7 inch Dyer

[Dave the plumber]

 just thought I'd post this here.    The 7 inch Dyer shell is basically known as an Island # 10 shell. I guess that is where they all have come from in the past.  But, a friend just dug one , fired, with sabot and rifling, in the New Bern, NC area.    Said another fella has dug a few now too. I checked with some of the hard core old timers I know that dug artillery since the 60's in NC, and they never heard of Dyers around here. ,  So, I guess another US gunboat was armed with them....  not just on the Mississippi.   Anyone else heard of any where else besides Island #10 ??

[CarlS]

Dave:  I've only known of them coming from Island #10, Vicksburg and Grand Gulf.  These are all on the Mississippi and were shelled by the same gunboats built at Cairo, IL and outfitted with the rifled 42-lbers that fired them.  The USS Cairo on display at Vicksburg is one of those boats and was full of 7-Inch Dyers when found though most were blown up.  RelicRunner told me once about a guy I think from Savannah that had one supposedly from that area but not sure how reliable that provenance was.  He may be able to elaborate on that.  Other than that I've not heard of any east coast 7-Inch Dyer shells.

Side Question: Did the shell your friend find by chance have flame grooves?

[emike123]

There is a good article in the current Artilleryman on the USS Cairo's guns.  In the article, it says the USS Cairo was built at Mound City, Illinois.

[Steve Phillips]

The one we found at Grand Gulf had a section cut out of the bottom of the sabot. Still didn't explode.

[CarlS]

Mike:  Yes, the 7 City Class ships that included the Cairo were largely built in Mound City but as they neared completion due to falling river levels they were moved down to Cairo to be finished up and outfitted.  It was thought that with the weight of the guns and projectiles and other stores that they would not be able to clear some sand bars that I would presume were present at the time but not now.  One of the boats did run aground going down but they seemed to have gotten it moving again without too much trouble.  The ship Cairo was the last that was finished enough and moved down to the town Cairo.  Once the ships were finished and outfitted with their guns they went to St. Louis to pick up their crews.  But you are correct that they tend to be listed as built in Mound City and for the most part were.

Steve:  I used to have a 7-inch Dyer from Grand Gulf in my collection that I had purchased a long time ago; around 1988.  It had flame grooves made into the sabot that looked to me factory made.  They were the same shape and equally spaced with smooth surfaces.  I saw some similar ones in the Grand Gulf museum when I visited there.  I had always presumed this was an attempt to counter the quick and thorough sealing of the gun when they were fired that caused so many to not go off.  Thanks for sharing.

[Garret]

Interesting story.  The one in my collection is a plain old Island #10 shell and not an exotic one found on the east coast.  I've seen shells listed for sale as being recovered by Tom Dickey.  Does anyone know the approximate amount that Tom personally dug?

[Dave the plumber]

Carl,     it did not have cast into the lead sabot flame grooves, nor were there any 'hatchet' flame grooves cut into the lead, from the photo's the guy sent me to identify it.   They have also found a few 7 inch James shells there.....  I'd like to dig one of them !!  Actually, either would be nice....

[gflower]

Carl, I also told you about a Dyer coming from the east coast. Gary

[CarlS]

Gary, I now remember you telling me about the Dyer but I don't recall the details.  It is certainly plausible that not all were sent to the Mississippi River boats.  Perhaps someone on the east coast heard about and requested a few to try.  Would be interesting if we could get accurate provenance on the recover of these and perhaps then could determine what ship might have had them.