"Metal rods on sixteenth century artillery pieces?" Topic

Hello All,

On the illustrations of many artillery pieces of the sixteenth century we see metal rods connecting the wheel axles to the carriages of these pieces, someone knows what they were and what they served?

Thanks

My understanding is that they were braces to strengthen the carriage against they violent recoil of they guns and also to steady the carriage during transport over the very poor roads of the time.
Hope this helps.

Tom D

It is a solution, but the roads were still for centuries as they were in the sixteenth century and yet this equipment has disappeared well before.

I simply assumed they were for better handling of the guns, but I just realize that this is just an assumption and I simply do not know of their exact function.

Needs investigating…

The only explanation I have read is the same as Son of MOOG – greater strength to the carriage. Perhaps production and metallurgy improved which removed the need for them?

I think it also had to do with the shifting of the design of the carriage from the medieval "no wheel/four wheel naval style" to the "modern" two wheel style. In attempting to lighten the carriage for easier man-handling they substituted metal re-enforcing rods for less wood.
In the end it was found to be unnecessary and the support rods disappeared.
This is the summary for what I have read in a couple of books regarding Renaissance warfare.
Hope this helps.
Tom D

I think SoM has it about right. A simple case of over engineering the product, no doubt helping to impress the buyer with 'new technology'.

I simply assumed they were for better handling of the guns, but I just realize that this is just an assumption and I simply do not know of their exact function.

Needs investigating…

I thought that they may have been places were drag ropes could be attached -- but I don't know how I formed that opinion either.

Often times they appear to be a kind of linkage, which, to me, doesn't appear that it would have much of a stiffening effect on the carriage. But I don't know.

Well it seems that it has nothing to do with the state of the roads, it was just for shooting, especially for the recoil, so that the piece does not fall apart !?