In the end, your scenario still continues to fail. I understand that were doing a what-if drill, but you’re adding so many conditions to it even after assuming away the challenges of logistics, that it’s unrealistic. You want it to be unveiled on the field of battle, you have chosen terrain that doesn’t play to the strengths of machine guns (i.e., why would you choose to employ them at ravines), you’re assuming that they get the tactics, techniques, and procedures for employing them as part of a defense from the get go (i.e., no trial and error to get there in terms of employment), and are assuming that they create carriage technology to match the TTPs that they just pull out of their a$$ and get it right the first time.
And I will add also you fail to allow at all for the effect Union artillery would have had in a counterbatery role if brought into play against such a weapon. As Shek has said double cannister was effective from the tube artillery of the ANV fired in dug in positions through narrow appertures. To be effective the Gatlings would have to fire through open gun ports in order to traverse to be effective. In that case the gunners and gun were vulnerable to artillery fire from artillery whoch outranged it considereably....a very real issue which also precluded their adoption by the Union.
Finally, given the blackpowder of the day and how much smoke a Gatling produced, how soon on a hot humid day would the smoke build up to the point the gunners couldn't see anyway? Much quicker than from rifle fire and the artillery which was used.
And I will add also you fail to allow at all for the effect Union artillery would have had in a counterbatery role if brought into play against such a weapon. As Shek has said double cannister was effective from the tube artillery of the ANV fired in dug in positions through narrow appertures. To be effective the Gatlings would have to fire through open gun ports in order to traverse to be effective. In that case the gunners and gun were vulnerable to artillery fire from artillery whoch outranged it considereably....a very real issue which also precluded their adoption by the Union.
Finally, given the blackpowder of the day and how much smoke a Gatling produced, how soon on a hot humid day would the smoke build up to the point the gunners couldn't see anyway? Much quicker than from rifle fire and the artillery which was used.
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