Rain ball

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Copper engraving from 1657
light
ball (Fig. 56, above) rain ball (Fig. 57, below)

The rain ball , also Turkish rain ball , fire rain ball or fireball , is a former war device of the artillery or a so-called war fireworks , which was used to spread small incendiary devices over an area in order to cause as much damage as possible through fires. It is described in the German dictionary as "fireball during serious fireworks, which is filled with melted equipment, hand grenades and blows." And in Pierer's Universal Lexikon as "Turkish rain ball, balls composed of various flammable substances that are shot against the enemy or objects which one wants to set on fire "

description

The use, manufacture and composition of the rain ball was described by the fireworks and military technician Michael Mieth in the course of the Great Turkish War . The name "Turkish rain ball" is derived from the intended use as a weapon against the Turks, as he himself describes. "I call this ball a Turkish rain ball / because it is hopefully at these villains for the first time / if God gives me life / and gives grace / should be applied [...]"

In addition to molten components , the ball also contained hand grenades and blows , which were used to spread the fire over a large area and to set flammable objects, wood or straw on fire.

Example: Fine molten material is mixed with thin glue to make a dough-like mass. Small balls are formed from this dough, rolled in powdered powder and dried. In addition, a detonator is made from paper, and an 8- solder rocket case is one inch high with ignition material and the rest is filled with granular powder. A handful of powder is first inserted into the rain ball, followed by the rocket, and then the small balls of dough are poured around the igniter. Powder and fire plaster are mixed between the layers until the ball is filled. The lid of the ball is now glued so that the head of the detonator extends through the lid. The whole thing is now glued with a sheet and dried, finally the ball is dipped in resin or pitch and provided with a felt plate. A rain ball can also be constructed and assembled from other materials.

literature

  • Rain ball . In: Praxis Artolloriae pyrotechnicae. - Complete instruction, such as rockets, fire-water-storm bullets, grenades, pitch-storm wreaths, and all sorts of pleasure and serious fireworks: Sampt thorough instructions for artillery . 1st part. Schwänder, Bucholtz, Osnabrück 1660, p. 74 ( books.google.de - authorship attributed to Sylvius Nimrod, Herzog zu Würtemberg, Teck and Oels , see also the work: Different new types of artificial Fewerwerck next to briefly briefed and instructions on the artillery 1657 with identical description).
  • Johann Siegmund Buchner: How to do the rain cleaning . In: Theoria et Praxis Artilleriæ. Or: Clear description of the artillery in use in the 1950s: along with other new and practically-based manners, for several lessons everything explained by presenting the necessary cracks . Johann Hoffmann, Nuremberg 1690, p. 39-40 ( books.google.de ).
  • Friedrich Wilhelm Kratzenstein: Fire rain ball . In: The Lord of Belidor's Concise War Lexicon . Raspe, Nuremberg 1765, p. 91 and 241 (Fig. 8) ( books.google.de ).
  • Johann Karl Gottfried Jacobsson: rain ball to the water . In: Technological Dictionary: or Alphabetical Explanation of All Useful Mechanical Arts, Manufactories, Factories, and Craftsmen ... Volume 7 : Q – peat cups . Friedrich Nicolai, Berlin / Stettin 1794, p. 48 ( books.google.de ).

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Artolloriae pyrotechnicae practice. ... 1st part. Schwänder, Bucholtz, Osnabrück 1660, illustration on p. 72 ( books.google.de ).
  2. ↑ rain ball. In: Jacob Grimm , Wilhelm Grimm (Hrsg.): German dictionary . tape 14 : R - skewness - (VIII). S. Hirzel, Leipzig 1893, Sp. 521 ( woerterbuchnetz.de ).
  3. ↑ Turkish rain ball . In: Universal Lexicon of the Present and Past . 4., reworked. and greatly increased edition, Volume 17:  Piece foundry – Turkish rain ball , self-published, Altenburg 1863, pp.  952–953 .
  4. ^ Gabriel Christoph Benjamin Busch: rain ball . In: Attempting a Handbook of Inventions… 9th edition. tape 5 : P, Q and R . JGE Wittekindt, Eisenach 1794, p. 378 ( books.google.de ).
  5. ↑ Michael Mieth: Artilleriæ recentior praxis, or more recent gun description in which all the most distinguished main points of artillery are dealt with thoroughly ... ... with many Kupffer pieces explained, etc. 1736, Cap. LIII. How to make the Turkish Rain Ball ?, p. 817-818 ( books.google.de ).
  6. ↑ rain ball . In: Johann Georg Krünitz , Heinrich Gustav Flörke , Friedrich Jakob Floerken (eds.): D. Johann Georg Krünitz's economic-technological encyclopedia, or general system of state, town, house and agriculture, and art history, in alphabetical order : which contains the articles Ratzenfänger to Reichswerth . tape 121 . Pauli, Berlin 1812, p. 532-534 ( books.google.de ).