Page 3 - 24 pdr Gribeauval siege gun

down very tightly. When the gun was loaded, the ventsman primed the vent with fine loose powder (“pulvérin”). After the piece had been laid to target, the firer ignited his port-fire from a continuously burning slow match or linstock. On command, the firer applied his port-fire to the vent and the discharge sent the artillery piece recoiling back on its wheels. It required several crew members to put the gun back in its firing position. Almost at once, the spongeman thrust its wet sponge down the bore to extinguish and smouldering remains of powder.
All fire was done by direct line of sight merely by aligning on the target by looking along the barrel. Correct ranging, also achieved in the Gribeauval system by using an elevating screw, heavily relied on the eye and experience of the gunners.
Gun dimensions
Some of the most accurate table of dimensions pertaining to 24 pdr Gribeauval siege guns during the Napoleonic wars can be found in Gassendi’s artillery manuals.
24 pdr siege gun — Balliet 3 - 12