The Best Cannons Ever

A cannon is a piece of artillery that uses an explosive-based propellant to launch a projectile at the enemy. It is mostly used to destroy the enemy's defensive structures and vehicles. The simplest design of a cannon consists of a barrel with one end sealed shut. A quantity of propellant and a projectile are put into the barrel so that they collect at the shut end of the barrel. The propellant is then ignited and the projectile is propelled out of the barrel. Throughout history there have been many examples of totally gnarly cannons. Here are some examples:

1. The Tsar Cannon
















The aptly named Tsar Cannon is the largest old-fashioned cannon ever made. It was built by the Russians in 1586, but it was never used in combat.

2. The Paris Gun

The Paris Gun was a long-range siege cannon that the Germans used to bomb Paris during WWI. This gun had such a great range that the French thought they were being bombed by a new type of high-altitude zeppelin rather than a cannon.

3. V-3 Cannon

The Nazis had planned to use this super-cannon to bomb London from a secret bunker across the English Channel. However, it was damaged beyond repair before it was completed.

4. 2B1 Oka

This self-propelled cannon made by the Soviets was so powerful that its recoil caused damage to the vehicle itself.

5. Mallet's Mortar

This cannon was built by the British in 1857, but it was never used in combat. Just look at the size of those projectiles!!