Doyle,

It is my understanding that the firing flatform that the Dictator was own was the same one it was moved on. It was however EXTREMELY secured in place before firing. Mortars, especially one that shoots a 13 inch ball are very violent and require a lot of expertise in aiming. This was by no means a "run and gun" type of weapon. The impression that I get from my reading and visiting Petersburg was that the beast was rolled into position and there it stayed. I'm not so sure it was ever moved to different firing locations. The Paulson Brothers Ordnance website (period artillery builders) had a great video clip of a 13 inch seacoast mortar firing live ammo. As my wife and I watched the clip quite a few seconds went by when she said "I wonder how far in the air that thing goes" when the guy in the clip states "coming down". The entire flight time from firing to impact was probably 12 to 15 seconds. How would you have liked to have lived in Petersburg in '64-'65 when you heard that thing go off. It's target was NOT just the battlefield.

Google the Paulson site. I can't remember the address. There are quite a few clips of live fire on the site.

Keith