Rain--Wind--How Did They Fight

[tenngun]

Bad weather is always tough on the troops. No one in the European theater of WW2 thought the Germans could mount an offensive in the winter of '44-5. Chosin the weather was cripaling to our troops, and the sand and dry weather was always a pain for our boys and girls in Iraq and in Afganastan everything slowed in winter. The great Gallic rebellion waited until Caesar went in to winter quarters. In the Bible the story of David Uriah and Bathsheba take place "in the season kings sally forth"

 

[Artificer]

Good point.

A better case of using bad weather when the enemy did not expect it was Washington crossing the Delaware in Winter. Of course, it helped that the Hessians had partied a bit too hard as well. Grin.

Gus

 

[BrownBear]

Yup. Hard to accomplish when training a bunch of troops, but if you're prepared for the weather and the other guy isn't guess who always wins?

Same applies for hunting. Guy who knows how to deal with bad weather can have the whole place to himself while everyone else is back home whining about the wind and rain.

 

[M. De Land]

Yeah but the critters are usually sacked out in the deep stuff as well as the hunters in really bad weather.
I've hunted several times on the south end of Kodiak when it's raining sideways with 30 knot winds and I would have liked to have seen a flinter reloading and shooting!I couldn't even keep my body dry let alone a pan and frizzen.

 

[smoothshooter]

Don't have much experience shooting in a pouring rain, but do know some things that help in light rain or drizzle; mainly, keeping the lock protected with some type of cover or under your armpit, and reloading quickly while the barrel is still warm from the shot. Also, wipe the pan, flint, frizzen, and cock as well ( again, quick as you can).
Interestingly, some are of the opinion that on wet days when firing when under covered firing points, or lighter cover such as trees, that many percussion shooters have more problems with misfires than the flint shooters because moisture absorbed by the powder fouling is easier to keep cleaned out of the more accessible ignition path of the flintlock than the percussion, a relatively closed system.
I would think that any percussion gun using musket caps would not be at any disadvantage since musket caps are normally several times hotter than the #10 or #11 type .

 

[Dphar]

I'm out there in the field today trying to prime my pan with 25-35 mph gusts that blow the priming charge right out of the pan before I can close the fizzen.

Then it begins raining. The flint is wet, the pan is wet, the frizzen is wet-- nothing
is working.

How did flinters deal with the rain in particular if they were expected to conduct a continuous armed assault or stop a grizzly?

Shield it with you body or hand to keep the wind off the prime.
They did not fight in the rain until the advent of cartridge guns.
Hunting? One is advised to use a full length leather cover with Sno-Seal applied. It will slide off easily and the gun will be dry. A film of water will stop a flintlock from sparking. Even if the prime is dry still no ignition.
Dan

 

[Dphar]

NATIVE AMERICANS bow and arrows were water proof

Actually not. If the string was sinew water could be an issue and the bow would become useless.

Dan

 

[brubincam]

:thumbsup: THANK YOU :hatsoff:

 

[crockett]

I've often wondered about the bow in the rain issue. Some bows had a sinew backing. As I understand it fibers of sinew were lined up lengthwise along the front of the bow and then glued in place with hide glue. Sort of a fiberglass thing but since hide glue isn't waterproof the works would come apart if wet a long time. I think NDNs had a bow cover to carry the bow unstrung and I've often wondered if it was to keep the bow dry and if the cover was greased to make it waterproof.
And...back on issue...it has always seemed to me that the forces on defense had an advantage. You get to shoot a time or two as the enemy advances on your position. In a downpour of rain that would be limited to maybe a first shot. Were there any battles where the attacking force used bayonets and waited for a driving rain before charging a fortified position?

 

[Artificer]

Were there any battles where the attacking force used bayonets and waited for a driving rain before charging a fortified position?

Actually, it was somewhat common for Bayonet Wielding Troops with Unloaded Muskets to attack fortifications at night - whether raining or not. The final British Redoubts were taken at Yorktown at night with just Bayonets and it wasn't raining.

Gus

 

[tenngun]

During 'boat actions' salvors and marines would not carry a loaded gun in the boat. They would not load until ashore or on the enemies deck. Spray and wind drift being as bad as rain.

 

[Turtle Creek]

Look at the Rev. war battle for Trenton conducted during a sleet storm.....cannon won the day from Gen. Knox's smaller bores they floated over the Delaware.
Most infantry couldn't get a shot off due to the weather but cannon powder was in sealed weatherproof (semi wp I'd guess) cloth containers that were opened by a spike thru the touch hole.
Cannon cleared King and Queen St. of Hessians I've read...
Carry that tomahawk!

 

[Hans74]

Hunting with a flint rifle is as simple as not staying home during bad conditions. You will learn fast what you need to do. A stall over the frizzen is helpful. The flint is no problem just keep the frizzen dry or just wipe your thumb over it before you fire. It will spark if the flint is sharp.
I carry me rifle with the lock under my arm pit when I still hunt or when I sit. It will fire.

 

[Turtle Creek]

I'd guess you are right about one shot but he's asking about fighting not hunting...reloading in battle during rain or sleet when the activity around you might be a tad hectic.

 

[Jim C]

And they weren't even using flinters. Imagine how much worse it would have been had they.

 

[Rokon]

The Nov/Dec 2014 issue of "Muzzleloader" has a fascinating story about the battle of Trenton and Knox's artillery. Here's part of the story.
"About 2,400 men were ferried across the river with Knox's 18 pieces of field artillery. Such a heavy proportion of guns to men was almost unheard of in 18th century warfare. Usually two or three canon were employed per 1,000 foot soldiers. Washington's task force had three times the normal number. First, artillery was considered the army's wet-weather weapon because muskets in that day could only be fired when completely dry. Realizing December weather might bring storms that would render his men's muskets unusable, Washington was relying heavily on his artillery" The whole story is a GREAT read about flintlocks and weather.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Actually not. If the string was sinew water could be an issue and the bow would become useless.

But the ball headed war club and tomahawks still work well. :grin:

Especially if the white guys are militia types and didn't bring bayonets and weren't used to fighting with tomahawks. :shocked2:

LD

 

[Tinker2]

For those of U that do not know the legend of Hugh Glass I would suggest that you go to the library and read up on him. His saga is fascinating story of survival and tenacity.

Glass came through where I live on that trek.

I have known people like that,
cut them in half and all you have done is now you have two of them. :shocked2:


I keep my flintlock under my poncho in rain and snow



William Alexander

 

[54ball]

I keep my flintlock under my poncho in rain and snow

Just do not button up in your overcoat like Major Dade's men did in 1835. Florida winters can be especially brutal. Many in Dade's column had their firelocks buttoned inside their overcoats. The Seminole attacked and wiped them out nearly to a man.

 

[Many Klatch]

Dan, it was common for archers to carry spare bowstrings. Wrapping one around the head and then putting on a hat would keep a bowstring warm and dry in wet weather. It doesn't take long to string up a bow with a dry bowstring.

Sinew backed bows are often covered with snakeskin to keep the glue dry. The Great Lakes and Woodlands bows were usually made of Hickory and they would shoot wet or dry. West of the Mississippi, the sinew backed bow was more common.