What sort of ammunition did one have for cannons in the early 17th century?
Cannonballs, bar shots, chain shots and grape shots? Did they fire bombs that early?
I know they did at some point, but not when.
During the English Civil War, one of the main types of ammo for cannons were molded iron balls about 1 inch in diameter, fired like grape shot against the infantry.
If you want to blow something up in the early 17th century, you’re in luck. The general use of mortars firing bombs began during the Spanish incursion into the Lowlands in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. (There had been sporadic use of incendiary projectiles from mortars as early as the 15th century (generally pitch-covered balls or stones) and a few attempts at explosive shot in the ensuing years, but it did not become a reliable weapon until the late 16th century.)
Until the 19th century, all explosive rounds were fired exclusively from mortars. It was not until French General Paixhans wrote a treatise in 1822 suggesting the use of explosive shells in cannon that experiments were begun with that sort of weapon. And then it was not for another 30 years before they came into use, first at the battle of Sinope in 1853.
(Grape shot in the late 18th century was bundled together in various ways and the firing charge was resonsible for breaking it up. It did not get its own explosive charge until just before it became obsolete in the middle of the 19th century.)
I don’t really know whether bar and chain were used in the early 17th century. My guess would be that, with the small bores and light charges of the period’s field and naval artillery, they would have been somewhat ineffective and the larger siege weapons would have been too unwieldy in a hot fight to bother with such ammunition. However, I am speculating in this paragraph and have not found solid evidence one way or the other.
Welcome to the SDMB, Mjelvis!
I’ve been told that bar and chain shot were popular at sea for the purpose of damaging the rigging on an opponent’s ship… If I can find a cite for you, I’ll post it.