[JenBurdoo] Unleaded

[JenBurdoo1]

During the 1842 siege of Jalalabad by Afghan tribesmen, the British defenders ran short of musket balls. By what lateral method did they obtain more?

[GalFisk]

WAG: did they make dummies that the enemy shot at, and then dug the balls out?

Did they obtain musket balls? Lead to make musket balls? Other balls? Other material to make musket balls? Did they obtain what they needed from their enemy?

[Sarisberie2]

Did they leave fake ones lying around in the hope that their opponents would find and claim them as their own?

[JenBurdoo1]

WAG: did they make dummies that the enemy shot at, and then dug the balls out? GAAAAAAAAHthatwasquick! Yes to the first!

But no to the second - the bullets passed through the dummies.

Did they obtain musket balls? This. Lead to make musket balls? and/or this. Other balls? No. Other material to make musket balls? No. Did they obtain what they needed from their enemy? Yes.

Did they leave fake ones lying around in the hope that their opponents would find and claim them as their own? No.

[Sarisberie2]

Relevant what their dummies were made of? Did they subsequently make them out of other materials? Something harder or less penetrable?

Did they take a large proportion of the enemy's musket balls, then leave their own dummies with the enemy? If they left their dummies underneath a top layer of (real) cannonballs, the enemy wouldn't be worried until some time later and then they'd be in deep trouble.

[JenBurdoo1]

Relevant what their dummies were made of? Did they subsequently make them out of other materials? Something harder or less penetrable? No to all.

Did they take a large proportion of the enemy's musket balls, then leave their own dummies with the enemy? I'm not sure I understand this. They did indeed obtain some enemy musket balls. If they left their dummies underneath a top layer of (real) cannonballs, the enemy wouldn't be worried until some time later and then they'd be in deep trouble. Or this. The dummies were not left with the enemy, or hidden.

[GalFisk]

After hitting the dummies, did the musket balls hit: wood? Sand? Sand bags? Stone? Vegetation? Concrete? Soil? Were they flattened? Did they have to be dug out from a material?

[JenBurdoo1]

After hitting the dummies, did the musket balls hit: wood? Sand? Sand bags? Stone? This. Vegetation? Concrete? Soil? Were they flattened? and this. Did they have to be dug out from a material? No.

There is an FA here.

[GalFisk]

If the FA about: the dummies? The musket balls? The British? The Afghans? The muskets of the Afghans? Of the British? Relevant in what setting the battle was fought? Were the dummies made out to look like British soldiers? When the dummies were fired upon, did those who did so think they killed someone?

[JenBurdoo1]

If the FA about: the dummies? Possibly. The musket balls? Possibly. The British? Possibly. All three are related to the solution. The Afghans? The muskets of the Afghans? Of the British? Relevant in what setting the battle was fought? Yes. Specifically, around a fortress. Were the dummies made out to look like British soldiers? Yes. When the dummies were fired upon, did those who did so think they killed someone? Irr. None of the others.

[GalFisk]

So the British fooled the Afghans into firing at dummies? And caught the projectiles against a wall? So that they could make their own and fire back? All correct? Were the British in a fortress? Attacking a fortress?

[JenBurdoo1]

So the British fooled the Afghans into firing at dummies? And caught the projectiles against a wall? So that they could make their own and fire back? All correct? Yes. Were the British in a fortress? This. Attacking a fortress?

I think we're close enough. Mostly scotched by the first WAG, but I also don't want to make you go on and on to get the specifics - I've done that before and it's never pretty.

SPOILER:



A dummy was set on the battlements. Many shots which missed struck the wall, then fell to the ground below. At night, the garrison went out, gathered the spent rounds, and melted them down to make more.

[Sarisberie2]

Nice one!