1.2-1.8 meters. The pike was the simplest weapon on a ship and was used not only by pirates for attack, but also by civilian ships to defend against pirates. Because of its length, the pike was effective against swords, knives and other cutting weapons during boarding combat. But it was used more often when pirates had to participate in land battles; they often used the pike in hand-to-hand combat, including as a throwing weapon.
RAPIER
Rapier (German Rapier, from French rapiere), a type of piercing weapon. Appeared in the second half of the 17th century. in Europe and was used for teaching weapon techniques (fencing). It was also used as a dueling weapon. It has a straight steel blade with a pointed end, a guard and a round handle with a notch to reduce hand slipping. As a rule, they were used by pirates who considered themselves good swordsmen. The rapier was a typical stabbing weapon. The rapier had a flexible, thin, long blade with a guard. The rapier was mainly used by recognized fencing masters, since during hand-to-hand combat the use of the rapier was limited to the pitching and narrow spaces of the ship. But on the shore, the rapier was widely used during duels.
CLASH
The cleaver is a cutting-and-piercing edged weapon that was in service with the Russian army (except for rifle infantry units, cavalry and horse artillery) from the end of the 18th century to the 80s of the 19th century. Its length was usually 64-72 cm, and its width was 4-5 cm. The lower ranks of sapper and engineering units, miners and pontooners, and foot artillerymen were also armed with cutlasses. Over the hundred years of its existence, incl. in the Russian army, this weapon was somewhat modified, but there were still three types of cutlasses: infantry, sapper and naval. The scabbards of all were made of wood and covered with leather, the mouth and tip were metal. A lanyard made of braid with a tassel was tied to the handle of the hilt. This brush consisted of a nut, a wooden trinchik (colored ring), a neck and a fringe. In the infantry, the braid and fringe were supposed to be white, while the tassel and trynchik, with their color, denoted company and battalion distinctions.
A type of sword that differs from it in a narrower blade, designed for a thrust rather than a slash. The name sword (German Degen), like the glaive and other types of weapons, was transferred from another piercing weapon, which over time received a different name. Already in the 12th century in Germany, a long dagger called “degen” appeared, which was worn by nobles. And today the dagger is called “dague” in French, “daga” in Italian and Spanish. In none of the Western languages, except German, there is a special term for this type of special form of thrusting sword (excluding the French estoc - long sword and Italian stocco - dagger), and it is everywhere called a sword. No other weapon can compare with the ease of ownership of a sword. For the same reason, much more attention is paid to protecting the hand of an epee than a sword. Spain, Italy, and later Holland and France competed in the 16th and 17th centuries to design devices as complex as they were exquisite for the most complete protection of the hand. In the 16th century, the sword in the form of a broadsword became part of the equipment of light Spanish and Italian cavalry formations. Here her blade often had an exaggerated length. If the sword blade is single-edged and double-edged only at the end, it is called a chopping blade (German Haudegenklinge), and if it is two-, three- or four-edged, it is called a piercing blade (German Stosdegenklinge).
Swords with wider, double-edged blades are sometimes, although not entirely accurately, called broadswords. Very narrow, awl-like blades with little or no elasticity are called stabbing blades (German Steche-rklinge); very flexible, especially those on which wide cupped guards were installed - rapier. The Italians at first called such thrusting swords, which had completely rigid blades, the word stocco, as opposed to the flexible blades, which they called puma (spring). The semantic content of the last name passed into the German language, where professional duelists began to be called Federfechter (spring fighter).
SWEEP
Blade(s) with deep sawtooth notches (grooves) or any other device specifically designed to capture and disable an enemy's weapon. Like the daga, the rapier was mainly used as an auxiliary weapon by pirates armed with rapiers and swords.
In the Russian army and navy, the dagger appeared under Peter I. In addition to naval officers, in the 18th century it was also worn by some ranks of the ground forces. In 1730, the dagger replaced the sword among non-combatant army ranks. In 1803, the wearing of daggers as personal weapons for officers and midshipmen of the navy was regulated, and cases were identified when a dagger could replace a sword or a naval officer's saber.
At the beginning of the 19th century, the blade of a Russian naval dirk had a square cross-section and an ivory handle with a metal cross. The end of the 30-centimeter blade of the dirk was double-edged. The length was 39 cm. On a wooden scabbard covered with black leather, in the upper part of the device there were two gilded bronze holders with rings for attaching to a sword belt, and in the lower part there was a tip for the strength of the scabbard. The sword belt, made of black multi-layered silk, was decorated with bronze gilded lion heads. Instead of a badge there was a clasp in the form of a snake, curved like the Latin letter S.
Symbols in the form of lion heads were borrowed from the coat of arms of the Russian tsars of the Romanov dynasty. In the middle of the 19th century, double-edged blades with a diamond-shaped cross-section became widespread, and at the end - tetrahedral needle-type blades. The sizes of dagger blades, especially in the second half of the 19th and early 20th centuries, varied greatly. The decorations of the blades could be different, often they were images related to marine themes.
Over time, the length of the blade of the dirk decreased somewhat. The Russian naval dagger of the 1913 model had a blade 240 mm long and a metal handle. Somewhat later, the handle was changed, and the metal on it remained only in the form of the lower ring and tip. A Russian naval officer was required to wear a dagger whenever he appeared on the shore. The exception was the ceremonial officer uniform: in this case, the dirk was replaced by a naval saber and broadsword. While serving in the coastal establishments of the fleet, a naval officer also had to wear a dagger. On a ship, wearing a dagger was mandatory only for the watch commander.
In 1914, daggers became part of a certain form of clothing in aviation, aeronautical units, mine companies, and automobile units. Army aviation dirks differed from naval ones with black handles. In August 1916, dirks replaced sabers among chief officers and military officials, except for cavalry and artillery. In November 1916, army doctors received daggers. In March 1917, the wearing of daggers was extended to all generals, officers and military officials of all military units, with the exception of cases when they were on horseback. Since May 1917, officers who graduated from military educational institutions began to receive daggers instead of checkers.
When manufacturing ship guns on ship models, their correct equipment plays an important role. A skillfully made gun, simply glued to the deck, will look unfinished; even a layman’s eye will notice that such a gun will roll freely on the deck when rocking, and in a storm it will generally turn into a deadly projectile, threatening not only the crew, but also the ship. This is only the most obvious side; in general, guns often had quite a significant weight, so all kinds of hoists were simply necessary for rolling the gun, loading it, and pointing it at the target. Let's try to understand the structure of various additional parts of tools, hoists and cables used at different times in different countries.
The gun was aimed at the target using the simplest sighting devices - a wedge or screw that raised or lowered the breech of the gun. Horizontal aiming was carried out by turning the gun using levers. The shooting distance did not exceed 400-1000 m by the middle of the 19th century.
Fig. 1 Design of a ship's cannon
1 - vingrad; 2 - ignition hole; 3 - ignition shelf; 4 - belt near the treasury; 5 - trunnions; 6 - muzzle wreath; legvant; 7 - muzzle rim; 8 - barrel; 9 - rim of the barrel belt; 11 - turning of the first “reinforcement”; 12 - wheel axle; 13 - wheels; 14 - iron dowels or cotter pins; 15 - monitor frame; 16 - side walls-cheeks; 17 - carriage cushion; 18 - cape for the trunnion; 19 - square bolts; 20 - butts for attaching cannon hoists; 21 - through hole in the carriage for the passage of trousers; 22 - eyelets for wiring the trouser; 23 - lifting wedge cushion; 24 - lifting wedge
The gun, ready to fire, was fixed with wedges. The gunpowder was ignited with a wick through the ignition hole. When firing a bomb, the bomb fuse was first lit. After the shot, the gun barrel was cleaned with a bannik - a brush made of lamb skin. The entire process of preparing the gun for firing, along with aiming at the target, took 8-15 minutes. The gun's servants depended on its caliber and could reach 3-4 people. for small guns or 15-18 people. at big guns. The low rate of fire and accuracy of fire (the ship was constantly rocking on the waves) forced to install as many guns as possible on the ship and fire in volleys at one target. In general, it was very difficult to sink a wooden ship or frigate using such means. Therefore, artillery battle tactics boiled down to destroying masts and sails on an enemy ship. Then, if the enemy did not surrender, his ship was set on fire with firecrackers and bombs. To prevent the crew from putting out the fire, they fired grapeshot on the upper deck. Sooner or later the fire reached the gunpowder reserves. If it was necessary to capture an enemy ship, then a boarding party was landed on it, which destroyed the crew of the enemy ship in hand-to-hand combat.
The following parts were distinguished in the cannon: the inner part of the gun tube - a channel; the front part is the barrel; “reinforcements” - cylinders placed on a pipe; cylindrical tides on which the gun rotated in a vertical plane - axles; the part of the pipe from the trunnions to the barrel is the barrel; the rear part of the gun is the treasury or breech; the tide to the treasury is vingrad; a hole in the pipe next to the treasury into which gunpowder was poured to ignite the charge - a pilot hole, etc. These and other parts of the gun are shown in Fig. 1, where you can see the relationships between the individual parts.
Carriages, or “carts,” were made of oak. They consisted of two side walls - cheeks, which decreased stepwise in height towards the rear of the gun. A horizontal board - a frame - was attached between the cheeks, and the wheel axles were attached to it. The wheels were also made of oak and shod with iron. In accordance with the transverse loss of the deck, the diameter of the front wheels was slightly larger than the rear ones, so the gun lay horizontally on the carriage. In the front part of the frame between the cheeks there was a vertical beam - the “carriage cushion”. Its upper part had a semicircular cutout to facilitate lifting the barrel. Two semicircular sockets were cut into the cheeks for installing the trunnions of the gun. On top of the trunnions were held iron capes of a semicircular shape. The individual parts of the carriage were fastened together with iron bolts and cotter pins. Additionally, eyelets were installed on the carriages for attaching hoists.
Ancient guns on ships were moved during battle for loading and aiming, and the rest of the time, due to the motion, they had to be thoroughly secured using special equipment.
Rice. 2. Cannon and retractable hoists, trousers.
1 - trousers (French version); 2 - trousers (English version); 3 - cannon hoists; 4 - sliding hoists.
The trouser was a powerful cable that passed through the side walls of the carriage, the ends of which were attached to the eyelets on the sides of the cannon ports. Served to hold the gun during rollback. On English ships, the trouser did not pass through the carriage, but through the eyelets on the side walls of the carriage.
Cannon hoists - consisted of two blocks with hooks, which were fastened in eyelets on the cheeks of the carriage and on the sides of the cannon ports. With their help, the gun was rolled up to the port and rolled away from it. To do this, two hoists were wound on both sides of the gun (Fig. 2).
Retractable hoists are one or two hoists, based in the same way as cannon hoists, and used to pull the gun inside the ship. Typically, guns were secured to the ship using cables, and during the battle they were pulled out of the gun ports. Sometimes this was done while at anchor, in order to give the ship a ceremonial appearance.
To secure the gun, it was pulled into the ship and the breech was lowered so that the muzzle touched the upper jamb of the port. The trouser was wound under the front axle of the carriage, and the barrel was secured with a cable that covered it and was secured to the eye in the middle of the upper jamb.
Rice. 3. A tool secured with cables.
1 - carriage; 2 - trunk; 3 - muzzle mount; 4 - breech sling; 5 - trousers; 6 - cannon hoists; 7 - sliding hoists; 8 - cable tightening the trousers and cannon hoists; 9 - battery fastening cable; 10 - wedges.
The Vingrad guns were also covered with a sling, into the fire of which the retractable hoists were driven. The second hook of the hoist was fastened in the eye on the jamb. Then the cannon hoists were stuffed and, having tightened them, they grabbed the trousers using the thin end. For safety, wedges were placed under the wheels of the carriage; in addition, all the guns of one battery were fastened to each other with a cable that passed over the lower “step” of the carriage through the eyes on the deck and the hooks on the sides of the gun ports (Fig. 3).
One of the main differences in the English and French gun mounting schemes is the trouser wiring. Guns of different sizes could have different numbers of hoists. For example, on lighter guns, instead of a pair of retractable hoists, they often used one attached to an eyelet standing in the center of the carriage (Fig. 7). On Russian ships a scheme similar to the English one was used. This is how it is described in Glotov’s book “Explanations on the ship’s armament”:
The guns on the machines are placed on the decks in the ports, attached to the sides with hoists and trousers (thick resin ropes; made from stay cables, thickness from 8 to 5 ½ inches, depending on the caliber of the gun, and 2 ½ lengths of the gun; hoists made from ordinary cables with a thickness of 1/3 of the trousers. The trousers are attached to the eyelets fixed in the sides, and, passing through the eyelets in the cannon machine, they hold the cannon during recoil and help in strengthening it to the side), crowbars and gunshots lie under the machines, banniki, pins , fawns over the cannons. Some of the cannonballs and buckshot are placed in the so-called fenders made on the sides of the cannons (Fenders are rings made of ropes, they are used to ensure that the cannonballs placed in them do not roll out anywhere), or among the deck in nailed slats, or around the hatches; Some of the kernels are placed in boxes made in the hold around the bilge near the mainmast, where they supplement the weight with which the middle of the ship, more than its other parts, should be burdened. The caliber of the guns from the lower deck to the top gradually decreases and is generally commensurate with the size and strength of the vessel. On a 74-gun ship, 36-pounders are usually placed on the lower deck, 18-pounders on the upper deck, and 8-pounders on the quarterdeck and forecastle. The weight of all these cannons without mountings and shells is almost 1/2 of the total ship's load. In peacetime, 65 cannonballs of 10 Drufhagels with buckshot and gunpowder for 56 combat shots are sent to the ship for each cannon, adding a few for musket shooting; but during the war this number increases by one and a half or two times. Artillery supplies, such as fuses, jackets, spare wheels, axles, crowbars, gun guns, banniks, breakers, etc., are placed in one of the cabins near the exit of the bow camera and in the gallery surrounding it, and near the passage to the lantern.
In Fig. Figure 3 shows one of the most complex schemes for attaching (mooring) guns in the stowed position. There are simpler, but less reliable techniques that have also been frequently used. Simple single mooring fig. 4 is quite sufficient in calm weather at sea, and is the easiest to perform. The running ends of the rolling hoists make one revolution per grape of the tool and fix them. For a more detailed description of this and subsequent schemes, please visit http://perso.wanadoo.fr/gerard.delacroix, for your attention the originals are in French.
Rice. 4. Simple single mooring.
The next most reliable, as well as most complex, was double mooring, Fig. 5. The end of the rolling hoists was used to make several turns around the grapes and the hook of the rolling hoists on the side, with the same end they pulled the resulting loops around the grapes and secured them.
Rice. 5. Double mooring.
Mooring the gun along the side (Fig. 6) was used in cases where the ship was used as a transport ship, or on small ships with a low deck, which was flooded by waves during strong winds. The gun was placed along the side opposite the port and secured through eyelets on the sides and wheel axles.
Rice. 6. Mooring along the side.
Naval artillery developed simultaneously with land artillery. The guns were smooth-bore, they were cast from cast iron and copper. The cannons fired solid cast iron balls using black smoky powder. The guns were loaded from the muzzle, and the shot was fired by igniting the gunpowder in the priming hole. Shooting was carried out only at direct fire. The caliber of guns in Peter's times ranged from two to 30 pounds (Fig. 7)
Rice. 7. A typical artillery weapon from Peter’s time:
1 - carriage; 2 - gun barrel trunnions; 3 - eye for sliding hoists; 4 - coupling bolts
Rice. 8. Unicorn gun barrel
The unicorn's barrel was longer than that of an infantry howitzer, but shorter than that of a naval cannon. It was possible to conduct mounted and ground fire from it, using all types of projectiles: cannonballs, explosive grenades (bombs), incendiary shells and buckshot. The unicorn’s grapeshot effect was many times stronger than the grapeshot effect of a mortar, and the firing range of cannonballs and bombs was twice as strong further than a mortar of the same weight. The siege artillery had at its disposal 24- and 18-pounder cannons, as well as 1-pound unicorns. Unicorns proved themselves so well that they were soon adopted by the armies of many Western countries. They held out until the introduction of rifled artillery (mid-19th century).
Since 1787, a new type of cannon was introduced into the navy: 24- and 31-pound carronades (Fig. 9), and at the beginning of the 19th century. - 68- and 96-pound. These were small-length, large-caliber cannons, the firing of which at close ranges produced large holes and destruction of the hull of the enemy ship. They were intended for close-range shooting, and were installed mainly on the upper deck - the quarterdeck and forecastle. The carriage of the carronades had a slightly different structure - the bow part of the carriage was bolted to the cushion, and the stern part had scaffolding located across the carriage, which made it possible to carry out horizontal aiming. For vertical aiming, a vertical screw was fitted on the carriage, with the help of which the rear part of the barrel was raised and lowered. In those same years, cast iron began to be replaced by bronze as a material for casting guns.
Rice. 9. Carronade
The latest achievement of Russian smooth-bore artillery was the 68-pound (214 mm) bomb guns, which played an important role in the Battle of Sinop in 1853. Tests of the new gun were carried out in Nikolaev in 1839, and from 1841, at the insistence of Kornilov, they began to arm ships of the Black Sea Fleet. The first ship armed with 68-pound bomb guns was the 120-gun three-deck battleship "Twelve Apostles", launched in 1841, and then the battleships of the same type "Paris", "Grand Duke Constantine" and "Empress" Maria".
Bomb guns (Fig. 10) differed from the so-called long guns in that their shells, having the same mass and the same projectile range, produced more significant destruction due to the fact that they were hollow and filled with an explosive charge. The firepower of a battleship armed with such guns tripled. Well-aimed bomb shells caused terrible destruction on enemy ships, they pierced the sides, knocked down masts and overturned enemy guns. Having pierced the side of the ship, they tore apart inside it, crushing everything around and causing fires. 15-20 minutes after the start of the Russian cannonade in the Battle of Sinop, most of the Turkish ships were already on fire.
Rice. 10. Bomb gun
Ordinary Turkish cannons of that time fired solid cannonballs that did not cause much harm to the enemy. For example, in 1827, in the victorious naval battle of Navarino, the Russian flagship Azov received 153 holes, including 7 underwater ones. This did not stop its commander, Captain 1st Rank M.P. Lazarev, from sinking the Turkish flagship, 3 frigates, a corvette and forcing an enemy 80-gun ship to wash ashore. And "Azov" was soon repaired and continued its glorious service in the ranks of its native fleet. Bomb guns very soon replaced cannons that fired solid cast-iron cannonballs.
By the middle of the 19th century. smoothbore artillery has reached its highest perfection. The external appearance of the guns varies depending on which factory and at what time they were cast. Guns of an earlier period had decorations in the form of friezes and belts decorated with intricate casting. Cannons of later manufacture did not have these decorations. Caliber of guns by the middle of the 19th century. reached 32-36 pounds, and bomb 68-96 pounds.
The approximate caliber sizes of some guns in the metric system are as follows: 3-pounder-61-mm, 6-pounder-95-mm, 8-pounder-104-mm, 12-pounder-110-mm, 16-pounder-118-mm , 18-pounder-136-mm, 24-pounder-150-mm, 30-pounder-164-mm, 36-pounder-172-mm, 68-pounder-214-mm.. Carronades were made 12-, 18-, 24-, 32-, 36-, 68- and 96-pounders.
Gun ports are almost square holes cut into the sides of the ship (Fig. 11). Ports were made in the bow and stern of the ship. In the bow there are so-called ports for running guns, in the stern - for guns used in defense against the pursuing enemy. They usually housed guns removed from the nearest side ports and placed on the same deck.
Rice. 11. Cannon ports of a two-deck battleship from the late 18th century;
1-gondeck ports; 2 - forward-deck ports; 3 - shank half-ports: 4 - main-channel 5 - lower deadeyes; 6 - shrouds; 7 - velkhouts; 8 - side ladder
The covers of the gun ports, which tightly closed them, were made of thick boards covered with transverse, thinner boards (Fig. 12).
Rice. 12. Gun port covers;
1-port cover; 2-decoration of port covers with inlay; 3 - method of opening and closing port covers.
The lids were hung on hinges from above. They were opened from the inside using cables, the ends of which were embedded in eyelets on the top side of the lid, and closed using another cable attached to the eyelet on the inside of the lid. On the upper deck in the bulwarks, the gun ports were made without covers and called half-ports. In Peter's times, the outer side of the port covers was often decorated with inlay in the form of a gilded wreath carved from wood.
The size of the ports and the distance between them depended on the diameter of the core. Thus, the width and height of the ports were 6.5 and 6 core diameters, respectively, and the distance between the axes of the ports was approximately 20-25 core diameters. The distances between the ports were dictated by the lower (largest caliber) guns, and the remaining ports were cut in a checkerboard pattern.
The distance between all the lower ports, plus the distance from the outer ports to the bow and stern, determined the length of the battery deck, and the latter determined the length of the ship and, accordingly, all its other dimensions. Hence the term “ship length along the nacelle” is sometimes found in the literature.
Now from history and theory, for clarity, let's move on to examples and photographs of various guns, and since we can distinguish two main installation schemes for gun hoists - English and French, first England:
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The last picture is a good example, the installation is on the model. Based on the scale of the model, some elements can be omitted; just like with rigging, excessive overloading of the model will only be a disadvantage. But in any case, leaving a gun without equipment, I think, is unsightly. At a minimum, it is worth making the trousers, regardless of the scale of the model, at least according to a simpler pattern without eyelets in the French style.
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