Plate 027 · Carronade · Napoleonic

68-pounder Carronade

The short, brutal 'smasher' that gave Royal Navy broadsides their devastating close-range punch.

Historical Record

Provenance & Service

Developed by the Carron Company of Falkirk in 1778, the carronade was a short, light, large-bore gun designed for short-range ship-smashing rather than long-range accuracy. With a fraction of the weight of a long gun of equivalent calibre, carronades let frigates carry heavier shot. Nelson's HMS Victory carried two 68-pounder carronades on her forecastle at Trafalgar.