Pumhart von Steyr

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Pumhart von Steyr
The Pumhart von Steyr in the Heeresgeschichtliches Museum at Vienna
TypeCannon
Place of originLiezen, Styria, Holy Roman Empire
Service history
Used byHabsburg
Production history
DesignedEarly 15th century
Specifications
Mass~ 8 t
Length259 cm
Barrel length144 cm
Diameter76–88 cm (conical muzzle)

Shell weight690 kg
Caliber80 cm (ball diameter)
Maximum firing rangeca. 600 m

The Pumhart von Steyr is a medieval supergun from Styria, Austria, and the largest known wrought-iron bombard by caliber.[1] The cannon was produced in the early 15th century and could fire, according to modern calculations, a 690 kg stone ball around 600 m, loaded with 15 kg of powder and set up at an elevation of 10°.[2]

The bombard is today on display in one of the artillery halls of the Heeresgeschichtliches Museum at Vienna; it is accessible from March to October.

Besides the Pumhart von Steyr, a number of 15th-century European superguns 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

  1. ^ Schmidtchen 1977, p. 162 harvnb error: multiple targets (2×): CITEREFSchmidtchen1977 (help)
  2. ^ Schmidtchen 1977, p. 163 harvnb error: multiple targets (2×): CITEREFSchmidtchen1977 (help)

References

  • Schmidtchen, Volker (1977), "Riesengeschütze des 15. Jahrhunderts. Technische Höchstleistungen ihrer Zeit", Technikgeschichte, 44 (2): 153–173 (162–164)
  • Schmidtchen, Volker (1977). Bombarden, Befestigungen, Büchsenmeister: Von den ersten Mauerbrechern des Spätmittelalters zur Belagerungsartillerie der Renaissance. Düsseldorf: Droste. pp. 33–34. ISBN 3-7700-0471-X. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)

See also

External links

Media related to Pumhart von Steyr at Wikimedia Commons