HMS Sovereign of the Seas IMG 5662-white

The demi-cannon was a medium-sized

cannon A cannon is a large-caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, which usually launches a projectile using explosive chemical propellant. Gunpowder ("black powder") was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder during th ...

, similar to but slightly larger than a

culverin A culverin was initially an ancestor of the hand-held arquebus, but the term was later used to describe a type of medieval and Renaissance cannon. The word is derived from the antiquated "culuering" and the French (from " grass snake", follo ...

and smaller than a regular cannon, developed in the early 17th century. A full cannon fired a 42-pound shot, but these were discontinued in the 18th century as they were seen as too unwieldy. The lower tiers of 18th century English

warship A warship or combatant ship is a naval ship that is used for naval warfare. Usually they belong to the navy branch of the armed forces of a nation, though they have also been operated by individuals, cooperatives and corporations. As well as b ...

s were usually equipped with demi-cannons. Ships featuring demi-cannons included ''Sovereign of the Seas'', ''Resolution'' and ''James'', which fought in the Anglo-Dutch naval wars. Demi-cannons were also used on HMS ''Stirling Castle'', the wreck of which was discovered in the

Goodwin Sands Goodwin Sands is a sandbank at the southern end of the North Sea lying off the Deal, Kent, Deal coast in Kent, England. The area consists of a layer of approximately depth of fine sand resting on an Chalk, Upper Chalk platform belonging to ...

. Several examples of this weapon were recovered from the site. The barrels of demi-cannon were typically long, had a

calibre In guns, particularly firearms, but not artillery, where a different definition may apply, caliber (or calibre; sometimes abbreviated as "cal") is the specified nominal internal diameter of the gun barrel bore – regardless of how or wher ...

of and could weigh up to . It required of

black powder Gunpowder, also commonly known as black powder to distinguish it from modern smokeless powder, is the earliest known chemical explosive. It consists of a mixture of sulfur, charcoal (which is mostly carbon), and potassium nitrate, potassium ni ...

to fire a

round shot A round shot (also called solid shot or simply ball) is a solid spherical projectile without explosive charge, launched from a gun. Its diameter is slightly less than the bore of the barrel from which it is shot. A round shot fired from a lar ...

. The demi-cannon had an effective range of . These 32-pounders were used during the 18th century on

first-rate In the rating system of the Royal Navy used to categorise sailing warships, a first rate was the designation for the largest ships of the line. Originating in the Jacobean era with the designation of Ships Royal capable of carrying at least ...

ships of the line A ship of the line was a type of naval warship constructed during the Age of Sail from the 17th century to the mid-19th century. The ship of the line was designed for the naval tactic known as the line of battle, which involved the two column ...

which carried up to 100 guns. Though powerful, the naval demi-cannons were inaccurate, except at close range, which allowed warships to cause as much damage as possible. Sometimes a single broadside was enough to cripple the enemy vessel.Stephen Biesty (ill.) and Richard Platt (author). (1993). Stephen Biesty's Cross-Sections Man-of-War. New York: Dorling Kindersley.

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Sources

* * * {{cite book , last1=Manucy , first1=Albert , author1-link=Albert Manucy , title=Artillery Through the Ages: A Short Illustrated History of Cannon, Emphasizing Types Used in America , date=1949 , publisher=US Government , location=Washington , isbn=, oclc=631730859 , url=https://archive.org/details/artillerythrough00ages/page/n1/mode/2up Cannon 16th-century weapons 17th-century weapons 18th-century weapons 19th-century weapons