第一次鸦片战争时期中英双方火炮的技术比较

Performance Differences of Chinese and British Cannons during the First Opium War

第一次鸦片战争时期,中英两军的火炮主要都是17世纪以来欧洲普遍采用的前装滑膛炮,其内装火药都是黑火药,这种基本的技术原理决定了中英火炮从质的意义上讲,还属于同一技术时代的产品。但是,因工业革命发生与否的影响,此时的英军火炮从数量意义上讲,在其设计思想、炮身材质、铸造工艺、弹药质量、火炮射程、舰炮品质、火炮机动性、射击精度和射速等技术关键之处优于清军火炮。这些技术关键之处,显现了中英双方火炮技术的巨大差距。

During the First Opium War, there were no substantive differences between the firing rate, range, precision, of Chinese and British muzzle - loader and smooth - bore cannons. However, the British army＇ s theory of artillery, material used to make the cannons, quality of their ammunition, casting technology, carronade＇ s pedormance, mobility and firing rate of its canons, were superior to Chinese army. Meanwhile, the quantity, quality, tactics, and organization of the Qing army, as well as its intelligence, training, and quality of the commanding officers were inferior to British army. These factors influenced the effective kill rate of Chinese and British cannons, magnified the limited gap between two countries＇ artillery, and created enormous differences in fighting capacity between the two armies.