France, a nation on metric and with proud tradition of using science, decided it was best to use actual thumbs as a sighting system. Meanwhile, Britain, on the Imperial measurement system of arbitrary inches and feet, had adjustable sights. The 1850s were a wild time.
Ah but you generalize too much! We are talking only about the line infantry here. Chasseurs and other specialized light infantry did have adjustable sights and taught how to use them. The point is whether to try and train every soldier to use them or just focus on specialist troops. In fact Britain was the outsider and maverick at the time.
Was the thumb measurement not based on that of king Henry VIII ? However, in France the King had been deposed, killed and replaced by a Republic. So don't make allusions to royalty while holding a weapon.
I can picture some regular instructor messing with the part timers with the finger guillotine he picked up while on leave. "Stand fast soldier, while I calibrate your thumb." 🤣 👍 😲
Great complement to the video from Paper Cartridges, on why rifles didn't really effect American Civil War battles. The mass quick conscription of American soldiers didn't allow for proper training of shooting over 200 yards (~200 m, for all practical purposes).
@@MrChrisStarr Following any system is a bit of an ask tbh. I'm sure the few guys who had Whitworths knew what was up, but the rest of the poor bastards were learning on the job.
There were indeed more things to learn than just shooting. How to polish your boots, care of equipment, bayonet charging, and without doubt the most important....marching up and down the square! Lol
That was an interesting demonstration with the candle Chap. Reminds me of putting s coin on the end of the muzzle and balancing it there through the trigger pull,.
This is turning in to 'French Muzzle Loaders' :) I do feel, however, that M. Le Bloke should have assumed the role of M. Le Marie-Louise under the instruction of the ever-frustrated Sergent Onion
Excellent presentation. The French system for the guidance of conscripts and the British for the obedience of professional soldiers. BTW, ‘half cock to carry the arm loaded safely’. I thought the French army doctrine was for the soldier to carry his arm unloaded until ordered to load by his officer? Hence the absence of safety catches on French rifles. I suppose my great grandfather went through this training and refresher annually so it is interesting to have a snapshot of his experience. Merci M. le Chap.
That doctrine relates to breechloaders but in any case guards, sentries, skirmishers and such need to carry with one in the pipe ready to go. Muzzleloaders nearly always have a 1/2cock or equivalent. Strangely the Swiss didn’t bother on the 1851 carbine and 1863 rifle.
Besides the thumb thing (which I cannot think of any remotely practical reason for, would be easier to train and not very expensive to use some basic flip sights) it seems like a fairly reasonable and broad training for putting through large numbers of trainees quickly.
Not much cost for one individual rifle and a few man hours of training and handful of ammunition but multiply that by tens of thousands of men and rifles and it all snowballs.
@@thebotrchap I can't see how this system could possibly reduce training hours from a simple flip sight. "Flip up the appropriate sight and do the same thing as before" is a lot simpler than "hold the rifle precisely this way, aim using this method... Oh your thumb is long so you need to do this instead..." And, yes, not having the sight would make it cheaper to produce, but the cost for a basic flip sight should be pretty minimal. I suspect your comment into the video about it being more political than practical is accurate.
Terrific presentation series, thanks Chap. I'm still struggling to comprehend the thumb aiming, when a simple series of flippy notch rear sights for different ranges could have been incorporated for not that much extra money .... especially for conscripts who benefit so much from standardisation, rather than sniper-thumb witchcraft. As you suggest Chap, smells like artillery politics deliberately damaging infantry accuracy, so long range shooting remains the preserve of cannon. Maddening what managers will do to preserve and promote their agendas, even if it kills people on their own side.
You forgot to mention that at 1000 metres you put your fist on the barrel to aim with, and for 1500 meters, you have to stick your foot up there, and aim from the top of the big toe. And yes.... we are giggling at you silly French from over here at Hythe. Hahaha you guys are so sil.... oh crap, what's that? La Gloire? An ironclad?! Everybody panic!
I wonder if you were a first class shooter you got to stay in the back row giving a little incentive to shoot well. Why doesn't Henri advance? Oh he's a first class shooter, he's actually hitting something.
