Big Bertha (1900's-present)

      The Big Bertha was a huge German cannon that was developed by the German firm of Krupp. This cannon got its name from the wife of the owner of the Krupp Factory, Bertha Krupp.


      Big Bertha was used in World War I to demolish the enemy towns of Liege and Namur. After this, it was used to reduce other enemy stronghold points. Big Bertha would fire shells that weighed over 1,800 pounds at a range of over 10 miles. The cannons were transported in 5 different pieces and then reassembled on the firing site. It would take approximately 200 men over six hours to reassemble this cannon. Four of these cannons were produced, but were discontinued after the Allies developed weapons with longer ranges .This gun was mainly made out of metal parts with some concrete basing to hold the gun in the ground.

Below is a picture of a shell from Big Bertha.

The Armstrong Gun (1800's-1900's)

      The term 'Armstrong Gun' is used mainly to describe the unique design of the rifled breech-loading field guns designed by Sir William Armstrong. Initially, Armstrong's system was made for special service in battle. Only small, 6- to 12-pounders were made, although later 20, 40, and 110 pound cannons were constructed. These cannons were used in the Second Opium War between Britain and China.These guns were often used a small to mid sized ships.The main part of this cannon was made out of metal but the base was usually made out of wood.

The Napoleon Cannon (1800's-1900's)

      The Napoleon cannon was a 12-pound cannon (meaning that it fired a 12 pound cannon-ball) that was widely used in the American Civil War. It could be loaded with either ball, shell, or grape shot (multiple small metal balls packed together in a bag, which, when fired, gave the effect of a shotgun).


      The Napoleon was named after the French leader Napoleon Bonaparte, who was a former artillery officer. This cannon was admired because of it reliability, safety, transportability, and killing power. It was very versatile, because it excelled at striking down both long range and close range targets. Both the South and North sides in the Civil War used this cannon extensively, and over 1,500 were made for both sides. Between the Union and the Confederates, this accounted for nearly 40% of the artillery units. This cannon was made out of metal with base made out of wood.

In the image below is a 12 pound metal ball that would be fired from the Napoleon.

The Falconet Cannon (pre1800's)

      Falconets were invented during the late middle ages. They were light cannons that would fire a one-pound, round shot. These cannons weighed approximately 500 pounds and were heavily used in the American Revolutionary War, the English Civil War, and the 30 Years War. Even though these cannons were originally developed for use on land, they were quickly adapted for use in the defense of small ships. The cannons could be loaded with grape shot (a small bag filled with pellets), and fired to take out dozens of soldiers at one time.

      George Washington knew that cannons would play a crucial part in the Revolutionary War, so he drilled his soldiers continuously in loading and firing the cannons. The, when the soldiers were involved in an actual battle, loading and firing the guns was second nature and the soldiers were able to do it rapidly. This, in combination with the mobility of the Falconet, resulted in a truly deadly and versatile weapon. The barrel of this cannon was typically made out of metal while the wheels and base were made out of wood.


The metal ball below would be used for a falconet and would usually weigh about one pound.

Ottoman Cannons (pre-1800s)

     In the 1400's, the Ottoman Empire used super-sized cannons, called bombards, that could supposedly fire a cannon ball approximately one mile. In the Anglo-Turkish war, the Ottomans changed the design of their cannons. Instead of having a cannon made out of one solid piece of metal, the cannon was split into two parts. The two parts, the chase and the breech, these were screwed together to make the final piece. These cannons were generally called the Dardanelles Guns because of their use in the Dardanelles operation. These cannons were mainly used for seige purposes, as they took a long time to travel and they could not keep up easily with a moving army. These cannons were usually made out of metal while their ammunition was usually made out of stone.

The stone balls next to the cannon in the image below would typically weigh over one ton.

Basic History of Cannons

      Cannons have been around for hundreds of years, and they have been used on land and sea alike. One of the earliest cannon designs involved a bamboo or wooden reed that was hollowed out in the middle. Gunpowder was placed down the tube and it was lit on fire. This produced something akin to a flamethrower, but it became the first concept of what we now think of as a modern-day cannon. Sometimes, the person operating the cannon could shove metal shrapnel down the tube as well, so that when the gunpowder was lit, the shrapnel would fly out and hit the opponent.

      Eventually, the wood/bamboo cannon design was replaced with metal. Many cannons were used in Asia, where Chinese troops used them to decimate the opposing armies. The cannons that the Chinese used most commonly were a hollow metal tube, into which gunpowder was packed, followed by a metal projectile. Once the gunpowder was ignited, the projectile would fly ou,t wreaking havoc on the enemy forces. Cannons were also used as siege weapons due to their ability to knock down a stone wall in record time. They replaced other primitive siege weapons, such as the trebuchet and catapult. When cannons were introduced to warfare, people had to rethink how they built forts in order to withstand cannon-fire.

     In the 1800’s-1900’s cannons became revolutionized, they started changing the barrel length and method of construction. They also started rifling the barrels, which drastically improved range and accuracy. In the 1800’s and 1900’s cannons were used mainly for weakening infantry, and they were used less in sieges. In the early- to mid-1900’s, cannons were being phased out for other weapons that were more accurate, had longer ranges, and were more devastating.

Diagram of Cannons

Below is a diagram of a standard cannon.

This design is how a basic cannon is designed. The main things that change between different cannons are the size, length, and whether or not the cannon barrel is "rifled". A "rifled" cannon is one in which the interior of the barrel is etched with spiral grooves.