Cannon

A heavy metal tube used for firing ordnance. First in service around 1300, the very first cannons fired heavy arrows, but soon stones were used as well. Gunpowder, formed of saltpeter, sulphur, and charcoal were found in Europe, they were used on a large scale only after 1325. Edward III used them at the siege of Calais in 1346, but the new weapon did not achieve any military significance until the late 15th century.&nbsp