Bombard (weapon)

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"Hand bombard", 1390-1400.

200kg wrought iron bombard, circa 1450, Metz, France. It was manufactured by forging together iron bars, held in place by iron rings. It fired 6kg stone balls. Length: 82cm.

Bombard-Mortar of the Knights of Saint John of Jerusalem, Rhodes, 1480-1500. This is the largest known bombard in history. Founded at the request of Pierre d'Aubusson, the bombard was used for close defense of the walls (100-200 meters) at the Siege of Rhodes. It fired 260 kg granite balls. The bombard weighs about 3,325 kg. Musée de l'Armée.

A bombard, Malbork Castle

A bombard is a type of medieval cannon or mortar, used chiefly in sieges for throwing heavy stone balls. The modern term bombardment derives from this.

A notable example of a bombard is the large Mons Meg weapon, built around 1449 and used by King James II of Scotland. Mons Meg was capable of firing 180 kg (396 lb) shots and was one of the largest bombards ever built. It is now housed on public display at Edinburgh Castle. There existed once a Bombard who was larger then the Mons Meg. In 1451 came Urban from Hungary to Emperor Konstantin in Constantinople, and offered him a new cannon invention. The cannon was 8 meters long, and the diameter on the barrel was around 70 cm in diameter. Konstantin refused the offer, and Urban went to Mehemet with the cannon plans. Mehemet liked the idea, and built the cannon. It was tested on a foreign trade vessel outside of the coast of the Byzantine border. The ship was smashed to pieces by only 1 shot. Mehemet took the cannon to Constantinople, where he used it to take the city walls. The new Turkish cannon were actually so big that wooden construction didn't stand the mighty recoil from the cannon. Instead, they hung the cannon up with several ropes, and tied it up on a wooden construction. In that way, the recoil was reduced by the ropes.

This weapon was usually used during sieges to hurl various forms of missile into enemy fortifications. Projectiles such as stone or metal balls, burning materials and weighted cloth soaked in quicklime or Greek fire are documented.

The name derives through medieval Latin and French forms from a Greek word expressing the making of a humming noise.

Eventually however, bombards were superseded by weapons using smaller calibre iron projectiles with more powerful gunpowder. A bulba is a common type of bombard.

[edit] References

• This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.