RE 120 — The 1st Screw-Gun Mountain Battery, 3

The 3rd of a series of 6 photographs intended to demonstrate the loading of a complete ‘Screw-Gun’ on six mules, showing an Anglo-Indian soldier guiding the mule. This one is loaded with the carriage for the 7 Pounder RML (Rifled Muzzle Loading) gun, fastened on a special pack-saddle and with additional saddle-straps.This picture is missing in the collection of Bryan Maggs. By chance we discovered that there is a set of later copies of the ‘Screw-Gun’ series kept by the Royal Artillery Museum in...

The 3rd of a series of 6 photographs intended to demonstrate the loading of a complete ‘Screw-Gun’ on six mules, showing an Anglo-Indian soldier guiding the mule. This one is loaded with the carriage for the 7 Pounder RML (Rifled Muzzle Loading) gun, fastened on a special pack-saddle and with additional saddle-straps. This picture is missing in the collection of Bryan Maggs. By chance we discovered that there is a set of later copies of the ‘Screw-Gun’ series kept by the Royal Artillery Museum in Woolwich and – by courtesy of the Royal Artillery Historical Trust – we got the permission to include it in the catalogue of the BS&M photographs.

[S&M List:] 2-68 One Gun and Equipment 6/8 R.A. on Mules.

Original:
RAM: Royal Artillery Museum: one of seven loose photographs, attached to a letter, addressed to Colonel H.A. Inglis, dated 26th Nov 1912, Acc. No. 1604
Not in the albums of the RE Collections at Chatham.
Not in the collection of Bryan Maggs
The Second Afghan War 1878-80: Abridged Official Account (1908), p. 714: Royal Artillery, 8th Brigade, No. 6 Mountain Battery (7-pr. jointed screw guns), Major T. Graham.
Hensman, H. (1882): The Afghan War of 1879-80, the Mountain Battery is several times mentioned as being especially useful on the rough Afghan terrain.
Adamec, L.W. (1985): Kabul and southeast Afghanistan, p. 727: Sherpur, "The cantonment built by Amir Sher Ali, 1 mile to the north of Kabul city, and in which the British army, under Sir Frederick Roberts, was beleaguered in December 1879. [...]"
Trevelyan, Ch.: Indian Army Mountain Artillery (www.king-emperor.com): “Although light in calibre, the guns of Mountain Batteries were designed to be disassembled and transported by pack mule in up to eight loads for use in terrain that would otherwise be impossible to traverse with larger and more conventional artillery. The earliest guns were the tiny 3 Pounder SBML (Smooth Bore Muzzle Loading) and 4 2/5 Inch SBML howitzer of c.1850. These were replaced in 1865 by the 7 Pounder RML (Rifled Muzzle Loading) and this in turn was replaced in 1879 by the significantly improved and significantly heavier 2.5 inch RML, also known as Kipling's Screw Gun (all mountain gun types from this 2.5 inch RML on had barrels that split in two for transport).“
Detailed description of the ‘Screw-Gun’: (www.kipling.org.uk/rg_screwguns1.htm)