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- Mounted Crossbowman
A troop of mounted crossbowmen, of special skill and courage, usually formed the bodyguard of the king, and attended him in battle. Mounted crossbowmen were largely employed on the Continent in the fourteenth, and first half of the fifteenth century, and these men were usually allowed one and sometimes even two horses apiece, besides being supplied, when on the march, with carts to carry their crossbows and quarrels - Crossbowmen practising at the target
Their dogs are retrieving the arrows, and were trained to do this without injuring the feathers of the missiles. From a translation into Italian of 'A History of the Peoples of the North,' by Olaus Magnus, Archbishop of Upsala. Printed at Venice, 1565. - Archer and Crossbowman of about 1370
The kneeling figure is fitting his belt-claw to the string of his crossbow, preparatory to bending its bow. From Manuscript No. 2813 in the National Library, Paris, reproduced by J. Quicherat in his ' History of Costume in France,' 1875. - Shooting rabbits with the crossbow
Joannes Stradanus, born at Bruges 1536, died at Florence 1605, a Flemish historical painter who delighted in portraying all kinds of sport, such as shooting, hunting, fishing and coursing, which he did with wonderful skill and in most realistic fashion. This picture is reduced from ' Venationes Ferarum,' a work consisting of 105 large plates of sporting scenes, dated 1578. The hunters carry stonebows, and the rabbits are being driven from their burrows by smoke and fire. Purse nets and stop nets may also be seen in use. - Crossbowmen
The centre figure may be seen bending his crossbow with a windlass, with his foot in the stirrup of the weapon. From Manuscript, Froissart's ' Chronicles. - Different forms of crossbow bolts
I, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, military bolts ; 6, bolt with tow soaked in oil for firing ships and houses ; 7, bolt for a slur bow ; 8, bolt for killing deer ; 9, 10, bolts for killing large birds ; 11, 12, bolts for killing game birds. The latter had not metal heads, and were blunt, so as not to damage the game. - A store of crossbow bolts, shafts and heads
The crossbowman is aiming at a target to the left of the picture. From a catalogue of the Arsenal of the Emperor Maximilian I. (6. 1459, d. 1519). - Crossbowman approaching game
Crossbowman approaching game by means of a stalkig horse - A ship of war, wth crossbowmen
Of this plate Valturius quaintly writes: ' When everything is cleared for navigation before the charge is made upon the enemy, it is well that those who are about to engage the foe should first practise in port, and grow accustomed to turn the tiller in calm water, to get ready the iron grapples and hooked poles, and sharpen the axes and scythes at their ends. The soldiers should learn to stand firm upon the decks and keep their footing, so that what they learn in sham fight they may not shrink from in real action. - Crossbowman, about 1430
- Hunters with crossbows
- Norman Crossbowmen
- Hunters with crossbows
- Model of Roman Catapult
Weight 1 1/2 tons , Range with a 6 lb stone ball, 300 yards 1 Twisting up the skein of cord by means of the winches 2 Winding down the arm 3 Releasing the arm when fully wound down - rotating crank-catch turned 90°
- the block released
- 36-inch searchlight and controller
- Frankford arsenal time percussion or combination fuse - Model 1900
- boat-telephone
- Frankford arsenal 21-second combination fuse
- Frankford arsenal centrifugal fuses
- Block swings free to right of gun
- Breech in normal position—closed
- 5 inch R.F. gun and breech mechanism
- An assembled mine
- 36-inch searchlight and controller
- Gun and Querrel
- Ballista - Caesar covered his landing in Britain with fire from catapults and ballistas.
The ballista had horizontal arms like a bow. The arms were set in rope; a cord, fastened to the arms like a bowstring, fired arrows, darts, and stones. Like a modern field gun, the ballista shot low and directly toward the enemy. - Catapult
The catapult was the howitzer, or mortar, of its day and could throw a hundred-pound stone 600 yards in a high arc to strike the enemy behind his wall or batter down his defenses. "In the middle of the ropes a wooden arm rises like a chariot pole," wrote the historian Marcellinus. "At the top of the arm hangs a sling. When battle is commenced, a round stone is set in the sling. Four soldiers on each side of the engine wind the arm down until it is almost level with the ground. When the arm is set free, it springs up and hurls the stone forth from its sling." In early times the weapon was called a "scorpion," for like this dreaded insect it bore its "sting" erect. - trebuchet
The trebuchet was another war machine used extensively during the Middle Ages. Essentially, it was a seesaw. Weights on the short arm swung the long throwing arm. - breechloader
Under the Swedish warrior Gustavus Adolphus, artillery began to take its true position on the field of battle. Gustavus saw the need for mobility, so he divorced anything heavier than a 12-pounder from his field artillery. His famous "leatheren" gun was so light that it could be drawn and served by two men. This gun was a wrought-copper tube screwed into a chambered brass breech, bound with four iron hoops. The copper tube was covered with layers of mastic, wrapped firmly with cords, then coated with an equalizing layer of plaster. A cover of leather, boiled and varnished, completed the gun. Naturally, the piece could withstand only a small charge, but it was highly mobile. - Light Artillery of Gustavus Adolphus
Gustavus abandoned the leather gun, however, in favor of a cast-iron 4-pounder and a 9-pounder demiculverin produced by his bright young artillery chief, Lennart Torstensson. The demiculverin was classed as the "feildpeece" par excellence, while the 4-pounder was so light (about 500 pounds) that two horses could pull it in the field. - French Garrison Gun
French Garrison Gun (1650-1700). The gun is on a sloping wooden platform at the embrasure. Note the heavy bed on which the cheeks of the carriage rest and the built-in skid under the center of the rear axletree. - M102 Howitzer
- M102 Howitzer
- General Information - M102 Howitzer
- Sighting the M102 Howitzer
Sighting through the pantel, the gunner positions the aiming post by extending his left hand. - M102 Top view
Top view of M102 105 mm Howitzer attached to truck - Ancient Screw piece
- Asiatic Bow
- Balista
- Balista
- Bombard and Carriage
- Bow strung
The Scythian bow strung - Bow unstrung
The Scythian bow unstrung. - Breech loading Gingal (Chamber in)
- Breech loading Gingal (Chamber out)
Breech loading Gingal (Chamber out) - Cart of War
- Catapulta.
- Chinese Field piece Peiho 1860
- Crossbow 2
- Crossbow
- Detail of Balista springs
- Earliest form of Hand Gun
- Early part of 15th Century
- Five barrelled Matchlock
The Chinese of the present day make use of a species of matchlock revolvers, and also of another matchlock, consisting of several barrels, placed on a common stock, diverging from each other, and fired simultaneously. - From the wreck of the 'Mary Rose'
- Giorgio Martini,
- Hand or Arrow Rocket
- Hooped Cannon in wooden bed