British weaponary
The 15 pound Field gun was manufactured by Armstrong and was the standard artillery piece for the Royal Field Artillery. A battery consisted of a major, a captain, 3 subalterns and 170 other ranks and 6 guns. Each gun and limber weighed together about 1.75 tons and was drawn by 6 horses. The weight of the shell was in fact 14 pounds 1 ounce and housed 200 metal balls.
Two types of fuse were used, one a time-fuse designed so that the shell would explode over the enemy causing maximum casualties and occurred at a range of up to 3750 metres. This short range meant that guns had to be brought much closer to the enemy and could possibly explain why Hart was ahead of the infantry at Colenso. The second type of fuse was the impact or percussion type. As its name implies it exploded on impact at a range of some 5200 metres. The Horse Artillery 12 pound battery also had 6 guns, but a smaller compliment of men and horses.
The 15 pound RFA gun was a 7cwt BL field gun and the standard artillery piece of the British Army. The RHA had the 12 poundr 6 CWT BL gun. The shell calibre was 76.2 mm (3″) and came in shrapnel and case form. The shrapnel shell was filled with steel bullets, 41 to the pound (0.45 kg) all packed in resin. A few rounds of case shot were also carried and were intended for use against a massed enemy at short range of 320 m. The rate of fire was 7-8 rounds per minute at ranges of 3749m and 5121m respectively for Time fuse and Percussion.
The British Pom Pom or 37 mm Maxim Automatic Machine Gun was simply a large, belt-fed machine gun, firing explosive rounds. Its effect on morale was considerable, although its material effect was small. The aggravating ‘bark’, coupled with the fact that one burst meant that there were more on the way was trying on the nerves. The shells were cast iron, filled with a nose percussion fuse. They were fixed in a brass cartridge case and 25 were placed in a belt.
Removed from their mountings on board HMS Terrible they were relocated onto special field carriages then transported via rail to Ladysmith. They had three times the range of the Royal Field Artillery guns and fired a common shell. Although commonly called the “12 pounder” the shell in fact weighed 5.7 kg (12lbs 8oz) and had a range of 4115 metres for the time fuse and 7315 metres for the percussion. The relief force moved this gun using a team of eight oxen and black drivers however the sailors in Ladysmith were not so fortunate having to manoeuvre the gun by their own efforts. Twelve of these guns were present at the battles of Colenso, Spioenkop and Vaalkranz with two remaining at Chieveley, whilst four were with the besieged forces, arriving just in time to save the day at the battle of Ladysmith. The carriage was designed by Captain Scott of HMS Terrible who was also responsible for the carriage of the 4.7 inch Gun and the shuttered front cover for signalling with Searchlights. Captain Scott’s carriage for 4.7 inch and 12 pounders was manufactured from 4″ square steel bar with some circular plate 4 feet in diameter used for the wheels. Angle iron around the circumference was fashioned to carry a broad tyre; there he had a wheel. A wooden trail was made and added and the gun was ready in 48 hours. One of these guns was affectionately known as “Bloody Mary” by the sailors and was sited at Cove Redoubt, whilst another “Lady Ellen” was moved to Caesars Camp. This action was commemorated each year at the Royal Tournament in London with a Gun Run that has its origins at Ladysmith and commemorates the speed with which the Royal Navy, with guns and men from the HMS Terrible and HMS Powerful, arrived on the scene at the battle of Ladysmith on 30th October 1899. The gruelling gun-race between two selected teams of Navy personnel and involves the dismantling of an artillery piece, carrying it some distance over obstacles then re-assembling it. Unfortunately the government of the day, “in its wisdom,” have stopped the tournament on the grounds that funds can no longer be made available even though I understand from Navy friends that the Tournament could have been financed from the private sector. Tournament history: Field Gun crews from Portsmouth, Devonport (Plymouth) and the Fleet Air Arm (and Chatham to 1960) competed annually in the Royal Navy Field Gun Competition, which was one of the displays at the Royal Tournament, held latterly at Earls Court, London. The competition made its tournament debut in 1907 and apart from breaks in the Tournament during WWI and WWII, the competition was held at each Royal Tournament until the last Royal Tournament in 1999 (‘The Last Run’). The Royal Tournament can be traced to the Army’s Grand Military Tournament and Assault at Arms at the Agricultural Hall in Islington in 1880. Various Navy teams still do the ‘run’ at military displays, Navy Days, etc but old hands would say that it is a shadow of the original competition. Having seen both, I would have to agree, although any competition that involves manhandling a field gun is not for wimps! Kindly added by Rachel Farrand ** 
The 12 pound Royal Navy gun was a QF 12 CWT and with their long barrels and long range were commonly known as “Long 12′s”. These pieces were removed from their mountings on board HMS Terrible, relocated onto special field carriages then transported via rail to Ladysmith. They had three times the range of the Royal Field Artillery guns and fired a common shell. Although commonly called the “12 pound” the shell in fact weighed 5.7 kg (12lbs 8oz) and had a range of 4115 metres for the time fuse and 7315 metres for the percussion. 
The 4.7 inch Naval gun was a QF gun and threw a 45lb (20.4 kg) shell a distance of 5900 metres with a time fuse, 9100 metres with Percussion. Like the 12 pounder these guns were taken off HMS Terrible and mounted on Captain Scott’s special carriages, although the two in Ladysmith were designed to be mounted on wooden platforms. A further two 4.7 inch guns were mounted on similar carriages with one being used at Colenso and the other at Spioenkop. The two guns in Ladysmith were named “Lady Anne” or “Princess Victoria” by the sailors.
See Royal Navy for their weapons
The 6 inch Royal Navy gun An urgent request from Sir Redvers Buller was sent to Captain Percy Scott of H.M.S. Terrible asking for a larger gun with the same portability that was possible with the 4.7 inch and 12 pound guns. This was achieved by Scott and within five days one was ready to be shipped to Buller. It arrived just two weeks before the Relief of Ladysmith. The gun fired both common and shrapnel shells over distances of 2750 to 13700 metres.
The Maxim machine gun was invented by Hiram Maxim at his factory in Clerkenwell London. It was operated by two men, one to feed the belt of bullets whilst the second fired the weapon.
See Caster and Pollux