"Yes this is true. SSG Gary Scoggins used the ACE at Bastogne to fire the crispy critter round which involves the first charge seven dipped completely in the water barrel [used for swabbing the breech] and put in the tube with another dry charge seven behind it. The gun was backed up to the berm [see below] so the barrel was nose down to fire at the road access where the bad guys were entering at a full run. While the powder was being loaded, two guys at the business end of the tube were shoveling sand into the barrel and throwing in spent brass, bottles, cans and glass. Made for some good homemade shrapnel that formed inside a ten foot diameter fireball that went out a thousand feet. Only problem with this method of firing is that it created a huge vacuum so if when the command FIRE is yelled, we had to hold our breath of it would almost suck our lungs from our chest.

Did not know this was done before Jan 69 but it may have been Scoggins back then as he had 10 years in the army and you guys down south may have served with him."