Shooting hatch
In fortification, a shooting hatch is an opening within a fortification , for example a defensive tower , which allows the use of guns such as. B. Ballista allowed with the highest possible coverage.
Shooting hatches were usually installed in the upper floors of the defense towers, while the lower floors were provided with loopholes for archers and crossbowmen .
For the use of guns, the shooting hatches had to be much wider than loopholes, as a rule their width was about half a meter. They could usually be closed with wooden flaps that were pulled up for firing and lowered while the gun was being cocked again in order to protect the inside of the turret against external fire.
literature
- Carl Rhoen : The fortifications of the free imperial city of Aachen . Anton Creutzer, Aachen 1894, urn : nbn: de: hbz: 061: 1-230540 ( ISL Aachen [PDF; accessed on May 7, 2016]).