Historical And Modern Day Value Of Cannons
Posted: Sunday, October 17, 2010
by John Jones
Cannons have been utilized throughout history as tools of battle. In fact, a lot of of the sieges that became largely good quality in the past integrated the utilization of cannons. Perhaps the concept of the cannon came from a similar projectile device called the siege engine. Before gun powder was invented, armies had to make do with bulky wooden contraptions that took several men to load. These ancient devices were designed to weaken and break through the fortifications of city walls during a siege. Some of these ancient tools were only effective at a certain distance, whereas others can be used to attack from afar. However, more recent data compilations indicate that the cannon may have been patterned after an ancient Chinese version of the flame thrower.
Even with gunpowder, the first metal cannon styles are not much different from siege engines with regards to the number of people needed to load, detonate, clear and reload it. Cannons are created in accordance with the projected function. A number of cannons have a wider range, whereas others are more transportable and have to be carried nearer for them to be helpful in dealing damage. The trend in cannon innovation, however, was geared towards transportability and maneuverability. Huge designs were abandoned as lighter, more easily transportable units are perfected.
Despite the fact that cannons can only fire one shot at a time, the presence of these machines in the field was scary. When the power of cannons in the combat zone became known, armies learned to dread attacks that involved these machines. Thus, it was not surprising that some intelligent infantry leaders thought of making use of trick cannons to deceive the defending army. With the installation of wooden logs painted black to appear like genuine cannons, the decoy cannons made the assaulting force look stronger.
Over the years, the weak points of cannons have been dealt with by innovators and technicians who discovered strategies to improve the caliber, range and rate of fire of these cannons. Soon enough, these equipment found their way in nautical ships, effectively converting the way naval battle is done. Inventors have discovered techniques to steady the projectile, in so doing boosting the accuracy of the cannon.
Cannons for Non-Combat Functions
Present day uses of cannons demonstrate that a similar design is applicable for the manufacture of many instruments for numerous functions that are not related with battles. The principle of constructing a cannon is simple enough for mechanics to create more than a few implements that operate like cannons but used for non-battle functions.
Some cannons are exceptionally intended for controlling the occurrence of landslide in a zone. Some are utilized for leisure functions like pyrotechnics and making fireworks tricks in motion pictures. Excitement seekers have found ways to generate water cannons for playing in the water.
Perhaps one of the most relevant benefits of a cannon-like contrivance is bird pest control in the agricultural field. A shot is fired from a propane-powered cannon towards an agricultural area where bird pests abound, scaring them off. Most bird cannons are set to auto-fire on schedule, over a region of 10 acres or larger, making this kind of cannon more successful than the traditional scarecrow.
The writer presents details on how to build a cannon, along with beneficial suggestions on combat training, disaster preparedness and improvised weapons. Learn more about this author by going to the survival site.
This Article has been viewed 224 times. (Not updated in real-time.)
No comments yet.We want your comments! If you can read this, you don't have javascript enabled, so you can't use this comment system. Please enable javascript.