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Basilic

The Basilic, or The Ottoman Cannon was a supercannon designed by Urban, a Hungarian cannon engineer, at a time when cannon were still new. It was horribly inaccurate, but when it hit, it caused massive damage to Constantinople's walls. It lasted all of six weeks, before becoming non-functional. After several hours of fire, the destruction of city walls created by the cannonballs allowed lanes of entry into the city for the troops of Mehmet II, and the conquest of the Byzantine Empire by the Ottoman Empire.

  • Length: ~24 feet (8+ m)
  • Diameter: 2.5 feet (75cm)
  • Cannonball: 1200 lbs (544 kg)
  • Range: ~1 mile (2 km)
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