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A cannon is a large-caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, which usually launches a projectile using explosive chemical propellant. Gunpowder ("black powder") was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder during the late 19th century.
The cannon may have possibly appeared in China as early as the 12th century, [2] but did not see wider use in the region until the 13th century. The cannon was likely a parallel development or evolution of the fire-lance, a 12th-century gunpowder weapon that combined a tube of gunpowder with a polearm weapon. [3]
Cannon operation is described by the 1771 Encyclopædia Britannica. Each cannon would be manned by two gunners, six soldiers, and four officers of the artillery. The right gunner was to prime the piece and load it with powder, while the left gunner would fetch the powder from the magazine and keep ready to fire the cannon at the officer's ...
The cannon shot (c. 1680), painted by Willem van de Velde the Younger Essential parts of a cannon: 1. the projectile or cannonball (shot) 2. gunpowder 3. touch hole (or vent) in which the fuse or other ignition device is inserted Firing of an 18-pounder aboard a French ship. Firing a naval cannon required a great amount of labour and manpower.
The above diagram shows the typical gun crew of a Civil War cannon. Each cannoneer was numbered and played an important role in the firing sequence when the order "Commence fire" was given: [43] Gunner: Gave the order "Load" to load the cannon and sighted it at the target. Number One: Sponged the barrel clean and rammed the round to the breech.
Cannon seem to have been introduced to the Kingdom of England in the 14th century, and are mentioned as being in use against the Scots in 1327. [27] The first metal cannon was the pot-de-fer, first depicted in an illuminated manuscript by Walter de Milamete, [28] of 1327 that was presented to Edward III upon his accession to the English throne ...
These cannons played an important role against Soviet air raids in Helsinki in February 1944. After the war these cannons remained in Finnish use as AA-guns until 1977 and after that as coastal guns until the early 2000s. [36] The gun had nickname Rämäpää ("Reckless") after the manufacturer's initials RMB. Several of the Finnish guns ...
Cannons were only useful for the defense of a castle, as demonstrated at Breteuil in 1356, when the besieged English used a cannon to destroy an attacking French assault tower. [11] By the end of the 14th century, cannons were only powerful enough to knock in roofs, and could not penetrate castle walls.