Place

Weapons of War Wayside

This panel is divided into 3 horizontal sections. The top third is a light blue sky; the middle section, brown earth; the bottom section, white text in English and Spanish against a blue background:  Weapons of War. Touring the fort, you will see 3 types of artillery: mortars, howitzers, and cannons. Attackers as well as defenders had access to many types of weaponry. Each one had its own strengths and weaknesses. A CANNON was best at shooting far, a MORTAR used exploding projectiles, and a HOWITZER was a mix of the 2. Battles to conquer a fort often last a long time. Choosing the right artillery could mean the difference between victory and defeat.  End of Text  On the top, against the light blue sky are 3 small circles. In each circle is a photograph of a piece of artillery. In the left circle, a bronze green and brown squat mortar gun tips upward at a left angle. In the center circle, a grey, stocky horizontal howitzer iron gun is supported on a low grey wedge. To the right, a bronze, green and brown cannon, its barrel tipped slightly upward, is set in a dark gray wooden gun carriage.  Below each photo is a small brown illustration of the corresponding gun firing. A brown dotted, arcing line, runs from the mouth of each piece of artillery to a spot at the left side of the panel to show the trajectory of the shot from each gun. The mortar and howitzer lines end in an illustration of an exploding shell,  and the cannon line ends with an illustration of a cannonball.  Below, at the left, against the light brown earth, black text in English and Spanish reads:  Fire! Exploding shells were most effective when fired from mortars and howitzers while solid shot (cannonballs) were best when used with cannons.  End of Text  To the right, and below each artillery illustration, 3 light tan rectangular boxes with black text in English and Spanish.  Below the mortar :  • Shortest barrel • High, lobbing arc reaches targets behind walls and other barriers • Often used to fire on a besieged town •  End of Text  To the right, below the howitzer:  • Hybrid gun with a mid-length barrel • Medium to high angle, adjusted to increase or decrease range • Combines cannon mobility with mortar firepower  End of Text  To the right, below the cannon:  • Longest barrel • Relatively flat trajectory • Destroys buildings, walls, and other obstacles  End of Text  Beyond the panel are 8 howitzers of varying sizes set on low concrete bases. All point towards the fort’s seawall at the right. The first 3 are mortars; next, are 3 howitzers; and the last 2 are long, slender cannons. To the left of the artillery is the moat and the fort’s slanted, dark gray bastion walls.  [End of message]

Quick Facts

Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits

There are many different types of artillery here at Castillo de San Marcos NM. Here are a few examples.

Castillo de San Marcos National Monument

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Last updated: February 12, 2021