Tuesday 1 March 2022

Organ Guns


Some new bases for the blog today, three more organ guns for the collection. One is an Old Glory miniature whilst two are from the old Hinchcliffe range which unfortunately no longer seem available. This is a real shame as the Hincliffe pieces are quite unique, especially the one with three sets of barrels which are rotated to be fired in turn and looks to be based on this http://assets.londonist.com/uploads/2016/02/img_3569.jpg. The photos show four pieces as I had already rebased one of the guns a few years back. The release of the Assault Group's Italian artillery crew, https://theassaultgroup.co.uk/product/italian-civilian-labourers-gun-crew/ finally prompted me to paint up the Hinchcliffe models and rebase the already painted gun.

I would love to know exactly how these guns were used in early 16th century armies. For his 1513 invasion of France, Henry VIII took 120 organ guns. Forty were assigned to each of the three wards into which the army was divided, the vanguard, mainward and rearward. In 1544 his army included 50 double barreled "shrympes", strange looking pieces that may have performed a similar role. Francesco Guicciardini gives an indication as to how these guns may have been used when describing the dispositions of the Spanish at the battle of Ravenna in 1512. He states "Pedro Navarro who led 500 infantrymen and had no place in the formation, had placed 30 carts over the moat and in front of the infantry. These carts were like scythed chariots used by the Ancients and were armed with small cannons and a long spike on top to better resist the French assaults".

From the description it is hard to know what the Spanish "carts" looked like. I am guessing they may have been more like the organ gun I painted up for the Tudor English a while back: http://camisado1500s.blogspot.com/2017/09/tudor-artillery.html. Granted Guicciardini doesn't even state they were multi barreled but the fact they were "armed with small cannons" does make me think they were some kind of organ gun. What seems more clear from Guicciardini's text is that these type of guns were intended as infantry support weapons or to defend earthworks rather than as offensive artillery pieces.  As such Stuart and I have been experimenting with the rules for this style of multi barreled pieces and tried them out in our game in  December, http://camisado1500s.blogspot.com/2022/01/the-almaynes-on-foot-would-diverse.html. We used them as "one shot" unit additions rather than as pieces that operated separately. They were removed from the game once a devastating volley had been fired. This worked well in the first test of the rules but we will try them out some more.

Below are some photos of the organ guns defending a ditch and backed by Spanish pikemen and arquebusiers. Maybe a few more with spikes on are needed so I can do a refight of Ravenna!

Early 16th century organ guns.

28mm organ guns for the early 1500s.


An early 16th century Spanish force defends a ditch with arquebusiers, pikes and organ guns.

A small Spanish force with its organ guns deployed in a defensive position.

10 comments:

  1. Great looking organ guns. I’ve wondered similar things about their use. Some of them must have taken an age to reload, so they may have been intended as one shot weapons.

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    1. Thanks Peter - yes that is my thinking, especially having seen replicas of these things in my reenacting, they take a long time to load. They only seem practical as a one shot weapon, unless of course they are defending a position during a siege

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  2. Im rather partial to organ guns and seem to have ore than I will ever use.Im certain you can still buy the Hinchliffe ones ad definitely bought one about a year ago.I recently bought a lovely one from E Bay which had a great crew with it. It was a 3D set, check them out. As for their role. Remember the renaissance was a time of experimentation in war and generals were always experimenting with new forms of mayhem hence the hiring of people like Da Vinci.

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    1. Cheers Robbie - the 3D one does look interesting, I may be tempted. Other than a refight of Ravenna it does seem difficult to imagine a game where lots would be fielded! I agree the 3 sets of barrels gun is definitely more on the experimental side but saying that the more standard ribauldequin style did have quite a long innings in late medieval, early renaissance warfare.

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  3. They look so formidable! Pity the pike block that tries to take it on frontally....well for the first round of shots anyway! Lovely figures , paintwork and figures!

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    1. Thank you John - yes I think they may only get one round off, but it would certainly be devastating!

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  4. some great set ups there Oli and really glad we finally got some good rules that work well for these. The Cavalry engagement against Henry's force outside Therouanne would be a good one to refight using these.

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    1. Cheers Stuart, yes I agree the English setting up a defence on the march in 1513 would be a good opportunity to test the rules again.

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  5. Great looking organ guns, I'm working on some scratch built war carts for Ravenna ,don't hold your breath though as I am doing lots of other things but I'm just doing a number of barrels and various spikey things lashed together, having said that it's probably not that far off what they were I think!
    Best Iain

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    1. Cheers Iain, I look forward to seeing what the completed war carts look like when they are finished.

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