Albert Manucy, “Artillery Through the Ages.”
Publisher: BiblioBazaar | ISBN: 1434697851 | 2008 edition | PDF | 52 Pages | 1.49 MB
Throughout the 1500’s improvement was mainly toward lightening the enormous weights of guns and projectiles, as well as finding better ways to move the artillery. Thus, by 1556 Emperor Ferdinand was able to march against the Turks with 57 heavy and 127 light pieces of ordnance. At the beginning of the 1400’s cast-iron balls had made an appearance. The greater efficiency of the iron ball, together with an improvement in gunpowder, further encouraged the building of smaller and stronger guns.
Before 1500 the siege gun had been the predominant piece. Now forged-iron cannon for field, garrison, and naval service–and later, cast-iron pieces–were steadily developed along with cast-bronze guns, some of which were beautifully ornamented with Renaissance workmanship. The casting of trunnions on the gun made elevation and transportation easier, and the cumbrous beds of the early days gave way to crude artillery carriages with trails and wheels. The French invented the limber and about 1550 took a sizable forward step by standardizing the calibers of their artillery.
LINKS
Download
Download