07-05-2007, 09:13 PM
World's largest wheeled Cannon is in India, called "Jaivana" built in 1720, owned by Sawai Jai Singh II. Before the British.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaivana_cannon
<img src='http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/8f/Jaivana.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image' />
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->It was cast in 1720, during the reign of Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II of Jaipur, Jaivan rests on a high 4 wheeled
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The length of the barrel of the cannon is 20 feet 2 inches and it weighs 50 tons. The circumference near the tip of the barrel is 7 feet 4 inches and that of the rear is 9 feet 4 inches.
...
About 100 kg of gun powder fired a shot ball weighing 50 kg.
Some say the the Jaivana Cannon was only fired once by the Maharaja Jai Singh, as a test-fire in 1720, and that the cannon ball landed 40 km away.
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Also, the cannons in battlefield were not used the same as today. Nowadays, cannon's barrel points at an angle, and an explosive shell lands at a point causing local damage. Use of traditional cannons in the battlefield was different. They used to be fired with barrels in horizontal positions, directly at a column of enemy infantry in close proximity, killing a large number of people by the sheer impact of the straight moving cannon-ball.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaivana_cannon
<img src='http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/8f/Jaivana.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image' />
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->It was cast in 1720, during the reign of Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II of Jaipur, Jaivan rests on a high 4 wheeled
...
The length of the barrel of the cannon is 20 feet 2 inches and it weighs 50 tons. The circumference near the tip of the barrel is 7 feet 4 inches and that of the rear is 9 feet 4 inches.
...
About 100 kg of gun powder fired a shot ball weighing 50 kg.
Some say the the Jaivana Cannon was only fired once by the Maharaja Jai Singh, as a test-fire in 1720, and that the cannon ball landed 40 km away.
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Also, the cannons in battlefield were not used the same as today. Nowadays, cannon's barrel points at an angle, and an explosive shell lands at a point causing local damage. Use of traditional cannons in the battlefield was different. They used to be fired with barrels in horizontal positions, directly at a column of enemy infantry in close proximity, killing a large number of people by the sheer impact of the straight moving cannon-ball.