- Source: Pumhart von Steyr
The Pumhart von Steyr (lit. 'Styrian Bombard') is a medieval large-calibre cannon from Styria, Austria, and the largest known wrought-iron bombard by caliber. It weighs around 8 t (7.9 long tons; 8.8 short tons) and has a length of more than 2.59 m (8 ft 6 in). It was produced in the early 15th century and could fire, according to modern calculations, an 800 mm (31 in) stone ball weighing 690 kg (1,520 lb) to a distance of roughly 600 m (2,000 ft) after being loaded with 15 kg (33 lb) of gunpowder and set at an elevation of 10°.
The bombard is today on display in one of the artillery halls of the Heeresgeschichtliches Museum at Vienna.
Besides the Pumhart von Steyr, a number of 15th-century European large-calibre weapons are known to have been employed primarily in siege warfare, including the wrought-iron Mons Meg and Dulle Griet as well as the cast-bronze Faule Mette, Faule Grete and Grose Bochse.
Footnotes
See also
List of the largest cannon by caliber
References
Schmidtchen, Volker (1977a). "Riesengeschütze des 15. Jahrhunderts. Technische Höchstleistungen ihrer Zeit". Technikgeschichte. 44 (2): 153–173 (162–164).
Further reading
Schmidtchen, Volker (1977b). Bombarden, Befestigungen, Büchsenmeister: Von den ersten Mauerbrechern des Spätmittelalters zur Belagerungsartillerie der Renaissance. Düsseldorf: Droste. pp. 33–34. ISBN 3-7700-0471-X.
External links
Media related to Pumhart von Steyr at Wikimedia Commons