Mounting an early cannon

[Ed]

Some time ago I acquired a cannon that I subsequently mounted on a tripod-like contrivance, viz



I used the welded on pivot contrivance as a point of articulation...



Generally cannon are mounted using things called trunnions


Mine has no trunnions so I sort of assumed that it would not be mounted on a carriage per se.

Now recently I was perusing the Zeugbuch Kaiser Maximilian (Book of armaments which is worth a gander). I knew there were examples that resembled my cannon but, for reasons lost in the mists of time, I never paid much attention.




That is mine and they mounted it on a carriage. Note that the pin affixing it to the carriage is below the body of the weapon.


Now generally, elevation adjustment is accomplished by use of a qizmo that lifts the rear of the cannon. Here no vertical movement is possible. How did they aim it?

Damn odd.

BTW this book definitively establishes a terminus ante quem of ~1500 for this type of cannon. I have no problem dating it at ca. 1500.


Book of armaments ...
https://www.digitale-sammlungen.de/e...956?page=20,21