Leather cannons Light cannons invented in Sweden in the | Honest historian
Leather cannons
Light cannons invented in Sweden in the 17th century for use in the field. In the XV-XVI centuries cannons were mainly used during sieges of fortresses and as fortress artillery. Horse-drawn cannons used by the French during the Italian campaign in 1494 were considered unusual. It was not until the 17th century that the Dutch and Swedes laid the foundation for real field artillery.
The Swedish King Gustav II Adolf, who took an active part in the Thirty Years' War, sought to reduce the weight of guns and make them more mobile. For this purpose the so-called "leather cannons" invented in 1627 by the German colonel Melchior von Wurmbrandt were introduced in the Swedish army. They consisted of a thin 1/8 caliber copper barrel and were reinforced with iron hoops. In addition, they were wound with ropes secured with a kind of glue and bound with leather. The weight of the barrel was only 74 kilograms. Such cannons were produced at the Julit Cannon Factory in Södermanland.
During the Polish War of Gustav Adolf these guns did not prove to be the best, as they overheated too much when firing and sometimes burst. They were therefore replaced by 3-pounder light guns of cast iron and cannon metal, which were made by the Swedish artillery colonel Hans von Seegerut.
