POLISH SIEGE BOMBARD (1-ST HALF OF THE XV CENTURY)

Fire artillery first appeared in Poland in the Middle Ages, and more precisely in the late Middle Ages (14th-15th centuries). It is first recorded in sources from the 1440s, i.e. during the reign of Casimir the Great, who may have used it during the struggle in Halych Ruthenia in the years 1340-1366. It is also mentioned in sources about the battles during the interregnum after the death of Ludwik Węgierski (1382-1384). Jan Długosz also mentions it when he writes about the siege of Malbork by the Polish army after the Battle of Grunwald in 1410. It is worth adding that the question of the use of Polish artillery in the Battle of Grunwald itself is unclear. Andrzej Nadolski - one of the best specialists in this field - is of the opinion that it was not used in this battle, although it was in the Polish-Lithuanian army. The late-medieval Polish fire artillery is, of course, a smoothbore weapon that most often throws stone balls, which were poorly fitted to the barrel line, so they did not have the same punching power as those cast metal. It was also very suitable for sieges, while its role in the field was still small. It is worth adding that in Old Polish, cannons were called cans, and artillerymen - cannoneers.