History
Carcasses were used for the first time by the French under Louis XIV in 1672. They were also fired from bomb vessels.
The carcass shell as used by the Royal Navy in the 18th century, most famously in the attack on Fort McHenry, was a hollow cast iron sphere weighing 190 pounds (86 kg). Instead of the single fuse hole found on a conventional mortar shell of the period, the carcass had 3 openings, each 3 inches (76 mm) in diameter. Its filling burned for 11 minutes upon firing. It was especially useful during night bombardments, as the burning projectile assisted in the aiming of the cannon.
Read more about this topic: Carcass (projectile)
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