Nouvelle Force Maritime, et Application De Cette Force a Quelques Parties Du Service De L'armee De Terre..

Bachelier, Librairie, Quai Des Augustins, Paris, 1822. First Edition. Soft Cover. Good/not applicable. 'ou essai surl'etat actuel des moyens de la force maritime; sur une espece nouvelle d'artillerie de mer, qui detruirait promptement les vaisseaux de haut-bord; sur la construction de navires a voile et a vapeur, de grandeur moderee, qui, armes de cette artillerie, donneraient une marine moins couteuse et plus puissante que celles existantes; et sur la force que le systeme de bouches-a-feu propose offrirait a terre, pour les batteries de siege, de places, de cotes et de campagne'. Henri-Joseph Paixhans 1783 - 1854. He graduated from the École Polytechnique, fought in the Napoleonic wars as an artillery officer and became the representative ( Député ) for the Moselle department between 1830 and 1848. In 1823 he invented the first shell guns, which came to be called Paixhans guns ( or "canon-obusiers" in the French Navy ). Paixhans guns became the first naval guns to combine explosive shells and a flat trajectory, thereby triggering the demise of wooden ships, and the iron hull revolution in boat building. Paixhans also invented a "Mortier monstre" ("Monster Mortar"), using 500 kg bombs, which was used to terrible effect in the Siege of Antwerp in 1832. He was also a naval theorist claiming that a few aggressively armed small units could destroy the largest naval units of the time, making him a precursor of the French "Jeune École" school of thought. ( from Wikipedia ) . This copy in the publisher's paper wrappers, pages uncut. Stitching loose and in need of repair. Contents all clean although many page corners are bumped and slightly creased. Paper label to spine intact. [4] + xv + 458 pages, seven folding plates at rear. Unusual to find a copy in this original state. Size: 4to. Quantity Available: 1. Category: Military; Pictures of this item not already displayed here available upon request. Inventory No: 0021903. .