Cannon elephants are not realisticly practicle

[King Lear]

I have played the game with cannon elephants and discovered that in real life the whole idea of mounting a gigantic cannon with a 200lb projectile defies anything practicle. According to the laws of kinetic energy (Ke=1/2mv squared) Assuming the projectile reaches an accurate villosity (approximately 100m per second)
Would mean that the very recoil of the cannon would be 500000 joules of kinetic energy (more then enough to knock the elephant over and probably kill it) Thus sadly giant cannon mounted elephants is not practicle in real life.

[King Lear]

forgive my grammar errors I wrote it in a hurry and did not proof-read it.

[Duncan III]

I've got to agree- unless I get some serious historical evidence to the contrary they will remain a fantasy unit to me.

[Aeratus]

Those cannons don't shoot 200 lb projectiles. More like 10 lbs.

[Adamat]

Aeratus is right. These cannons are quite small, actually. Comparable to what a musket is to a human.

[Erwin Rommel]

i like to think the real ones where actually maybe large caliber abus-like guns.

Then CA just took some liberties and upgunned the caliber to culverin size.

The late 16th century AD also saw the use of culverin and jingals on elephants,

[Aeratus]

i like to think the real ones where actually maybe large caliber abus-like guns.

Then CA just took some liberties and upgunned the caliber to culverin size.

The elephants in game are the size of serpentines. Culverins would be theoretically too large to place on elephants. The official description says:

"These fearsome beasts have small cannons, comparable to serpentines, mounted on their backs. Elephants are capable of trampling men and horses into the dust, and if the elephant goes berserk, that includes friendly troops as well. In such an event, the riders are equipped with a special hammer and chisel they can use on their mount's head to kill it."

http://m2tw.warlore.org/units/Elephant_Artillery

Was such a thing ever a real weapon of war then? Granted the physics are possible with, as you say, a smaller projectile.

Guns were used on animals. Like this one in the 19th century:


But clearly, in 1400-1450, Timur did not use cannons on elephants. Those cannons were too loud and noisy to be used on elephants even if the elephant could stand still while firing.

[Maklodes]

I'm not sure Timur ever really used gunpowder artillery historically. Maybe some Timurid splinter states used it later on, when other regional powers like the White Sheep Turkmen were adopting gunpowder. Then again, maybe not -- the Safavids held out on using guns until after the Ottoman victory at Chaldiran in the early 16th century. At least, I think. Anyone have better sources?

[Duncan III]

Does anyone know if elephant artillery like this was ever actually used in battle?

[Duncan III]

Was such a thing ever a real weapon of war then? Granted the physics are possible with, as you say, a smaller projectile.

[Duncan III]

Aeratus, that C19th illustration looks a little bit imaginative to me

[Senaron]

Aeratus, that C19th illustration looks a little bit imaginative to me

Men rode Camels firing muskets, how is a tiny hand cannon on its back too much of a stretch?

[Xellos_Moon]

its not a musket... its clearly a telescope

[Xellos_Moon]

its not a musket... its clearly a telescope

[Senaron]

its not a musket... its clearly a telescope

i know thats not a musket, im saying there have been people riding camels while they fired THEIR muskets, also if thats a telescope its facing the wrong way...

[Duncan III]

If you fired that thing as it is illustrated, the weapon would probably kill the two men to the right, it would also kill the camel. It is not even similar to a man riding the camel who is armed with a musket.

[King Lear]

Well i thought the projectile was 200lb...its been a while since i played medieval 2 tho so i suppose i was wrong.

[PrestigeX]

Its just a bit of fun! There's even a rocket-elephant in the EDU someplace, tho not in game by default.

the idea of an artillery piece attached to an Elephant IS LEGIT. used in India quite a bit, tho I'm sure as others have mentioned it did not exist in Timur's time. I've seen in some documentaries the use of Swivel guns on elephants and that seems like the "way to go" ....

If the cannon were smaller, and it was more obviously a "Wall Gun" (a very large musket / small cannon) then it would fit better not just visually but Game-play wise too... the elephant cannons are too powerful and Diminish the impressiveness of the regular "musket crew elephants"

[Sar1n]

This unit belongs to the same category as Wardogs, Screeching Women and Incendiary Pigs in RTW.

[Swiss Army Cheese]

This unit belongs to the same category as Wardogs, Screeching Women and Incendiary Pigs in RTW.

Obscure units that have seen practical recorded use in real life?