THAT OLE CANNON Ball
During the age of the European sailing
navies, the impact of a cannon ball or shot (a
solid round ball) as you see above, on an
enemy target often was increased by using two balls
or shots in combination, joined together by a substantial iron chain.
And as you see in the picture to the left.......they really got somewhat ‘wild’ with these
different configurations of “Cannon Balls.”
The “cannon ball” was used for puncturing walls or decks, and when heated they became
“hot shot,” used for setting fires.
Some of these “balls or shells” were hollow with a charge of gunpowder inside. The
powder was ignited by a timed fuse which lit when the gun fired.
Then those sailors figured out if they connected two cannon balls together....either by a
chain or a rod that after leaving the muzzle those two components would tumble in the air, and
the chain would fully extend......and when traveling at a high rate of speed....you can just about
guess the destruction it could cause, if it hit its target. That was one of the negative features
about this type of “cannon ball arrangement,” so they used it at shorter ranges.
Actually the “chain-shot” was mainly used against an enemy ship’s masts and rigging, but
it also had an antipersonnel capability, but it was found that “Canister Shot or Grape Shot” was
much more effective and much lower in cost.
So the sailors figured they could do better with a “bar-shot.” Now this consisted of two
half cannon balls joined by a bar and it operated on the same basis as a chain-shot.
Well folks let me tell you I wouldn’t want either one of these coming at me.
Then the opposing ships got tired of these “contraptions” coming at them so they started
throwing “Canisters” of which contained pieces of iron that when fired they scattered in a wide
array. Along with this was the “Case Shot”, which consisted of a container that fired small iron
bullets at the enemy.
The “Canisters” and “Grape Shot” was more like a shotgun.....it simply scattered pellets
everywhere.....and took out many men at one time.
Grape-shot was an interesting concept.......this was a projectile of a cluster of iron balls
clamped together in a frame.........and when it hit something it would just shatter at point of
impact and if it was timed correctly it would explode in front of the target.....causing massive
damage on the ship as well as crew.
The military usefulness of chain-shot, bar-shot.....and all the rest of the above died out as
wooden sail-powered ships were replaced with armored propeller-driven ships - first among
navies, and among commercial fleets. Additionally, the conversion of naval armament from
smoothbore, muzzle loaded, black powder cannons to rifled breech loaded guns further slowed
the production of new chain shot ammunition; the chain would damage barrels (degrading
maximum range, and further degrading effective range by degrading accuracy), and the new
breech loading guns and their ammunition meant to be effective against armored vessels as well
as wooden sailing vessels.
You may think I’m “putting the cart before the horse” but I wish to go give some insight
to the “object” that “threw” those “Cannon Balls”.....just a tad of history so as you can get a
feel for this “weapon”....and what it could accomplish.
NOW THE CANNON
The cannon was first used at sea in the fir Cannonst half of the 14th century, the cannon was the
principal mounted naval gun during the era of the sailing navies. Its design remained
essentially unchanged throughout this long period. Cannon were large, muzzle-loading,
smooth-bore ordnance that used a gunpowder charge to fire a solid ball. Early examples were
constructed from bronze or wrought iron, but cost and the need to manufacture them in large
quantities forced a change to cast iron. They were mounted on small wooden carriages that were
fitted with wheels; when the cannon was fired the carriage would roll backward to absorb the
recoil.
“Cannon” is a general term covering a wide variety of gun types and sizes.
cannon operated on the same basis, they
differed in length, weight and caliber as well
as the size of shot they could fire and their
effective range. At one extreme, the canonroyal
weighted some 8,000 pounds and fired a
66-pound shot. The whole cannon and the
demicannon were also large guns. The latter,
which was widely used in the Royal Navy, had
a length of 11 ft and fired a 32-pound shot.
Smaller-caliber cannon included the culverin
and the perier. A typical culvering would fire
a 17-pound shot and had a caliber of 5-inches.
Although the basic principles of the cannon remained unchanged throughout its history,
design changes were made from time to time. Improvements in the quality of gunpowder were
one stimulus, allowing larger-caliber weapons to be introduced without increasing their overall
weight. By the end of the 17 century, cannon th production in
the 24-pounder (for use on the upper decks) and the 42-pounder (on the lower). Except for the
carronade, a light carriage gun of the late 18th and 19th centuries, by this time cannon were
designated by the weight of their shot, and their original 16th-century designations disappeared.
Cannon’s were mounted in rows along the sides of warships
of the sailing navies and were fired simultaneously in a
“Broadside” whose effect was sometimes more apparent than
real.
During the 18th century the extreme range of a whole
cannon might be about a mile, although its effective range -
the distance it would travel straight to its target before falling
- was only some 280 yards. Gradually the effective range of the cannon increased, and by the
early 19th century it had been extended to some 400 yards. In practice, however, gunners tended
to wait unit the enemy target was much closer, typically 100 yards before opening fire. At this
distance there was much greater chance of causing major structural damage, although sinking a
warship by cannon fire alone was always a difficult task, because most cannon damage occurred
above the waterline. It was much easier to disable the enemy by damaging masts or rigging.....so
you see why the chain-shot, bar-shot, case-shot.....etc...etc...they wanted to damage rigging and
disable the crew....and then “take-over” the vessel.....
The very early “cannon’s” were more in tune
with a bucket shape....
Major developments in naval gunnery accompanied the introduction of the iron warship
in the mid-19th century. Foremost among these changes was the replacement of the traditional
cannon by rifled breech-loading ordnance that fired an explosive shell. In its contemporary form
the cannon is a large-caliber, rapid-firing machine gun that is used at sea for low-level antiaircraft
defense. Today, the traditional cannon is used for ceremonial purposes and historical
displays.....but when viewing them.....they still remind you of some awesome power.
END
Source Bud Shortridge
© The Hemlington Nautical History Society
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