25th Loomis’ Battery Annual Long Range Artillery Match

By Don Lutz, Loomis’ Battery and Ericka Hoffmann, Dulany Troop, 6th Virginia Cavalry · Originally published October 2016 · pp. 1–3

25th Loomis’ Battery Annual Long Range Artillery Match By Don Lutz, Loomis’ Battery and Ericka Hoffmann, Dulany Troop, 6th Virginia Cavalry GRAYLING MICH.—Range 35 of the Grayling Michigan National Guard Range Complex was pounded by 584 period rounds of authentic antique artillery ammunition on July 30 and 31, 2016. The 25th Loomis’ Battery Annual Invitational Long Range Artillery Match was attended by 167 registered cannoneers, bringing 42 original and replica full-size artillery pieces from 10 states. The cannons and mortars present represented the time period from 1757 through 1895, featuring both muzzle loading and breech loading pieces of ordnance. The two-day match featured ten different long range events. While organized by Loomis’ Battery, the event was made possible by courtesy of the Michigan National Guard. The number of cannons present, the number of projectiles fired and the number of active participants were reported to Range Control at the end of each day. Routine contact was made to Range Control throughout the time the range was occupied and was considered hot. The 2016 match ran very smoothly; no unusual events were reported to Range Control, and no Range Control checkfires were encountered. No accidents occurred during the match or match preparations. History Of The Match Now in its 25th year, this historical, black powder artillery match was inspired by a one-time special event that was part of the Michigan State Sesquicentennial celebration in 1987. During the planning of the celebration, Matt Switlik of Loomis’ Battery, who was on the sesquicentennial committee, recommended that an artillery demonstration be a part of the sesquicentennial festivities. The idea was well-received, and with cooperation from the Michigan National Guard and other artillery organizations, Loomis’ Battery helped put on an artillery demonstration at the Camp Grayling Michigan National Guard range. This event included demonstrations of the Michigan National Guard firing World War II and Vietnam War era howitzers; a Civil War period six-gun, horsedrawn cannon battery; and an American Revolution period crew firing an oxen drawn cannon. The artillery demonstration was a crowd pleaser and received compliments from the National Guard. Because of the success of that special event, Loomis’ Battery began hosting a long range cannon and musket match at Range 8 at Camp Grayling in 1990. For the first few years, the live fire shoot consisted of long range cannon matches on Saturday and long range rifle musket matches on Sunday. Due to the demand for more artillery matches, the event soon changed to long range cannon and mortar matches on both days. In 2006, Range 8 was redeveloped, and the historical artillery match was moved to Range 35, where it has been held ever since. There has been only one year when the event was not held, in 2014, due to range redesign and maintenance and other scheduling conflicts. Loomis’ Battery continues to host the event in partnership with the Michigan National Guard; in cooperation with the 2nd Maryland, Baltimore Light Artillery, CSA preparing to fire their 3-inch Ordnance Rifle in the Bacon Creek match Sunday.

(All photos Ericka Hoffmann) Michigan Department of National Resources and the Federal Aviation Administration; and with assistance from other artillery units, to ensure the continued success of this premier long range artillery event. Special Paid Matches On Sunday Two paid matches highlight Sunday’s events at Grayling, the Grayling Open mortar match and the Bacon Creek Memorial rifled field cannon match. During the Grayling Open, Coehorn and siege mortars fire at a common stake 450 yards away. The closest round to the stake, which must be within 50 yards of the stake, wins the monetary prize. This year, Loomis’ Battery’s Kerry Carroll won the Grayling Open with a 24-Pdr. Coehorn Mortar. To compete in the Bacon Creek Memorial Match, rifled field gun shooters fire ten rounds at reproduced copies of an 1861 issue of the Cincinnati Daily Gazette newspaper mounted on foam core at 1,000 yards. All shots must be completely within the border of the newspaper page target to be counted. This money match pays homage to the original Civil War Loomis’ Battery, whose winter quarters were in the Bacon Creek area of northern Kentucky near Cincinnati during January and February of 1861. They practiced their artillery marksmanship by firing at and hitting copies of the Cincinnati newspaper. This year, the Bacon Creek match was won by Ken Knoll and Knoll’s Ill. Independent Battery from Southern Wisconsin and Northern Illinois, firing a Model 1890 3.2-inch breech-loading field gun.

A special memorial event occurred at the end of the Grayling Open match on Sunday morning. Tim Scanlan of the 1st Maryland Cavalry fired a full-service load from his mortar in memory of Joe Leisch Jr. of the 5th Virginia Volunteer Infantry, who passed away last October, and who had competed at Grayling several times. Impressive Variety Of Artillery Pieces Participants and spectators have the pleasure of seeing a wide variety of original and reproduction historical, black powder artillery pieces and units compete at the Loomis’ Battery Annual Invitational Long Range Artillery Match at Grayling. Time periods represented this year dated as far back as a reproduction 1757 Russian 4-Pdr. Edinirog (translation: “unicorn”) field artillery cannon, as was used in the Seven Years’ War in Europe. It was fired by the Keivskii Cuirassiers from Huntington, Indiana, who stood out among the artillery units in their crimson colored uniforms. The oldest original gun competing in the 2016 event was an 1836 experimental model 1831-E iron cannon made at the Columbia Foundry in Maryland. This particular piece was used in the Mexican-American War and the Civil War and is owned and fired by

Aiming a Parrott Rifle during the 1,000 yard match on Saturday. Don Cartwright of Bledsoe’s Battery from southeast Michigan. The most recent ordnance pieces fired in the matches were the model 1890 3.2inch breech-loading field gun and a 10-Pdr. British breech-loading, jointed screw gun with dual sights, being fired from atop its bright yellow carriage. Crews from 10 different states fired historical artillery pieces from time periods encompassing over 130 years, from the 1750s to the 1890s.

Numerous Civil War era guns competed, including various sizes of Parrott Rifles, bronze and steel Mountain Rifles, Napoleons, an original bronze 1841 Model 6-Pdr. smoothbore field gun, along with other muzzle loaders and breech loaders. Historic breech-loaders were well represented, including Whitworth, Hotchkiss, Ellsworth, and Hughes guns, and the Model 1890 3.2-inch breech-loading field gun that won the Bacon Creek match. Mortars competing included two large siege mortars (8-inch and 10-inch) and 11 Coehorn and Civil War era mortars.

Great Cooperation And Participation Loomis’ Battery wants to thank all of the participants who assisted with the target work and the range cleanup. With the approval of the Michigan National Guard, the Michigan Department of National Resources, and the Federal Aviation Administration, Loomis’ Battery is very optimistic that this event can be scheduled again in 2017 with participant assistance.

Match Results: Muzzle Loading Field Gun, 1,000 yards: 7 hits out of 10 fired. 1st SC Volunteer Infantry, Norm Gibson, commander, using a 10-Pdr. Parrott Rifle. Breech Loading Field Gun, 1,000 yards: 4 hits out of 10 fired. Knoll’s Illinois Independent Battery, Ken Knoll, commander, using an original, Model 1890 3.2-inch Breech Loading Field Gun Breech Loading Mountain Rifle, 1,000 yards: 4 hits out of 10 fired. 1st SC Volunteer Infantry, Norm Gibson, commander, using a 1.5-inch Hughes Mountain Rifle Muzzle Loading Smooth Bore, 600 yards: 3 hits out of 10 fired. Reillys’ CSA Battery, Bob Wooley, commander, using a bronze 12-Pdr. CSA Napoleon

Muzzle Loading Mountain Rifle, 600 yards: 10 hits out of 10 fired. 1st MD Cavalry, Tim Scanlan, commander, using a 2.9-inch Pack Parrott

Breech Loading Mountain Rifle, 600 yards: 10 hits out of 10 fired. Loomis’ Battery, Mike Potucek, commander, using a 3-Pdr. Whitworth Coehorn Mortars, 350 yards: Battery H Illinois, John Thatcher, commander, using a 24-Pdr. Coehorn Mortar Siege Mortars, 625 yards: Loomis’ Battery, Dave Donald, Ken Baumann, Kerry Carroll, using an 8-inch Model 1861 Mortar Bacon Creek Match, for Rifled Field Guns, 1,000 yards: 2 hits totally within the Cincinnati Daily Gazette newspaper. Knoll’s Illinois Independent Battery, Ken Knoll, commander, using an original, Model 1890 3.2-inch Breech Loading Field Gun Grayling Open Mortar Match, for all mortars, 450 yards: Loomis’ Battery, Kerry Carroll, using a 24-Pdr. Coehorn Mortar

Flame shoots up from the vent with a blast of black powder from the muzzle of the 5th Virginia Volunteer Infantry’s 10-Pdr. Parrott Rifle during the 1,000 yard match on Saturday.

Loomis’ Battery members at the limber chest during the Sunday match.

Firing a mortar during the 350 yard mortar match on Saturday. Note the mortar ball captured in flight by the camera.