Difference between revisions of "Cannon"
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(Undo revision 197393 by Special:Contributions/As5Rape (User talk:As5Rape)) |
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| + | [[Image:Image:Cannon.jpg|left]] | ||
[[Image:5-54-Mark-45-firing edit.jpg|right|thumb|300px|A modern cannon mounted on a ship.]] | [[Image:5-54-Mark-45-firing edit.jpg|right|thumb|300px|A modern cannon mounted on a ship.]] | ||
| − | A '''cannon''' is a type of heavy weapon used | + | A '''cannon''' (Spanish: cañón, French: canon, German: Kanone, Greek: κανόνι, Italian: cannone, Japanese: 大砲 ) is a type of heavy weapon usually mounted on a carriage used since the [[Middle Ages]]. |
They came about due to the development of [[gunpowder]] and [[metallurgy]]. They consisted of a heavy barrel cast in one piece, generally of [[bronze]] or [[iron]], mounted on a wooden carriage. Ammunition ranged from solid iron balls, to [[chain shot]] and [[cannister]]. They were muzzle loaded and thus slow to reload. Massed batteries were used on both land and sea. Their relatively short range limited them to direct fire only, as opposed to modern [[artillery]] which uses [[indirect fire]]. | They came about due to the development of [[gunpowder]] and [[metallurgy]]. They consisted of a heavy barrel cast in one piece, generally of [[bronze]] or [[iron]], mounted on a wooden carriage. Ammunition ranged from solid iron balls, to [[chain shot]] and [[cannister]]. They were muzzle loaded and thus slow to reload. Massed batteries were used on both land and sea. Their relatively short range limited them to direct fire only, as opposed to modern [[artillery]] which uses [[indirect fire]]. | ||
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| + | ==See also== | ||
| + | *[[Firearm]] | ||
| + | *[[Gunpowder]] | ||
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| + | == External links == | ||
| + | *[http://www.quarry.nildram.co.uk/Glossary.html AMMUNITION GLOSSARY] | ||
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[[category:weapons]] | [[category:weapons]] | ||
Revision as of 00:25, July 11, 2007
A cannon (Spanish: cañón, French: canon, German: Kanone, Greek: κανόνι, Italian: cannone, Japanese: 大砲 ) is a type of heavy weapon usually mounted on a carriage used since the Middle Ages.
They came about due to the development of gunpowder and metallurgy. They consisted of a heavy barrel cast in one piece, generally of bronze or iron, mounted on a wooden carriage. Ammunition ranged from solid iron balls, to chain shot and cannister. They were muzzle loaded and thus slow to reload. Massed batteries were used on both land and sea. Their relatively short range limited them to direct fire only, as opposed to modern artillery which uses indirect fire.