A Military Observer's Journal

Military Observer’s Journal
Carronades on Land

An intriguing development in seacoast armament was the use of naval carronades for coastal fortress flank defense. Carronades were short guns of heavy bore designed originally for battering purposes. They were designed by General Robert Melville who in 1774 designed a short gun of 811 caliber weighing only 31 hundredweights and firing a 68-pounder ball with a charge of 5 1/2 lbs. of powder. Melville's design was based on Robin's theories and he obtained the services of the Carron Company, a Scottish ironworks, to make a specimen cannon, which he called the "Smasher". The combination of the short barrel, small charge, small windage and heavy ball produced a weapon which developed an excellent velocity, and which gave good accuracy. It's only defect was it's lack of range, but in the context of coastal fortress flank defense, this was not deemed worthy of consideration. When placed in casements commanding the drawbridge and main entrance to a fort they would have been used for anti-personnel work rather than battering and the range was extremely short. Thus their large bores would have been loaded with grape or canister. Howitzers were customarily used for this purpose, but there is no reason why a carronade would not have been just as good, and apparently the American artilleryman happily adopted the naval piece for their use.

(Note: The term Flank Defense refers to defensive measures taken to protect a "flank" or side of a fortification from being over-run by infantry. Flank Defense guns were usually mounted in special casements that commanded the drawbridge, main entrance, sally-port, and other areas of the fortress that were susceptible to infantry attack.)

Naval Gun, Ian Hogg and John Batchelder, Blandford Press, (Poole, Great Britain.-1978)
Round Shot and Rammers, Harold Peterson, Stackpole Books, (Harrisburg, PA-1969)

© 1999, James Mathews, all rights reserved. Contact Mr Mathews for permision to reproduce.

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