24 pound cannonball

Cast-iron cannonball, 24-pound calibre, dated from the Early Modern era

Global Characteristics

Title:

Cast-iron cannonbal, 24-pound calibre

Place of discovery:

Saint-Georges-sur-l'Aa, Hauts-de-France, France

Date:

modern era (XVI-XVIIIth century)

Dimensions:

15cm of diameter

Material:

Cast-iron

Description

This cast-iron cannonball, cast in a single piece, was fired from a 24-pounder cannon. Such projectiles were capable of breaching the hulls of ships and damaging defensive fortifications.

At Gravelines and Dunkirk, strategic ports on the North Sea, this type of armament played a crucial role in the defence of the coastline and the control of commercial sea routes.

Cast-iron cannonballs gradually replaced stone shot, as they offered greater penetrating power and could be heated to set ships ablaze.