Keluobo Pao Zhunxin Fa 克虜伯礮準心法 [Rules for the Aiming of Krupp Guns]

In-text illustrations. 1 juan in one volume. 50 leaves. orig wrappers, new stitching. 29x17.5cm. Jiangnan Arsenal (江南製造總局), Shanghai, ca. 1875s.

Historical Background

Following the humiliations of the Opium Wars, Qing reformers recognized that national survival depended upon military modernization. In 1866, the Qing government dispatched a delegation to Europe to procure advanced weapons. Although rebuffed in Britain and France, the mission was warmly received in Germany, where members toured the Krupp Armament Works and were deeply impressed by its steel-forged artillery. In 1871, Li Hongzhang placed a massive order with Krupp for 328 guns of various calibers, marking a decisive turn toward German-style ordnance.

To master the operation of these newly imported weapons, technical manuals on Krupp artillery were urgently translated for Chinese use. Among them, Keluobo Pao Zhunxin Fa (“Rules for the Aiming of Krupp Guns”) was based on an original text from the Prussian Bureau of Military Administration. The work was translated by Karl T. Kreyer (金楷理) of the American Baptist Mission and edited by Li Fengbao (李鳳苞), a Chinese diplomat and artillery expert.

The manual covers a wide range of artillery science and practical gunnery:

• inspection of cannon construction,
• study of ammunition types,
• reading terrain and weather conditions,
• estimating range and position,
• methods of aiming and calibration,
• adjustment of sights and trajectories,
• analysis of projectile strength, and
• timing and control of shell explosions.

The translation of Keluobo Pao Zhunxin Fa epitomizes the military-technological turn of the Self-Strengthening Movement. It provided essential knowledge for Chinese engineers, officers, and artillerymen, fostering the rise of modern ordnance manufacture and the professionalization of military training in the late Qing. Beyond its practical use, the work also contributed to the intellectual modernization of Chinese military thought, integrating Western ballistics and precision measurement into the Chinese technical lexicon.

Wrappers a bit creased

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