Also known as: barbette mount.
| Type | Heavy fortification carriage |
|---|---|
| Fires | Over the parapet (en barbette) |
| Advantage | Wide arc of fire |
| Exposure | Gun and crew more exposed than in a casemate |
Firing over the wall
A barbette carriage mounted a heavy gun high enough to fire over the top of a parapet, letting it traverse through a wide arc to cover a broad field. Such carriages, often on a pivot and traversing rails, were used for seacoast and heavy guns in permanent works.
Firing en barbette gave reach and traverse at the cost of exposing the gun and its crew above the parapet, in contrast to the sheltered but narrow fire of a casemate gun.
On this site
Sources & further reading
- United States Army, Ordnance Department. The Ordnance Manual for the Use of the Officers of the United States Army. 2nd ed. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott, 1862.