Hi-

This is a two part question. The first part is that I'm looking for suggestions in the best reference works for ACW heavy artillery (siege/garrison, seacoast, naval.) I'm interested in the tactical side (such as detailed ordnance manuals for these classifications), ammunition (like Melton & Pawl's), as well as foundries, development, production/survivor information similar to Hazlett/Olmstead/Park's "Field Artillery" work.

The second part is a more practical tactical question. I'm trying to get an idea for the relative impact of the guns vs. assault by infantry or battery counterfir, vs. standard field artillery types. While I'm fairly certain I can find appropriate references to projectiles properties used in various pieces (cannister, case, shell, etc.) I'm not so sure that I can find appropriate guidelines for expected load/fire rates. So what information is there available about anticipated firing rates of competent crews? Field artillery rates are anticipated at ~2 rounds per minute sustained when the need arises (much faster rates have been claimed for veteran crews in a tight spot.)

I expect that with larger/heavier pieces and heavier ammunition that the anticipated load/aim/fire rate declines substantially under similar field circumstances as caliber or projectile weight wt. increaseds. And I also expect larger guns might require a bit longer cooling cycle in sustained firing (since some Parrott's for example had a habit of overheating then bursting.) I've read of some naval fire rates for large guns being about 1 round every two minutes for *sustained* action Are there any guidelines for comparison and do they vary by gun size/type?

Thanks in advance.