January 29, 2012
In the early 15th century, loading and firing a bombard was a slow and rather complex process.  First, the crew filled the rear three-fifths of the chamber with powder.  The next fifth was left empty while the final fifth filled with a soft-wood plug.  At this point the cannonball was placed in the barrel and wedged into place with soft-wood shims.  The final step was to create a tight seal with wet mud and straw, which was allows to dry before firing.  This process could only be repeated once the bombard cooled down. One master gunner managed to fire three accurate shots in a single day.  As a result, he was forced to make a pilgrimage from Metz to Rome because it was believed that “he could only have been in league with the devil.” 

In the early 15th century, loading and firing a bombard was a slow and rather complex process.  First, the crew filled the rear three-fifths of the chamber with powder.  The next fifth was left empty while the final fifth filled with a soft-wood plug.  At this point the cannonball was placed in the barrel and wedged into place with soft-wood shims.  The final step was to create a tight seal with wet mud and straw, which was allows to dry before firing.  This process could only be repeated once the bombard cooled down.

One master gunner managed to fire three accurate shots in a single day.  As a result, he was forced to make a pilgrimage from Metz to Rome because it was believed that “he could only have been in league with the devil.” 

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