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What is a Gunnade?
Towards the end of the period of use, some carronades were fitted with trunnions to lower their centres of gravity, to create a variant known as the “gunnade”. Gunnades, introduced around 1820, are distinct from the earliest carronades, which also featured trunnions.
What is a cannonade cannon?
noun. a continued discharge of cannon, especially during an attack. an attack, as of invective or censure, suggestive of cannon fire; barrage.
What is a carronade used for?
The carronade is a short smoothbore, cast iron cannon, which was used by the Royal Navy and first produced by the Carron Company, an ironworks in Falkirk, Scotland, UK. It was used from the 1770s to the 1850s. Its main function was to serve as a powerful, short-range anti-ship and anti-crew weapon.
Why is it called grapeshot?
In artillery, a grapeshot is a type of ammunition that consists of a collection of smaller-caliber round shots packed tightly in a canvas bag and separated from the gunpowder charge by a metal wadding, rather than being a single solid projectile. When assembled, the shot resembled a cluster of grapes, hence the name.
What is a smooth bore weapon?
A smoothbore weapon is one that has a barrel without rifling. Smoothbores range from handheld firearms to powerful tank guns and large artillery mortars.
What does bombardment and cannonade mean?
1 : a heavy fire of artillery. 2 : an attack (as with words) likened to artillery fire : bombardment The president’s decision was attacked with a cannonade of criticism.
How heavy is a carronade?
Carronades were designed for close-in action, providing maximum firepower with minimal weight. Relatively light and short, they weighed about 50 to 70 pounds of metal for every 1 pound of shot, in contrast to as much as 150 to 200 pounds of metal per pound of shot for long guns.
What is a cannon bullet called?
grapeshot, cannon charge consisting of small round balls, usually of lead or iron, and used primarily as an antipersonnel weapon.
Did pirates use grapeshot?
Grape shot was used to make deadly blows for crew on deck, causing little damage to the ship. One of the most famous pirates, Bartholomew Roberts was killed by this type of shot.
Are cannons rifled?
The practice of rifling—casting spiralling lines inside the cannon’s barrel—was applied to artillery more frequently by 1855, as it gave cannon projectiles gyroscopic stability, which improved their accuracy. The superior cannon of the Western world brought them tremendous advantages in warfare.