abstract
| - Cannons were soon used at sea, with ships being used as firing platform. Small guns projecting quarrels or lead pellets were used at the 1340 Battle of Sluys, and in the French defense of Tournai in August 1340. Edward III used similar weapons at the Battle of Crécy in 1346, and in the Siege of Calais in 1347. "Ribaldis" were first mentioned in the English Privy Wardrobe accounts during preparations for the Battle of Crécy between 1345 and 1346. Cannons evolved considerably towards the end of the century with the collapse of the Treaty of Bretigny and the resumption of the war in 1369. Until 1370, cannons were essentially small weapons of 10 to 20 kg (20 to 40 lbs), made of brass or copper. After that point, larger guns appeared, made of wrought iron or cast iron. During the 1375 siege of Saint-Sauveur-le-Vicomte, French troops successfully breached the walls of the fortress with guns weighing over 1 ton, and firing 50 kg stone balls. The English trailed behind French developments in the area and only had a few such weapons before 1400. By the end of the century, new firearm types appeared, such as a variety of hand guns, small mortars and ribaudequins. These complemented, but did not replace, heavier artillery.
|