Page 202 - (DK) Smithsinian - Military History: The Definitive Visual Guide to the Objects of Warfare

200 CARRONADES AND OTHER NAVAL GUNS

ONET 1680–1815 Carronades—a type of smoothbore cast-iron cannon—were an important ▲ DUTCH DOUBLE- Multi-shot weapons, such as

addition to naval firepower in the late 18th and early 19th century, supplementing light
Rotating barrel
weapons such as multi-shot guns, swivel guns, rockets, and mortars. Quickly adopted
by the British, US, Russian, and French navies, carronades—so-called because they
were manufactured by the Carron Ironworks in Falkirk, Scotland—were powerful,
this Dutch double-barreled
BARRELED FLINTLOCK
flintlock, were used for
short-barreled guns that were relatively lightweight and could be operated by a small
Date 17th century
the difficulty of reloading
1
such as 32-pounders had to be carried near the waterline so as not to destabilize a
single-shot weapons at close
Weight 2 ⁄2lb (1.2kg)
quarters or on an often-
Barrel 19 ⁄4in (50.3cm)
3
ship, carronades were light enough to be mounted on the upper deck.
Y crew, but were devastating in close-range engagements. Moreover, while heavy guns Origin Netherlands boarding actions, due to
pitching deck.
AND BA Support, ◀ SWEDISH The Swedish navy of the mid-18th century
Caliber 36-bore
removed to
elevate mortar
equipped smaller vessels (bomb ketches)
20-POUNDER MORTAR
FLINTLOCK Date 1735 adjustable to fire at an elevated angle for
with trunnioned mortars, which were
Origin Sweden
improved range. This bronze mortar was
Weight 4.5 tons (4.1 tonnes)
mounted toward the bow and generally
used to bombard fortifications on land.
Length 5ft (1.5m)
Caliber 13in
Shot 20lb (9kg)
Reinforce ring
Adjustable bed
Trunnion

▶ BRITISH 4-POUNDER This short, heavy
SWIVEL GUN swivel gun was one
Date 1778 of the prototypes for
the carronade made
Origin Scotland by the Carron Ironworks.
Length 12 ⁄2in (31.8cm) Its trunnions are fitted
1
Caliber 8.4cm with pivots and the cascabel
connected to a long, curved
Shell 4lb (1.8kg)
handle for moving the gun.
Carrying handles

▶ BRITISH The reinforce ring of this
13IN MORTAR sea service mortar shows
Date 1726 the royal arms of the British Pivots at
king, George II. The mortar trunnion
Origin England may have been made for
Weight 4.5 tons HMS Thunder, which saw
(4.1 tonnes) action at the Siege of
1
Length 5 ⁄2ft (1.6m) Gibraltar in 1727.
Caliber 13in

Trunnion inscription
Replacement reads “Carron 1778”
1
bed, 8 ⁄2ft with “180” above
(2.64m) long