Chained Cannonball

[Maggie Crowe]

I know that there was a type of cannonball that was two cannonballs connected by a chain, and was used to break a mast. What was that called? or was that a complete piece of fiction that I was told was fact?

[Littleneckhalfshell]

Chain Shot is what I think you are thinking of

I have seen it both as two cannon balls connected by a short chain

and as two half spheres connected by a short chain.

but in both cases, I believe it is called "chain shot" and yes it was real

see http://www.aeragon.com/o/am/a-03.html

or http://www.kipar.org/piratical-resources/b...-firepower.html

and scroll down to where they describe the different types of cannon balls, etc.

[Maggie Crowe]

Thank you very much. That's been bugging me all night

[sirhenrymorgan]

A halved cannon ball connected by a chain was often known as a two headed angel as well.

-- Sir Henry

[Capn_Enigma]

There were chain shots and also bar shots. The latter looked like a dumb bell, and sometimes was extendable so as to widen the destructive radius. Purpose of both was to destroy rigging parts such as masts, yardarms, sails or shrouds.

The name "angel" for both of these devices originated from the banshee howling they made when whirling trough the air.

[Maggie Crowe]

I saw the bar shot in one of the links Littleneckhalfshell posted Those had to do some SERIOUS damage.

[Littleneckhalfshell]

I was watching POC I on the tv tonight, and noticed that just before the boarding scene, Pintel and Raggetti load chain shot into their cannon and fire it at the mast, which in turn brings down the mast trapping Will in the hold where he went to retrieve the Aztec coin. I also found it kind of interesting that just before that, Elizabeth has them 'club haul' the ship. I first remember reading about that fancy maneuver in the Patrick O'Brian Aubrey-Maturin series. Wonder if that is where they 'borrowed' the idea from?

[Maggie Crowe]

LOL, That's actually how it came up in conversation. I was saying the 'hang-gliding' scene in POTC3 (my son's favorite scene) was the most unbelievable scene in the movie, and that's sayin' something. My husband said he thought it was the chained together cannonballs, to which, of course, I said, 'No, no, those were a real thing'

Thanks to you all, I know WAY too much about pirates

[Master Sully]

I can't remember his name, but one of Davy Jones' crew carries around chainshot in II and III, which he uses as a hand-held weapon.

[Iron Jim Hastings]

It's pretty scary the fire power that some of these pirates and naval war ships had at their disposal.

I guess its still pretty scary what we've got today