Old Ironsides Salutes D-Day

[Loophole LaRue, SASS #51438]

Since there has been some interest here regarding both the commemoration of the 75th anniversary of D-Day and Old Ironsides, I thought some might find this story an interesting intersection of the two; play the video to see her fire off her forward two guns.

 

She can make smoke!

 

https://www.wcvb.com/article/uss-constitution-to-set-sail-to-commemorate-75th-anniversary-of-d-day/27771595

 

For some additional salutes:

 

 

And for a view below decks while firing:

 

LL

[Charlie Harley, #14153]

Loved the car alarms being set off with the cannon shots!

[Pat Riot]

43 minutes ago, Charlie Harley, #14153 said:

Loved the car alarms being set off with the cannon shots!

I was going to comment on that as well. 

[Loophole LaRue, SASS #51438]

37 minutes ago, Charlie Harley, #14153 said:

Loved the car alarms being set off with the cannon shots!

 

And that's with just alternating shots from 2 x 24-pounder bow cannon, converted to 40 mm to fire rather small blanks for salutes; imagine broadsides from 30 x 24-pounders and 20 x 32-pounders with full powder and shot loads.

 

LL

[Pat Riot]

1 minute ago, Loophole LaRue, SASS #51438 said:

 

And that's with just alternating shots from 2 x 24-pounder bow cannon, converted to 40 mm to fire rather small blanks for salutes; imagine broadsides from 30 x 24-pounders and 20 x 32-pounders with full powder and shot loads.

 

LL

That is what I was hoping for but I do understand why they used the “pop” gun. 

[Pat Riot]

Thank you Loophole. 

[Flatwater Monte]

35 minutes ago, Pat Riot, SASS #13748 said:

That is what I was hoping for but I do understand why they used the “pop” gun. 

 

37 minutes ago, Loophole LaRue, SASS #51438 said:

 

And that's with just alternating shots from 2 x 24-pounder bow cannon, converted to 40 mm to fire rather small blanks for salutes; imagine broadsides from 30 x 24-pounders and 20 x 32-pounders with full powder and shot loads.

 

LL

 

When I was active in CW reenacting, we would head out to Fort Kearny to help with the Memorial Day Services. One part of those services was a 21 gun salute from 3 12 pound mountain howitzers and then a final salute from the 24 pound gun. The howitzers each used four ounces of FF black powder wrapped in paper and foil (think small baked potato) and the big 24 pound gun used a full pound of FF, wrapped similarly but more like a small coffee can size. Holy cow were all those guns loud and smokey! I can only imagine how much more oomph they would have had to been compressed with a cannon ball or shot! 

[Charlie Harley, #14153]

1 hour ago, Loophole LaRue, SASS #51438 said:

 

And that's with just alternating shots from 2 x 24-pounder bow cannon, converted to 40 mm to fire rather small blanks for salutes; imagine broadsides from 30 x 24-pounders and 20 x 32-pounders with full powder and shot loads.

 

LL

I have a friend who does Civil War artillery reenacting. (Look up Burroughs Battery in Blain, TN.) I’ve been around when they live fired the 12lb field pieces. I can’t fathom a shipboard gun doing a live fire. 

[Loophole LaRue, SASS #51438]

2 minutes ago, Charlie Harley, #14153 said:

I have a friend who does Civil War artillery reenacting. (Look up Burroughs Battery in Blain, TN.) I’ve been around when they live fired the 12lb field pieces. I can’t fathom a shipboard gun doing a live fire. 

 

 When you take the tour of Constitution, and stand bent over on the low-headroom  gun deck it's hard to imagine how anyone survived amid the smoke and noise and deadly barrage. 

 

LL 

[Loophole LaRue, SASS #51438]

Here's a video of the full gun drill.

 

 

That shot they show being "loaded" is not actually loaded, and the external view showing a gun being fired is not a full bore gun; it's one of the forward converted cannon used for salutes (40 mm).

[Church Key, SASS # 33713]

I was on a special tour of the USS Constellation  in Baltimore with a history class from Sheppard U when they fired their signal gun. It used 1/4 lb of BP. They originally used 1/2 lb, but we're causing cracked windows plus just scaring tourists.

[The Original Lumpy Gritz]

Makes you wonder just how many pounds of BP it could carry into battle. 

OLG

[Pat Riot]

3 hours ago, The Original Lumpy Gritz said:

Makes you wonder just how many pounds of BP it could carry into battle. 

OLG

According to this 11,500 pounds. Holy Cow!

 

https://www.usstopekaclg8.org/MilitaryHumor/History/_HistoryOpening.htm

[The Original Lumpy Gritz]

As long as it didn't interfere with the 79,400 gals of Rum. 

Or the 2,300 gals of wine.........

Well cared for crew, for sure.  

OLG