Cannon and Carronades

Encyclopedia Appendix L - Cannon and Carronades
Antipersonnel Shot - used against enemy crew.

Langridge - is cheap ammo, bundles of nails, forks and similar objects. It has the shortest range of any ammo, but it does good crew damage.

Canister and Grape - are similar. Canister is shorter range and does slightly more damage. The difference between them is usually a matter of preference instead of situation.



Firing of an 18-pounder

Black Powder or Gunpowder - consists of a mixture of salt peter, sulfur and charcoal, originally in equal proportions by weight, but later approximately 75:15:10. The earliest gunpowder was simply a fine powder produced by grinding the three components together and was known as serpentine. It was dangerous to handle and frequently had to be remixed before use. Later on powder was mixed with water, sometimes plus wine and other liquids, pushed though a screen and allowed to dry as small pellets. An 18 pounder long gun with a charge of 5lb of powder was capable of penetrating nearly 2 feet six inches into oak at a range of 400 yds., and over 1 foot at 1000 yds. Gunpowder produced vast amounts of thick smoke which rapidly obscured the area of any naval battle. A thick coating was also formed inside the barrel of the gun which had to be scraped out. To prepare a gun for firing a charge of gunpowder in a cloth bag is pushed down the barrel by a ram-rod and followed by the round shot. This is held in place by a wad. The gunner pushes a spike down the "touch-hole" on the top near the rear end of the barrel to break the powder bag and pours a little fine powder down the hole. The gun is then run out through the Gunport by the ropes attached to the carriage. In earlier times the gunner would have fired by lighting the powder in the touch hole with a "slow match", a glowing piece of material, but later a flintlock as on a pistol or musket was used to produce a spark to fire the charge. When the gun fired it recoiled violently back into the ship, restrained by the `breeching ropes` attached to the carriage. The bore was swabbed out with water to remove any glowing pieces of residue, and the process repeated.

Blunderbuss - In the early 1700s the blunderbuss (or blunderbess) started to become popular as a weapon for close quarters because of its ability to deliver a blast of shot or buck and ball. Numerous armies and navies produced various versions of this item all the way into the 1840s. However its zenith seems to have been in the mid-1700s when it was used both by soldiers, sailors, and civilians as a means of defense in close quarters. Throughout the 18th century many blunderbusses in both brass and steel barrels were manufactured. On board ship often the steel barrels were japanned or blackened. As one could imagine, this item was ideal for fighting on ship particularly in repealing of enemy boarding parties. By the latter half of the 18th century the blunderbuss found a following with coachmen as a new tool to thwart the pistol-totting highwayman. The blunderbuss has also been romanticized as the choice firearm of the pirate or privateer. The blunderbuss is very maneuverable in the melée of battle with its 15-inch barrel and 30 1/2 inch length overall (.75 caliber).



Blunderbuss

Cannon - the term describes the large, smooth-bored, muzzle-loading guns used before the advent of breech-loading, rifled guns firing shells. In the 16th century the "Great Guns" were classified according to size;

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.................................................................. Characteristic

............................................ weight of ... cannon ... cannon..... range .... range

Name ................................. iron ball ...... weight .... length....... level....... maximum

............................................ lbs.... oz ...... lb ............. ft ... in....... paces .... paces

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Cannon Royal.................... ..48...... 0......... 8000......... 12.... 0....... 185......... 1850

Demi-cannon (large)...............36..... 0......... 6000......... 12.... 0........ 180........ 1800

Demi-cannon (ordinary)......... 32..... 0......... 5600......... 12.... 0........ 162........ 1620

Demi-cannon (least)............. 30..... 0......... 5400......... 11.... 0........ 156........ 1560

Culverin (largest).................. 20..... 0......... 4800......... 12.... 0........ 183........ 1830

Culverin (ordinary)............... 17..... 5......... 4500......... 12.... 0........ 181........ 1810 Culverin (least).................... 15..... 0......... 4000......... 11.... 0........ 180........ 1800

Demi-culverin (ordinary)....... 10... 11......... 2700......... 11.... 0........ 175........ 1750 Demi-culverin (least)............ 9..... 0.......... 2000......... 10.... 0........ 174........ 1740 Saker (ordinary).................. 6..... 0.......... 1500......... 10.... 0........ 160........ 1600 Saker (least)...................... 4... 12............ 400........... 8.... 0........ 150........ 1500 Minion (largest)................... 3... 12.......... 1000........... 8.... 0........ 125........ 1250 Minion (ordinary)................ 3..... 4............ 800........... 7.... 0........ 120........ 1200 Falcon.............................. 2..... 8............ 750........... 6.... 0........ 130........ 1300 Falconet............................ 1.... 5............ 400........... 5.... 6........... 90.......... 900

Rabinet............................. 0..... 8............ 300.......... 5.... 6............ 70.......... 700 Base................................. 0..... 5............ 200.......... 4.... 6............ 60.......... 600

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Type.................... Barrel length... Shot dia..... Range (pounder)............ feet... inch.......... inch..........yards

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42.......................... 9.......... 6.............. 6.7........... 1,940

32.......................... 9.......... 6.............. 6.1........... 2,080

24.......................... 9.......... 6.............. 5.6........... 1,800

24.......................... 6.......... 6.............. 5.6........... 1,550

l8........................... 9.......... 0.............. 5.1........... 1,800

l2........................... 8.......... 6.............. 4.4........... 1,580

9............................ 8.......... 6.............. 4.0........... 1,620

68... Carronade....... 4........... 1............. 7.9........... 1,280

42... Carronade....... 4.......... 4.............. 6.7........... 1,170

32... Carronade....... 4.......... 0.............. 6.1........... 1,087

24... Carronade....... 3.......... 0.............. 5.6........... 1,050

18... Carronade....... 2.......... 4.............. 5.1........... 1,000

l2.... Carronade....... 2.......... 2.............. 4.4.............. 870

Carcass - an incendiary/antipersonnel projectile designed to burn fiercely and produce poisonous fumes. It was constructed of an iron frame bound with sack cloth and filled with various ingredients such as pitch, antimony, sulphur, saltpeter, tallow and venetian turpentine. It was ignited by the cannon's propellant charge, bursting on impact with the target and releasing noxious fumes while setting fire to its surroundings. It was effectively an early chemical weapon as well as an incendiary and area denial weapon. The name is possibly a reference to the medieval practice of hurling dead animals from trebuchet as a form of biological warfare, or to the projectile's superficial resemblance to a human carcass.

Carronade - was a short gun developed by the Carron Company, a Scottish ironworks, in 1778. Known as a "Smasher", it was half the weight of an equivalent long gun, but could throw a heavy ball over a limited distance. Because of irregularities in the size of cannon balls and the difficulty of boring out gun barrels there was usually a considerable gap between the ball and the bore, often as much as a quarter of an inch, with a consequent loss of efficiency. This gap was known as the "windage". The manufacturing practices introduced by the Carron Company reduced the windage considerably. The carronade was mounted on a sliding carriage with ropes to restrain the recoil. Lack of range against an opponent, who could keep well clear, and still use his long guns, led to its disappearance.

Chain Shot or Bar Shot - two small round shot linked by a length of chain. This was used to slash through the rigging and sails of an enemy ship so that it could no longer maneuver. Because the projectile was a good deal smaller than the bore of the gun, chain shot was inaccurate and only used at close ranges. Two-headed bullets (angels) were similar but made of two halves of a ball rather than two balls.



Canister or Case Shot - an anti-personnel projectile, which included many small iron round shot or lead musket balls in a metal can, which broke up when fired scattering the shot over the deck of an enemy ship and throughout the enemy personnel, like a large shotgun.



Culverin - a medieval cannon of relatively long barrel and light construction that fired solid round shot projectiles at long ranges along a flat trajectory. Round shot refers to the classic solid spherical cannonball. The culverin was adapted for use by the French in the 15th century, and later adapted for naval use by the English in the late 16th century. The culverin was used to bombard targets from a distance.

The term "culverin" is derived from the Latin, colubrinus, or "of the nature of a snake". It was originally the name of a medieval musket used in the 15th and 16th centuries. There were three types of culverin in use, distinguished by their size: the culverin extraordinary, the ordinary, and the least-sized. The culverin extraordinary had a diameter of 5 1/2 inches, a length of 32 calibers (13 ft), and a weight of 4800 pounds; its load weighed over 12 pounds, and it carried a shot with a diameter of 5 1/4 inches and weight of 20 pounds. The ordinary culverin was 12 ft long, carried a ball of 17 pounds 5 ounces, had a caliber of 5 1/2 inches, and weighed 4500 pounds. The culverin of the least size had a diameter of 5 inches, was 12 ft long, weighed 4000, carried a shot 3 1/4 inches in diameter, weighing 14 pounds 9 ounces. There were also smaller versions, including the bastard culverin (4 inches diameter, 7 pound shot) and the demi-culverin or culverin-moyen (4 1/2 inches diamter, 10 pound shot). Overall, the culverin was a significant advantage over the ballista, which was the "light artillery" unit of the previous eras. Since it fired a ball of iron and relied on gunpowder for propulsion, the heavier ball meant a more stable flight and the gunpowder propulsion meant a faster and farther-ranged weapon. The culverin was later replaced by the field gun once technology had advanced to the point where cannonballs had become explosive.

Demi Cannon or Half Cannon - was a 17th century naval gun which fired a 32-pound solid shot. A full cannon fired a 42-pound shot. 42- pounders were discontinued as they were seen as too unwieldy in the 18th century. The lower tier of 17th Century English sips of the line were usually equipped with demi-cannons.

Demi Culverin or Saker - was a 17th Century term for a cannon which fired a 9-pound solid shot (a Culverin fired an 18-pound shot). It was first employed by the Flemings in the early 1600s. The tube was about 3 metres long, and fired a shot 11 cm in diameter and 4 to 6 kilograms in mass. With a weight of 1640 kg (3600 lb), it had a range of almost 2 km, though its effective range was only about 80 metres. Firing this gun was dangerous - many gunners lost their lives to recoiling barrels or blowback from the touchhole.

Dismantling Shot - Dismantling shot damages the target’s sails, masts and rigging. It also does a small amount of crew and hull damage.

Bar Shot - is the weakest but fires at long range.

Chain Shot - is an all-around useful dismantling shot and it is used more than the other types.

Star Shot - is powerful, but it is inaccurate and has limited range.

Falcon - 3lb Falcon Cannon (Dutch) Barrel length: 2.2m; weight of gun and carriage: 600 kgs Fired solid 3 lb iron cannonballs and sometimes canisters of musket balls; maximum range: 2500m; effective point-blank range: 450m; best rate of fire: 20 shots per hour; working life: bronze indefinite, iron 1200 shots; gun-crew: 8

Falconet - was a medieval cannon of fairly light construction which fired 1-pound solid round shot projectiles. Used especially during the 17th century for the defence of light vessels e.g. on small boats for boarding manouveres can also be used to fire grapeshot. Bronze falconets were also used in the ships, mostly Galleons. They had a good range and a fairly good area of effect, but they weren't suitable for destroying buildings.

Grape Shot - an anti-personnel weapons, designed to kill and maim the men on the deck of an enemy ship. Similar to canister shot, but with the shot being contained in a canvas bag, and generally of a larger calibre. So called because of the resemblance of the clustered shot in the bag to a cluster of grapes on the vine. In one variation of this, the shot was held together by a coiled bar, and was spread by a fused charge in the same way as a shell.



Grape Shot

Gun Barrel - the early big guns were built up from strips of wrought iron, heated until they glowed yellow, and then hammered to weld them together to form the barrel. Rings of iron were forced over the barrel to reinforce it. Smaller guns were cast in brass or bronze, using techniques used for centuries to produce statues. In the 16th century the Dutch developed cast-iron cannon and the technique was imported into England where the first iron cannon were cast in 1543.

Gun Carriage - 24 pounder: a wheeled, wooden platform upon which the barrel was balanced on two trunions, the short metal projections on either side of the barrel. The angle of elevation could be altered by moving a wooden wedge under the rear end of the gun.



Gun Carriage

Gun Crew - for the great guns consisted of eight men, Captain of the Gun, Second Captain, Loader, Sponger, Assistant Sponger, Powderman, Handspikemen, and Assistant Loader. Up to nine more men, depending on the size of the gun, were required to man the breeching ropes, which checked the recoil, and to man the tackles for running out and training. They also performed the duties of firemen.

Heated or Hot Shot - a process where a solid iron cannonball is heated red hot in a specially designed wood or coal fired furnace and then is loaded in a muzzle loading cannon, cushioned by a substantial thickness of wet wads, and is then fired while still red hot, at flammable targets with the intention of setting them on fire. This was a much advocated tactic, and many times a very successful one, for shore based forts defending against attacks by wooden warships. Examples of these small brick furnaces may still be seen at permanently constructed pre-1860 forts in Europe and the United States. The adoption by most navies of iron hulled ships generally made these obsolete. The shot was carried on a specially-designed iron barrow or 2-man litter and, in the era of blackpowder cannon charges contained in cloth bags, occasioned much fanfare and notice as it was conveyed to the cannon muzzle as the red-hot projectile would easily ignite any carelessly handled loose powder. Any reckless or somewhat dangerous individual who seemed to draw trouble to themselves and those around them was referred to as a "Hot Shot", giving rise to the term in common use to this day.

Minion - during the 17th century, minion was the name of a type of cannon with a small bore.

Musket -Referred to as the 1st Model, this musket was the first of British muskets to adopt brass hardware.



Developed in the 1720s, this musket was used all the way up to the American Revolution. There a number of versions to this musket. Additional changes were made to its design in 1742, however the basic look remained the same. The major change for the 1742 was the introduction of the double bridle to the lock. This is the 1742 version with Seven Years War war-time steel rammer conversion. While a new model was introduced in 1756, officials were insistent that the new musket would not be issued until the 1742 Long Land Musket stocks with Regiments and in the armouries had been depleted. This practice was confirmed when the 77th and 78th Regiments (Montgomery's and Fraser's Highlanders) were raised in 1757 for service in North America. Instead of receiving the new model, they received the 1742 model. In addition the reported replacement by numerous regiments of wooden rammers with steel ones also confirms the universal use of the 1742 model in the French and Indian War. By the opening of the American Revolution there would have been a mixture of Long Land and Short Land Muskets in use by British Forces. One historian suggested the Loyalist or Provincial Corps would have received the 1742 Long Land Muskets because that was what was in stores after the French and Indian War. Most certainly the Long Land pattern would have found its way into the Continental Army as muskets were captured from the British and taken from colonial armouries, particularly at the beginning of the war before arms from France started to flow. When this musket was first manufactured numerous regiments particularly in Ireland were supplied with steel ramrods. One British Officer, General Hawley, objected to the steel rammers and subsequent rammers were made of wood. Surprisingly at the same time the French Army had decided to switch to the steel ramrod! The British eventually switched back to the steel ramrod in the 1750s when the 1756 version was introduced. As well during the Seven Years War (French and Indian War) numerous regiments carrying wooden rammers were ordered to switch to steel ones. 46 inch - .75 caliber barrel. The musket's total length is 63 inches and weighs 11 pounds.



By the end of the 17th century, the British Army was armed extensively with the doglock musket. By 1700, the doglock had evolved into a beautiful and sleek arm unique to the English complete with it brass hardware. While flintlocks without dog catches started to surface at this time, the doglock would have been one of the principal English weapons in Marlborough's army when he defeated the French at the Battles of Blenheim in 1704, Ramillies in 1706, Oudenaarde in 1708, and Malplaquet in 1709. Under the leadership of the Duke of Marlborough, the British Army had truly entered the 18th century in great glory. However at the same time the doglock had become perfected, the true flintlock without the dog catch started to take hold in the army. By the 1720s the dog lock had been replaced in the Army by the Brown Bess. That did not end the use of this arm. As the brown bess was introduced, thousands of surplus doglock muskets were turned over to the Royal Navy. It is not a coincidence the brass hardware styles of the musket offered here, show up on the first Sea Service musket in 1738. The doglock, especially with its brass furniture, was quite popular on board ship. Eventually through engagements and desertion, pirates and privateers would have also come to use this arm. Doglock barrel lengths varied from 42 inches to 48 inch fowlers. The 42 inch - .69 caliber barrel was much more ideal for naval service than the longer fowlers.

Pistols - Royal Navy Sea Service Pistols 1756 – 1815 In the age of fighting sail, all navies were famous for the patchwork of weapons used on board their ships. The Royal Navy was no different. However by the second half of the 18th century a model of sea service pistol began to dominate amongst the tars of Britain's navy. While there were earlier versions of the sea service pistol, Britain at the time of the Seven Years War began to produce naval pistols and muskets like never before. The sea service pistols here (12 inch - .62 caliber barrel) saw extensive use. During the 1790s, the barrel was shortened to 9 inches making it more convenient in the tangled mêlées experienced by boarding parties. The shortened version is often referred to as the East India Co. Sea Service Pistol because they were the first to shorten it.



12 inch pistol



9 inch pistol

Rating of Warships - ships were classified or rated according to the number of cannon they carried, carronades were never included in the number, although rated ships could carry up to twelve 24 or 32-pounders.

Round Shot - in early times made from dressed stone, but by the 17th century from iron, was the most accurate projectile that could be fired and was used to batter the wooden hulls of opposing ships. Round shot is the most commonly used shot type. It focuses on damaging the target ship’s hull.

Stone Shot - is the poor man’s round shot and does the least damage, but it is incredibly cheap to produce and it does moderate crew damage.

Heavy Round Shot - is the standard against which everything else is compared.

Bronze Round Shot - is extremely expensive, but it functions slightly better than Heavy Round Shot.

Shell - an explosive anti-material and counter-battery projectile, of iron with a cavity packed with a high explosive bursting charge of powder used to destroy enemy wagons, breastworks, or opposing artillery. Two types of fuses were used, impact fuses, that detonated the bursting charge by percussion, and time fuse cut to length measured in seconds, and ignited by flame from the propellant charge.

Shrapnel or Spherical Case Shot - an iron anti-personnel projectile containing an interior cavity packed with lead or iron round balls around a small bursting charge of just enough force to break open the thin-walled iron projectile. A powder train in a thin iron sleeve led to a time fuse inserted into a holder at the outer edge or the projectile. The fuse was designed to be ignited by flame from the propellant charge. Ideally the case shot fuse would detonate the central bursting charge when the projectile was six to ten feet above the heads of enemy infantry thereby showering them with the iron balls and fragments of the casing. Invented 1784 by Lt. Henry Shrapnel, Royal Artillery, Great Britain.

Spider Shot - is a chain shot, but it has many chains instead of just one. It was not often used, despite its effectiveness against small ships and morale.

Smasher - 68 pounder carronade: A short range but powerful gun, the carronades were nicknamed the 'Smashers'. Developed in the 1770's they were produced in 12, 18, 24, 32 and 68 pounder versions. Because they were lighter than the standard long guns they could be mounted on the top deck. This enabled them to deliver a devastating blow to the more vulnerable parts of an enemy ship.



68 pounder

Windage - the name given the gap between the ball and the bore, often as much as a quarter of an inch, because of irregularities in the size of cannon balls and the difficulty of boring out gun barrels resulting in a consequent loss of efficiency.