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Did Cannonballs Have Explosives In Them

Contrary to Hollywood films and popular lore, these cannonballs did not explode on contact. Percussion fuses were not used on spherical projectiles. These shells and spherical case shot were designed to explode only when a flame reached the interior charge.

If a cannon ball was solid iron, it wouldn’t explode, all right. But cannon-fired shells (projectiles filled with explosives) go back a long way, too.

A cannonball is a solid ball of metal. It did not contain any explosive material and its killing power came simply from a fact that it was a ball of metal travelling at a very high speed. A cannonball from the Crimean war. 1854. A quirasse of a soldier hit by a cannonball at the battle of Waterloo.

Some cannonballs were hollow (called a shell), filled with gunpowder, and provided with a fuze. The fuses were highly unreliable and the exploding shells were not terribly effective even when they worked.

When did cannonballs become explosive?

In the 15th century exploding shot was developed by filling hollow cast-iron balls with gunpowder and fitting a fuze that had to be lit just before firing.

What were cannon balls filled with?

The cannonballs and other artillery shells of this period were filled with a mixture of potassium nitrate, sulfur, and charcoal, commonly known as black powder. Black powder does not explode easily, and it needs a combination of friction and extremely high temperature – 572°F to cause it to detonate.

Did cannonballs have gunpowder in them?

Black powder provided the destructive force for cannonballs and artillery shells. The combination of sulfur, potassium nitrate and finely ground charcoal requires a high temperature – 572 degrees Fahrenheit – and friction to ignite.

Do all cannon balls explode?

The term cannon covers a wide territory. (For example, a mortar that fires shells is a type of cannon.) If a cannon ball was solid iron, it wouldn’t explode, all right. But cannon-fired shells (projectiles filled with explosives) go back a long way, too.

How did cannonballs do damage?

The casualties from round shot were extremely gory; when fired directly into an advancing column, a cannonball was capable of passing straight through up to forty men. Even when most of its kinetic energy is expended, a round shot still has enough momentum to knock men over and cause gruesome injury.

How did cannonballs explode?

When the cannon fired, the flame of the propelling charge wrapped around the ball and ignited the exposed powder train, which in turn sparked the bursting charge after burning for the selected number of seconds. Contrary to Hollywood films and popular lore, these cannonballs did not explode on contact.

What does a cannonball do to a human body?

Human cannonballs aim for the back third of the net, which absorbs their forward energy but also bounces them back a good distance — come up short on the net, and the cannonball will hit the ground on the rebound.

How did Civil War era cannonballs work?

It was a hollow shell filled with scraps of metal called shrapnel. Once fired at an approaching formation, the shell could explode in mid-air, spreading the shrapnel across a large radius. As the enemy got closer, gunners would switch to canister or grapeshot.

More Answers On Did Cannonballs Have Explosives In Them

Did cannonballs have explosives in them? – Quora

No; cannonballs were typically solid metal or stone. A metal bomb packed with an explosive was known as a petard. Aaron Peavler , Records Collector at FamilySearch (2009-present) Answered 1 year ago · Author has 754 answers and 267.8K answer views some did but others were just a chunk lead, iron, or stone.

Wondering Out Loud: Did cannonballs explode? | Stories | Notre Dame …

In reality, an array of both exploding and solid projectiles were used in the Civil War and for centuries before, but solid shot predominated until around the1850s. The earliest cannons, developed in 1300s, fired nothing but solid objects — stone balls.

How Do Cannon Balls Explode? – Reference.com

While they do not include an explosive load, cast iron cannonballs recovered after years under the ocean sometimes explode. The time underwater, aided by chemical and biological reactions create gases in the porous cast iron.

Do Cannon Balls Explode?

If a cannon ball was solid iron, it wouldn’t explode, all right. But cannon-fired shells (projectiles filled with explosives) go back a long way, too. Although they were used in different ways in…

When did cannonballs or artillery shells become explosive?

Bombs are almost as old as gunpowder itself and the idea of shooting bombs out of a cannon is almost as old as cannons. For most of its history the shell was just a hollow iron cannonball packed with gunpowder and a hole for a fuse to stick out. They were fired at a low velocity usually out of a cannon with a short, extra wide barrel.

In the Civil War, did they really have explosive cannonballs like in …

ANSWERS: 3 Glenn Blaylock Y es, they did. I don’t know when they were invented, but “The Star Spangled Banner” speaks of “…the bombs bursting in air….” Those bombs were exploding cannonballs. This song describes a battle that occurred during the War of 1812. That was about 50 years prior to the Civil War. No comments 0 Darth Belal

Did cannonballs explode or were people just getting hit by a ball of …

There were simple balls of metal, cluster shot (many smaller balls), explosive shells, chain shot (2 balls linked by a chain, used against ships), bar shot (2 half balls linked by a bar, used against cavalry etc), and many more 5 level 1 ddoouuggllaass Op · 4 yr. ago Or maybe there were different types, idk 2 level 1 Bosun_Bones · 4 yr. ago

Civil War Cannonball Exploded & Killed 140 Years After it Was Fired

Back in February 2008, 53-year-old Sam White very sadly lost his life while trying to restore a cannonball. One hundred forty years after it was fired, the explosives contained within the ball were still powerful enough to blast a piece of shrapnel a quarter of a mile, where it landed on the porch of a house.

List of cannon projectiles – Wikipedia

Essential parts of a cannon: 1. the projectile or cannonball (shot) 2. gunpowder 3. touch hole (or vent) in which the fuse or other ignition device is inserted. Round shot or solid shot or a cannonball or simply ball. A solid spherical projectile made, in early times, from dressed stone but, by the 17th century, from iron.

Did Cannonballs Have Explosives In Them?

Jan 19, 2022In fact, the vast majority of cannonballs are of the non-explosive variety, and do their damage via kinetic energy. So basically, it’s going to break all the bones wherever it hits you, along with tissue damage, plus additional damage from when you hit whatever it knocks you into. What kind of artillery was used in the Civil War?

Do cannonballs explode? – Factual Questions – Straight Dope Message Board

The cannonballs were hollow, much like an egg, but with a small hole leading to the outside of the ball. The inside was filled with explosives and the whole thing was loaded with the hole facing the primary charge. The primary charge forced the ball out the muzzle and simultaneously ignited the ’fuse’ for the cannonball.

Do cannonballs explode in flaming fashion as … – The Straight Dope

they will tell you that even in the 18th century there was such a thing as a shell, a projectile filled with explosives that if all went well would detonate at approximately the time of impact; that early shells were essentially hollow cannonballs with a hole drilled for a fuse, the finished munition looking and working quite like the iconic bomb …

Is old cannonball a curiosity or dangerous explosive?

The bomb squad can be reached by calling 577-7434. But be advised that calling the bomb squad means losing the cannonball. Keith Purdy, a local artillery expert, said most old cannonballs don’t …

Why do cannonballs explode in movies? Explained by FAQ Blog

May 30, 2022Contrary to Hollywood films and popular lore, these cannonballs did not explode on contact. Did cannonballs have explosives in them? A cannonball is a solid ball of metal. It did not contain any explosive material and its killing power came simply from a fact that it was a ball of metal travelling at a very high speed.

Where cannon balls explosive as seen in movies or where they just balls …

The other post is wrong, as far as I understand – the word cannonball refers to things that weren’t rockets, grapeshot, or exotics like carcasses. However, there are ’shot’ cannonballs and ’shell’ cannonballs. The Huolongjing, a famous 14th century Chinese treatise, references both, specifically talking about round, hollow metal shells that would be filled with gunpowder, and (IIRC) the …

did cannonballs explode in the revolutionary war

did cannonballs explode in the revolutionary warmini bronti the brontosaurus …

How Do Cannon Balls Explode? – Reference.com

Solid shot cannonballs did damage due to their weight and momentum without an explosion. They were useful against fortified walls of castles. At sea, the crew of the ship attached chains and other materials to help take down the enemy ship’s rigging. They heated the metal balls to glow red hot with the hope of starting a fire on board the …

Did cannon balls explode? Explained by FAQ Blog

When did cannonballs become explosive? In reality, an array of both exploding and solid projectiles were used in the Civil War and for centuries before, but solid shot predominated until around the1850s. The earliest cannons, developed in 1300s, fired nothing but solid objects — stone balls. Why do cannonballs explode in one piece? Cannon balls are just balls of iron and metal shot out of a …

Is old cannonball a curiosity or dangerous explosive?

The bomb squad can be reached by calling 577-7434. But be advised that calling the bomb squad means losing the cannonball. Keith Purdy, a local artillery expert, said most old cannonballs don’t …

Did Civil War cannonballs actually explode? – BioSidmartin

What kind of cannon balls were used in the Civil War? Field howitzer calibers used in the Civil War were 12-pounder (4.62 inch bore), 24-pounder (5.82 inch bore), and 32-pounder (6.41 inch bore). When did explosive shells start? Explosive shells came into use in the 16th century or perhaps even earlier. These were hollow cast-iron balls filled …

Do cannonballs explode? – Factual Questions – Straight Dope Message Board

jumblemind December 8, 2000, 5:42pm #2. I was always under the impression that most cannonballs encased gunpowder or some other such explosive that was ignited somehow by the force of impact. But then again, some are known to explode mid-flight, hence “the bombs bursting in air.”. Survey1215 December 8, 2000, 5:49pm #3.

In the Civil War, did they really have explosive cannonballs like in …

In movies showing battles from the Civil War and earlier conflicts, cannon-fired projectiles inevitably send up dirt and smoke and flailing stuntmen upon impact. It makes a nice visual and is probably easier to stage than an iron ball bouncing murderously through a division. In reality, an array of both exploding and solid projectiles were used …

Are cannonballs worth anything?

Similarly, did cannonballs have explosives in them? Muzzle-loading artillery (which includes cannon) did exist which fired exploding projectiles. However, by definition, a cannon ball is solid metal all the way through, no explosive chemicals inside. Accordingly, are old cannon balls dangerous? Keith Purdy, a local artillery expert, said most old cannonballs don’t have to be destroyed, as bomb …

Do cannonballs explode in flaming fashion as … – The Straight Dope

They will tell you that even in the 18th century there was such a thing as a shell, a projectile filled with explosives that if all went well would detonate at approximately the time of impact; that early shells were essentially hollow cannonballs with a hole drilled for a fuse, the finished munition looking and working quite like the iconic bomb beloved of cartoonists; and that Francis Scott …

List of cannon projectiles – Wikipedia

Essential parts of a cannon: 1. the projectile or cannonball (shot) 2. gunpowder 3. touch hole (or vent) in which the fuse or other ignition device is inserted. Round shot or solid shot or a cannonball or simply ball. A solid spherical projectile made, in early times, from dressed stone but, by the 17th century, from iron.

ELI5: How did cannonballs actually work? – reddit

For instance, explosive cannonballs, which were hollow and filled with gunpowder. They would light a fuse on the cannonball, then light the fuse on the cannon. And the technology was improved on – with time cannons became artillery and guns on ships. 3. Share. Report Save. level 1 · 2y. Cannon balls were fairly effective against wooden ships and stone structures. They were somewhat effective …

What are shells in the Civil War? – Pvillage.org

Did cannonballs have explosives in them? A cannonball is a solid ball of metal. It did not contain any explosive material and its killing power came simply from a fact that it was a ball of metal travelling at a very high speed.

Cannonballs Unearthed at the Allegheny Arsenal | History Center Blog

The Department of Public Safety, along with the contractor, Milhaus, has sandbagged and secured more than 300 cannonballs at the Allegheny Arsenal site. On Sept. 17,1862, 78 women and girls were killed, and many more wounded and maimed, in the worst industrial accident of the war. Leaking gunpowder barrels exploded at the cartridge laboratories …

Did cannonballs explode? | Paradox Interactive Forums

Canister and Grapeshot technically don’t explode, or rather, they explode in, or just outside the barrel, producing an effect similar to a shotgun. Roundshot didn’t explode, they cut through lines like a knife though, and tended to create furrows in the ground. You could heat roundshot which meant they could set fire to stuff though.

100 cannonballs at Fortress of Louisbourg might contain … – Yahoo!

After conducting an initial examination last month, Noseworthy and his team are now busy collecting the roughly 100 cannonballs believed to contain explosive black powder or gunpowder. “I’ve never dealt with anything this old, so we hate to see them go,” said Noseworthy. “But for public safety and to minimize the risk, we unfortunately have to …

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