Posts Tagged ‘Military History’
The word ‘cannon’ derives from many languages where it was originally defined and can be translated as tube or cane. In more recent times, ‘cannon’ is not used so much and words such as ‘guns’ or ‘artillery’ have generally replaced the older word. Sometimes more specific terms can be used and words like ‘howitzer’ or ‘mortar‘ can be heard on most military radios.
A cannon is any hollowed piece of artillery that requires gunpowder or another explosive-based propellant to eject a large projectile. Cannons offer varied calibers, ranges and they also come with different mobility, rates of fire, angle of fire, and firepower. Depending on their intended use on the battlefield, different cannons combine these vital characteristics in different ways, for an example some will sacrifice mobility for more firepower.
Cannons were first built in medieval China and they were among the earliest gunpowder artillery. Soon they replaced contemporary equipment such as siege engines and siege towers as a means of commanding the battlefields of Europe. The first cannons in Europe were probably used in Iberia, during the Spanish war there in the 13th century and the first English cannons were used at the Battle of Crécy in 1346.
Cannons became largely standardized during this late medieval era and they became more useful in both anti-infantry and siege roles. Afterwards big cannons were left behind in favor of greater numbers of lighter more maneuverable weapons. Battle methods became much more advanced making most contemporary defensive measures obsolete. This, in turn led to the development of star forts, larger stone palisades specifically built to repel artillery and other associated tactics.
As grooves in the barrel which spin the projectile (rifling) became more commonplace, the accuracy potential of artillery was drastically improved, and they became more lethal (particularly where infantry were concerned) than ever before. In World War I, much of the overall death toll was caused by cannons and they were also widely deployed in WW2. Except for the heaviest naval guns, which have been replaced by smart missiles, most current cannons are very similar to those deployed during World War 2.
For instance, current autocannons are nearly identical to their World War 2 relatives. Indeed, though there is no minimum bore for autocannon ammo, the only real difference between modern weapons and World War 2 models is that the new pieces are usually larger than heavy MGs, typically 20mm or greater since World War 2. They have an automatic firing mode, similar to that of a field MG. They also have an auto-load system and therefore have a faster rate of fire than larger artillery pieces.