Page 81 - All About History - Issue 18-14

MACHINESOFWAR

WARGALLEY 100BCE DEATHON

The war galley became the backbone of almost THEWAVES
allnaviesaroundtheworldfollowingits KILL EFFICIENCY:
introduction,reachingapeakusageinthe15th COLLATERAL DAMAGE:
century. Its popularity stemmed from its excellent SHOCK FACTOR:
suitability to pre-cannon naval warfare, with its
long narrow hull making it responsive at sea as ENGINEERING GENIUS:
well as providing excellent straight-line speed
under oar, allowing its crew to cross bodies of
water more rapidly than before.
From the Ancient Greeks and Assyrians
onward,thegalleywasrarelyequippedwithany
sort of weaponry, with its only form of direct
attackbeingtoramtheopposition.Another
populartacticwastosacrificeavesselandturnit
intoafireship.Despitethelackofweapons,
thegalleywasfearedasitcould
quickly drop off 50 or more
heavily armed soldiers in
enemy territory, or chase
down rivals on the water
like no other.
Inthelastdecadesofits
widespread use, cannons were
introduced to the galley with
limitedsuccess.Duetothe
vessel’sdesign–withanarrow
hull and oarsmen at either side
–thecannonshadtobeplacedat
the bow facing forward, limiting
thefiringarcandgunplacements.

First developed by the Ancient a primitive cannon made with an A16th-centurywar
Chinese, the cannon evolved from iron barrel. This weapon was used by galley–notethe
peculiar gun placements
the earlier firelance, gunpowder-filled the French and the English during near the bow
tubes that could be sent flying at an the Hundred Years’ War, eventually
enemy. As the cannon spread from superseded by more refined variants
theEastintotheWest,itevolvedinto ofvarioussizes.Soon,cannonsof FIREANDIRON
the larger, metal-barrelled weapon different sizes were in operation,
we know today. These first cannons ranging from small, cart-mounted KILL EFFICIENCY:
fired cannonballs as well as chunks mobile artillery units right through COLLATERAL DAMAGE:
of shrapnel, meaning they were to immense 16.8-ton monsters that
especially deadly to humans. requiredateamof200mento SHOCK FACTOR:
An early example of the Western operate effectively and more than 70 ENGINEERING GENIUS:
cannon is the pot-de-fer (‘iron pot’), oxen to transport.

O Gun O Land mine O Arquebus O Mortar
The first identified gun The first land Aforerunnertothe Anevolutionofthe
originated in China and mines emerged out musket and the rifle, straight cannonball-
consisted of a bamboo of the 13th-century thearquebuswas firing cannon, the
tube that was filled Chinese Song an early muzzle- mortar introduced
with gunpowder and Dynasty. The loading, smooth- explosive ammunition
aspear.Whenignited, deviceswereused bore firearm. It was to the battlefield, with
thespearwouldbe with tripwires to lighter and much the machine hurling
propelled forward at catch unsuspecting less accurate than gunpowder-filled bombs
great speed. enemies unawares. the musket. at the enemy.
1000 1277 1450 1453

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