La Hitte system

The La Hitte system was developed through the collaborative work of Lieutenant-colonel Treuille de Beaulieu ("Directeur de l'atelier de précision") who had developed the principle and General de La Hitte ("Président du Comité d'Artillerie") who had implemented it: ==Specifications==

The new rifled guns were used from 1859 during the Franco-Austrian War in Italy. These guns were a considerable improvement over the previous smooth-bore guns which had been in use. The system was muzzle-loading, and the shells could be detonated either on impact, or at one of two set distances with a time fuse. To counter the lack of flexibility given by only 2 different distances, ricochet shots were employed, each bounce slowing the shell down. A six set distances fuse was initially invented but didn't give satisfaction. For ball-loaded payloads, a four set distances fuse was used. The shells, based on the 1847 invention of Captain Tamisier, were oval-shaped, and had small protrusions to follow the grooves of the bore. Previous guns, such as the Canon obusier de 12, were rifled to accommodate the system. The system included newly-rifled siege guns of , and bore, new field guns of and bore, new siege guns of and bore, and a mountain gun of bore. ==Change in meaning of gun designations==

With the introduction of rifling and elongated shells replacing the old roundshot, guns could fire projectiles of nearly twice the previous weight possible for a given bore (calibre). The rifling gave a far greater range for a given propellant charge, hence a minimal increase in gunpowder was needed for the heavier shells. While the La Hitte guns retained the traditional 4 designation, the number now approximated to kg rather than the livre (French pound) as previously. Hence the Canon de campagne de 4 La Hitte fired a shell weighing nearly . ==Obsolescence==

The La Hitte system was superseded in 1870 with the work of Jean-Baptiste Verchère de Reffye and the development of breech-loading rifled guns. ==Gallery==

Canon de campagne raye 1858.jpg|Rifled muzzle-loading gun "Canon de campagne de 4 rayé modèle 1858, ''L' Aubry''". Caliber: . Length: . Weight: . Ammunition: shell. Bronze, cast in Toulouse in 1859, re-tubed with steel. Canon de montagne de 4 modele 1859.jpg|Rifled mountain cannon "Canon de montagne de 4 rayé modèle 1859". Caliber: . Length: . Weight: . Ammunition: shell. Captured in Marrakesh (Morocco) in 1912. Canon de 12 La Hitte Modele 1859.jpg|Canon de 12 La Hitte, Modele 1859, cast in 1869 at Bourges, bronze. Caliber: , rifled. Length: . Weight: . Ammunition: shells. Canon_de_24_L_Aubepine_1867_Bourges.jpg|Canon de 24, ''L'Aubépine'', 1867, Bourges. == References ==