Type naval gun Calibre 138.7 mm | Place of origin France | |
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Used by France, Spain, Great Britain, Netherlands, Sweden, United States |
The 18-pounder short gun was an intermediary calibre piece of artillery mounted on warships and merchantmen of the Age of sail. It was a lighter version of the 18-pounder long gun, compromising power and range for weight.
In his discussion of the single-ship action in which the French frigate Piémontaise captured the East Indiaman Warren Hastings on 11 June 1805, the naval historian William James compared the 18-pounder medium guns on Warren Hastings with the 18-pounder long guns that the British Royal Navy used. The medium 18-pounder was 6 feet (1.8 m) long, and weighed 26 3⁄4 Cwt (2,996 pounds (1,359 kg)); the Royal Navy's long 18-pounder was 9 feet (2.7 m) and weighed 42 1⁄2 Cwt (4,760 pounds (2,160 kg)).
References
18-pounder short gun Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA