When one reads or watches descriptions of late medieval or early modern battles, one can often encounter the phrase: "side X overran the cannons of side Y and turned them against their former owners".
However, how did this work in practice? Even assuming that the shot and powder was captured too, how would you turn the enemy cannon on them?
Being an artillerist was a very specialised job.
While there was standardisation within countries, there wasn't between them.
Did armies run around with a whole set of spare specialist artillerymen to take over captured equipment? If you are a Swedish artilerist, how would you know how much powder to put with the shot so that you use the captured Russian artillery to blow up the Russians, and not yourself?
I get the broad idea of "capture gun, rotation of 180 degrees, fire", but the more I think about it, the less I can belive that captured equipment would be used in the same battle.
However, how did this work in practice? Even assuming that the shot and powder was captured too, how would you turn the enemy cannon on them?
Being an artillerist was a very specialised job.
While there was standardisation within countries, there wasn't between them.
Did armies run around with a whole set of spare specialist artillerymen to take over captured equipment? If you are a Swedish artilerist, how would you know how much powder to put with the shot so that you use the captured Russian artillery to blow up the Russians, and not yourself?
I get the broad idea of "capture gun, rotation of 180 degrees, fire", but the more I think about it, the less I can belive that captured equipment would be used in the same battle.
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