![]() This type of shot is the oldest and most common shot used with cannon other than your standard cannon ball. A favorite type of theirs was what is referred to as dismantling shot, or more commonly bar shot, and is thought to have been used to de-mast and disable the rigging of ships to slow them down and ultimately make a prize of them. Naval warfare was a particularly bloody affair when it came down to trading blows, and pirate crews used every form of projectile they could get their hands on to get their point across. It was also used against Parliamentarians in the first English Civil War, and against Cromwell in Ireland at the siege of Clonmel in 1650, against the 76th Highlanders in India in 1803, by the French against the Dutch at the Battle of Waterloo, and by Union troops at the Battle of Gettysburg in the American Civil War. It was used by the defenders of Magdeburg in May 1631 as an anti-personnel load, which, according to counselor Otto von Guericke, was one reason for the extreme violence of the victorious attackers. However, the tumbling made both bar and chain shot less accurate, so they were used at shorter ranges.Ĭhain shot was sometimes used on land as an anti-personnel load. In past use, as much as 1.8 m (6 ft) of chain would sweep through the target. When fired, after leaving the muzzle, the shot's components tumble in the air, and the connecting chain fully extends. They were used in the age of sailing ships and black powder cannon to shoot masts, or to cut the shrouds and any other rigging of a target ship. Bar shot is similar, but joined by a solid bar. In artillery, chain shot is a type of cannon projectile formed of two sub-calibre balls, or half-balls, chained together. ![]() It weighs a heavy 50 pounds (22.6796 kilos), measures 16 inches long (40.64 cm), each ball 5 inches (12.7 cm) in diameter. This is a 18th century circa 1776 heavy iron metal bar shot double cannon ball connected by a metal bar.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |