Fire lance facts for kids
The fire lance was an ancient Chinese weapon that used gunpowder to shoot out fire. It is famous among historians as the very first ancestor of modern guns. Long ago, inventors attached a tube packed with explosive powder to the end of a long spear. When soldiers lit the fuse, it shot out a bright blast of sparks and flames.
People first created the fire lance during the 10th century in ancient China. Soldiers used it during many battles, including the famous Jin–Song Wars. Over time, craftspeople learned that the gunpowder worked better when they improved the chemical mixture. They added small bits of metal or broken clay into the tube. This turned the spear into something like a mix between a flamethrower and a modern shotgun. The blast only reached about 3 meters or 10 feet, but it was enough to surprise enemy troops. Later on, builders replaced the wooden poles and paper tubes with metal barrels, which eventually led to the very first hand cannons.
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How Fire Lances Were Built
The earliest fire lance was fairly simple to build. A soldier took a long bamboo tube and packed it with black powder. Then, they tied the tube tightly near the tip of a spear. A cord called a slow match helped ignite the powder. When lit, the bamboo tube sprayed a long stream of fire toward the enemy.
In the beginning, this blast worked mainly as a pyrotechnic light show. It frightened enemy horses and caused panic in close-up melee fighting. Soldiers gained a sudden shock advantage before using their regular spears. Over time, builders realized they could pack items directly inside the tube along with the powder. They added tiny iron pellets and sharp pottery shards. When the gunpowder went off, it hurled these flying objects outward with the flame.
By the middle of the 13th century, inventors began making tubes out of solid metal. These strong tubes could handle larger explosions. Because the tube itself was so powerful, soldiers no longer needed the spear tip. They detached the tube from the pole and held it alone. These early weapons were called eruptors, and they became the direct ancestors of the hand cannon. In Europe, fighters tried building their own versions using thick wooden tubes.
The History of the Fire Lance
Early Inventions in China
The oldest known picture of a fire lance comes from the year 950 in a city called Dunhuang. Even so, written history first talks about them in battle during the year 1132. During the Siege of De'an, defenders in modern Anlu, Hubei, used fire lances to drive back troops from the Jin dynasty (1115–1234).
In 1163, engineers placed fire lances onto special defense wagons called "at-your-desire-carts." These armed carts protected large throwing machines called trebuchets. By the late 1100s, warriors put bits of ceramic and iron inside the tubes. Some versions even dropped the spear blade completely.
By the year 1232, the Jin army made fire lances using strong layers of paper rather than bamboo. An ancient record called the History of Jin explains that craftsmen rolled sixteen layers of thick paper together to make a durable tube two feet long. Troops filled the tube with willow charcoal, iron bits, and sulfur. Soldiers carried small pots of glowing coals so they could quickly light the fuses during combat. These paper tubes produced a ten-foot blast of fire and were tough enough to survive the blast.
In 1233, a general named Pucha Guannu led 450 Jin soldiers using fire lances against the Mongol army. His troops moved silently at night in small boats. They launched a surprise raid on the camp. The bright blasts shocked the enemy soldiers, who feared fire lances more than regular weapons.
In 1259, builders placed a tight plug or pellet wad inside the tube to trap the gas. When fired, it shot out a round pellet like a modern bullet. By 1276, writers spelled the word for lance with a symbol for metal instead of wood. This change showed that metal barrels had become standard. Horse riders, known as cavalry, also used them in battle against commanders like Bayan of the Baarin. Famous military books like the Huolongjing even showed fire lances shaped like gourds.
Spread to Other Lands
Knowledge of fire lances traveled outside China through traders and armies. By 1280, people in the Middle East learned how to make these weapons. Around 1396, knights in Europe carried fire lances while riding horses.
During the 15th century, brave warriors in Japan called samurai used fire lances in their struggles. In Europe, soldiers kept using wooden varieties during the Storming of Bristol in 1643. English navy ships continued carrying similar devices as late as 1660.
European Wooden Troncks
In Europe, people built pole weapons with wooden tubes called troncks, bombas, or fire-trunks. The fireworks inside these tubes were divided into sections that burned at different speeds.
Sailors stored troncks on naval ships to repel boarding parties. Divers discovered a preserved tronck inside the sunken wreck of the Spanish ship La Trinidad Valencera. In 1988, modern scientists built a copy of this weapon to see how it worked. During their outdoor test, several parts of the fire tube lit at the exact same moment.
Images for kids
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A drawing of a fire lance from the military book Wubei Zhi.
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An illustration from the Huolongjing showing a fire lance that fired lead pellets.
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A special battle shield from the Huolongjing fitted with fire lances.
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A European knight riding a horse with a fire lance around 1396.
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Fire lances shown in the book De la pirotechnia by Vannoccio Biringuccio.
See also
- Early modern warfare
- Science and technology of the Song dynasty
- Jiao Yu
- Huolongjing
- Xun Lei Chong
- Lunge mine
