Plevna

[Hobie]

This is one large scale battle in which the lever-action rifle served in a pivotal role. Every once in a while I repost a link to one story or another about the Plevna Delay.

[madman4570]

Great article Hobie!
Thanks!

[Doc Hudson]

Yep, those Turks fer certain shore shot the pants offen them Rooshians!

Ya know Turkey was the only Army in the world to officially adopt the Winchester M-1873 as a general issue weapon?

[ByronG]

Ya know Turkey was the only Army in the world to officially adopt the Winchester M-1873 as a general issue weapon?

Interesting. Where can I find out more about that?

[Old Time Hunter]

Ya know Turkey was the only Army in the world to officially adopt the Winchester M-1873 as a general issue weapon?

I thought it was the 1866's....and if I am not mistaken, the troops carried two firearms. The single shot Martini-Peabody and the Winchesters'.

Oliver F. Winchester had sent fancy .44 caliber Model 1866 Winchester rifles to selected Turkish officers and politicians, and this gift giving finally resulted in a small order being received in 1869. Tests showed that ordinary Turkish soldiers could easily learn to load and fire this lever action rifle very quickly. In 1870 and 1871, the Turkish government placed additional orders totaling 5,000 carbines and 45,000 muskets with bayonets.

[bdhold]

thanks, that was a fascinating essay.

[CowboyTutt]

Good reading Hobie! I'm fairly certain that this is the battle that led to the conversion of the single shot Model 71 Mauser to the Model 71/84 Mauser bolt action repeater I use. The usefulness of rapid fire power was not lost on the military world.

-Tutt

[Doc Hudson]

Ya know Turkey was the only Army in the world to officially adopt the Winchester M-1873 as a general issue weapon?

I thought it was the 1866's....and if I am not mistaken, the troops carried two firearms. The single shot Martini-Peabody and the Winchesters'.

You might be right. perhaps I should have said "Turkey was the only nation to adopt lever-action rifles as general issue weapons.

It was my understanding that the Turkish troops actually had several rifles each for the main assault. One or two powerful single-shots, mainly Martini-Henrys and Remington Rolling Blocks to sting the advancing Russians at long range, and two or three Winchesters to shoot them to pieces rapid fire when they got within 200 yards.

I didn't re-read the article so I might be remembering incorrectly, but I believe the Russians advanced for nearly one mile, sort of like Picket at Gettysburg, and the Turks started long range rifle fire at about 1200 yards. Staunchly the Russians continued to advance, though suffering heavy losses until there ran into the withering fire of Winchesters rapidly fired.

Though it took the British another eleven years and the US Army another 15 years to make the change, I believe Plevna convinced even the stuffiest and most hidebound military minds that the day of the single-shot military rifle was past.

[crs]

Hobie,
Good post, thanks.
Such battle and weapon detail is one reason that I read the entire series of books on Sharpes Rifles leading up to the defeat of Napolean. Good fiction based upon historical events.

[awp101]

Hobie,
Good post, thanks.
Such battle and weapon detail is one reason that I read the entire series of books on Sharpes Rifles leading up to the defeat of Napolean. Good fiction based upon historical events.

Good to see another Richard Sharpe fan here...

[Tycer]

Very nice post. Thanks.

[JReed]

Cool bit of history thanks Hobie.