The Hungarian Urban upgraded Mehmed II's artillery before the Fall of Constantinople.
The siege of Constantinople and its preparation by Mehmed II began many months before the Fall of the City on May 29, 1453. According to historians, the artillery available to the young Sultan, as well as the assistance he received from Urban, played a significant role in the siege's final outcome.
The Hungarian (by some accounts Saxon) armorer and cannon founder, Urban, initially approached Constantine Palaiologos. The Byzantines were, after all, among the first to use cannons in city defense during the first siege by Bayezid I. As reported by the website byzantium, Constantine eagerly accepted the proposal but lacked the financial means to offer adequate compensation or to procure all the necessary materials.
Its transport to Constantinople necessitated many carriages chained together, which were pulled by dozens of oxen, while simultaneously thousands of men cleared the roads to allow the heavy cargo to pass.
Concurrently, Urban had given instructions for the creation of other, significantly smaller, cannons to be used during the siege. It is estimated that over 60 cannons were built and traveled towards the City.
The bombardment of the walls of Constantinople began in early April. In practice, however, the cannons proved difficult to operate, and their effectiveness was not as anticipated. According to testimonies, the famous "Great Basilica" quickly began to show cracks, and despite repairs, it eventually exploded, killing, among others, Urban, who was standing nearby.
On the other side, the Byzantines also possessed artillery, smaller in caliber size compared to the Ottoman guns. It was mainly used during the first days of the siege and then fell silent due to the minimal quantity of gunpowder and projectiles, as well as disagreement over the proper use of these weapons.
The Hungarian (by some accounts Saxon) armorer and cannon founder, Urban, initially approached Constantine Palaiologos. The Byzantines were, after all, among the first to use cannons in city defense during the first siege by Bayezid I. As reported by the website byzantium, Constantine eagerly accepted the proposal but lacked the financial means to offer adequate compensation or to procure all the necessary materials.
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Urban then turned to the Ottomans, offering his expertise there, a move many refer to as a "betrayal." The money he received from Mehmed was multiple times greater, and he immediately began the creation and demonstration of his cannons. Claiming that his weapon could blow up "the walls of Babylon itself," he received abundant funds and materials from the Sultan.
In fact, his first creation was a success, sinking a Venetian ship, thus earning him the order to build the largest possible cannon that could take on the famous walls of Constantinople.
In January 1453, the construction of the colossal cannon was completed in Adrianople. It exceeded 9 meters in length and was named the "Great Basilica" (Basilikē). It was a bombard that fired granite projectiles with a diameter of 752 millimeters. Its size and weight, however, made it cumbersome, requiring hours to reload, which limited its rate of fire.
Urban then turned to the Ottomans, offering his expertise there, a move many refer to as a "betrayal." The money he received from Mehmed was multiple times greater, and he immediately began the creation and demonstration of his cannons. Claiming that his weapon could blow up "the walls of Babylon itself," he received abundant funds and materials from the Sultan.
In fact, his first creation was a success, sinking a Venetian ship, thus earning him the order to build the largest possible cannon that could take on the famous walls of Constantinople.
The "Great Basilica" and its Failure
In January 1453, the construction of the colossal cannon was completed in Adrianople. It exceeded 9 meters in length and was named the "Great Basilica" (Basilikē). It was a bombard that fired granite projectiles with a diameter of 752 millimeters. Its size and weight, however, made it cumbersome, requiring hours to reload, which limited its rate of fire.
Its transport to Constantinople necessitated many carriages chained together, which were pulled by dozens of oxen, while simultaneously thousands of men cleared the roads to allow the heavy cargo to pass.
Concurrently, Urban had given instructions for the creation of other, significantly smaller, cannons to be used during the siege. It is estimated that over 60 cannons were built and traveled towards the City.
The bombardment of the walls of Constantinople began in early April. In practice, however, the cannons proved difficult to operate, and their effectiveness was not as anticipated. According to testimonies, the famous "Great Basilica" quickly began to show cracks, and despite repairs, it eventually exploded, killing, among others, Urban, who was standing nearby.
The "Artillery" Factor in the Fall
On the other side, the Byzantines also possessed artillery, smaller in caliber size compared to the Ottoman guns. It was mainly used during the first days of the siege and then fell silent due to the minimal quantity of gunpowder and projectiles, as well as disagreement over the proper use of these weapons.
Read also: Thespians: The Forgotten Heroes Who Fought to the Death Beside the Spartans
Urban's great contribution to the Ottoman army was the organization he implemented in Mehmed's artillery. In total, the Ottoman artillery comprised 70 cannons, 11 of which fired projectiles weighing 250 kilograms and more, and over 50 used 100-kilogram projectiles. With these, Mehmed formed 14 batteries: 9 consisting of smaller-caliber guns and 5 that included the largest cannons.
This article was published on 29/5/2024 on Reader.gr by Spyros Vasileiou.
Urban's great contribution to the Ottoman army was the organization he implemented in Mehmed's artillery. In total, the Ottoman artillery comprised 70 cannons, 11 of which fired projectiles weighing 250 kilograms and more, and over 50 used 100-kilogram projectiles. With these, Mehmed formed 14 batteries: 9 consisting of smaller-caliber guns and 5 that included the largest cannons.
This article was published on 29/5/2024 on Reader.gr by Spyros Vasileiou.
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