Leather cannon
Encyclopedia
A leather cannon, or a leather gun, was an experimental Swedish
attempt of constructing a lighter weapon that would bridge the gap between musket
s and heavy stationary cannon
s. Ordered by Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden
, it was unsuccessfully fielded in the third Polish-Swedish war.
s and all were too heavy to be moved during battle, as they had been developed as siege weapon
s. Gustavus Adolphus reduced the number of calibers of guns fielded to guns firing 24-, 12- and 6-pound cannonballs (roughly 10, 5 & 2.5 kg) in order to simplify logistics
. Guns used in the field were limited to bronze cannon; others, such as guns made of cast iron were placed in castles and fortresses.
Gustavus Adolphus' tactics were based on use of effective firepower. While heavy cannon were effective at the start of the battle, they could not be moved from the hill that they usually were deployed on (the guns themselves weighed from roughly 300 kilogram
s to 3 ton
s). As such, the artillery could not respond effectively to developments in battle.
s and finally clad in leather (alternatively clad in leather straps first and then rope). While the weapon was light enough to be mobile, and at the same time was cheaper in construction, it turned out to be flawed.
The reinforcing material acted as an insulator, and did not let heat dissipate fast enough. Thus, after only a few shots the gun became red-hot. The heat would either deform the tube and drastically decrease accuracy or prematurely ignite
the gunpowder, severely injuring the loader. As a weapon, it turned out to be a fiasco.
Still, the weapon did demonstrate the usefulness of mobile fire support. Before Sweden's entry in the Thirty Years' War
, a new weapon had been developed, the bronze 3-pound regimental cannon. It could be towed by one horse or three men and had a range and rate of fire
three times greater than the muskets of the period.
While short-lived, the leather cannon was copied by numerous nations of Europe, most notably Scotland.
In Korea, which was then called Joseon dynasty, leather guns make their appearance in government records from at least 1649. They were hailed for their lightness, and therefore, superior manoeuvrability. The only difference between the Korean leather cannon and that of Europe was that the Korean counterpart was covered in thick Korean paper heavily saturated with grease. For several decades after its adoption, hundreds of leather cannon were produced, denoting their popularity. Similar to its European counterpart, it also fired iron shot weighing about 4 pounds.
In episode 141 of the American TV show MythBusters
, the Build Team constructed and tested the leather cannon.
Sweden-Finland
Sweden–Finland is an outdated Finnish historiographical term referring to the Swedish Kingdom from the Kalmar Union to the Napoleonic wars, or the period from the 14th to the 18th century. In 1809 the realm was split and the eastern half came to constitute the autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland, in...
attempt of constructing a lighter weapon that would bridge the gap between musket
Musket
A musket is a muzzle-loaded, smooth bore long gun, fired from the shoulder. Muskets were designed for use by infantry. A soldier armed with a musket had the designation musketman or musketeer....
s and heavy stationary cannon
Cannon
A cannon is any piece of artillery that uses gunpowder or other usually explosive-based propellents to launch a projectile. Cannon vary in caliber, range, mobility, rate of fire, angle of fire, and firepower; different forms of cannon combine and balance these attributes in varying degrees,...
s. Ordered by Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden
Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden
Gustav II Adolf has been widely known in English by his Latinized name Gustavus Adolphus Magnus and variously in historical writings also as Gustavus, or Gustavus the Great, or Gustav Adolph the Great,...
, it was unsuccessfully fielded in the third Polish-Swedish war.
Background
Cannon in the early 17th century were of a plethora of caliberCaliber
In guns including firearms, caliber or calibre is the approximate internal diameter of the barrel in relation to the diameter of the projectile used in it....
s and all were too heavy to be moved during battle, as they had been developed as siege weapon
Siege
A siege is a military blockade of a city or fortress with the intent of conquering by attrition or assault. The term derives from sedere, Latin for "to sit". Generally speaking, siege warfare is a form of constant, low intensity conflict characterized by one party holding a strong, static...
s. Gustavus Adolphus reduced the number of calibers of guns fielded to guns firing 24-, 12- and 6-pound cannonballs (roughly 10, 5 & 2.5 kg) in order to simplify logistics
Military logistics
Military logistics is the discipline of planning and carrying out the movement and maintenance of military forces. In its most comprehensive sense, it is those aspects or military operations that deal with:...
. Guns used in the field were limited to bronze cannon; others, such as guns made of cast iron were placed in castles and fortresses.
Gustavus Adolphus' tactics were based on use of effective firepower. While heavy cannon were effective at the start of the battle, they could not be moved from the hill that they usually were deployed on (the guns themselves weighed from roughly 300 kilogram
Kilogram
The kilogram or kilogramme , also known as the kilo, is the base unit of mass in the International System of Units and is defined as being equal to the mass of the International Prototype Kilogram , which is almost exactly equal to the mass of one liter of water...
s to 3 ton
Ton
The ton is a unit of measure. It has a long history and has acquired a number of meanings and uses over the years. It is used principally as a unit of weight, and as a unit of volume. It can also be used as a measure of energy, for truck classification, or as a colloquial term.It is derived from...
s). As such, the artillery could not respond effectively to developments in battle.
Leather cannon
In order to fill the gap, the so-called leather cannon was developed. A relatively thin copper tube was reinforced by heavy ropeRope
A rope is a length of fibres, twisted or braided together to improve strength for pulling and connecting. It has tensile strength but is too flexible to provide compressive strength...
s and finally clad in leather (alternatively clad in leather straps first and then rope). While the weapon was light enough to be mobile, and at the same time was cheaper in construction, it turned out to be flawed.
The reinforcing material acted as an insulator, and did not let heat dissipate fast enough. Thus, after only a few shots the gun became red-hot. The heat would either deform the tube and drastically decrease accuracy or prematurely ignite
Cooking off
Cooking off refers to ammunition exploding prematurely due to heat in the surrounding environment. It can also refer to a technique used when throwing grenades to achieve a controlled, predictable explosion....
the gunpowder, severely injuring the loader. As a weapon, it turned out to be a fiasco.
Still, the weapon did demonstrate the usefulness of mobile fire support. Before Sweden's entry in the Thirty Years' War
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
, a new weapon had been developed, the bronze 3-pound regimental cannon. It could be towed by one horse or three men and had a range and rate of fire
Rate of fire
Rate of fire is the frequency at which a specific weapon can fire or launch its projectiles. It is usually measured in rounds per minute , or per second .-Overview:...
three times greater than the muskets of the period.
While short-lived, the leather cannon was copied by numerous nations of Europe, most notably Scotland.
In Korea, which was then called Joseon dynasty, leather guns make their appearance in government records from at least 1649. They were hailed for their lightness, and therefore, superior manoeuvrability. The only difference between the Korean leather cannon and that of Europe was that the Korean counterpart was covered in thick Korean paper heavily saturated with grease. For several decades after its adoption, hundreds of leather cannon were produced, denoting their popularity. Similar to its European counterpart, it also fired iron shot weighing about 4 pounds.
In episode 141 of the American TV show MythBusters
MythBusters
MythBusters is a science entertainment TV program created and produced by Beyond Television Productions for the Discovery Channel. The series is screened by numerous international broadcasters, including Discovery Channel Australia, Discovery Channel Latin America, Discovery Channel Canada, Quest...
, the Build Team constructed and tested the leather cannon.