Carronade

A short, lightweight, large-bore cannon firing a heavy shot at low velocity and short range, nicknamed the ‘smasher’ for the devastating splintering damage it caused to wooden hulls. Merchant ships and privateers of the American Revolutionary War era adopted carronades because they needed a smaller crew and lighter mounting than a long gun of equivalent bore. Its short range meant it was most effective in the close engagements typical of privateer and boarding actions.