Yun Ti (雲梯)

Drawing of a Yun Ti, from 'Wu Bei Yao Lue (《武備要略》'.

Yun Ti (雲梯, lit. 'Clour ladder') was also one of the 'Classic Trio' of Chinese siege engine. It was a wheeled wagon with a foldable scaling ladder.

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Chong Che (衝車)

Drawing of a Chong Che, from 'Wu Bei Yao Lue (《武備要略》)'.

Chong Che (衝車, lit. 'Assault cart') was one of the 'Classic Trio' of Chinese siege engines that had been in use since Warring States period. Though called by the same name, Ming period Chong Che was a very different beast compared to its predecessors, as the invention of gunpowder weapon changed the nature of siege warfare drastically. Instead of assaulting the wall directly, it was used to blast down enemy fortifications with cannons before sending the troops in.

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Che Lun Pao (車輪砲)

Drawing of a Che Lun Pao, from 'Wu Bei Zhi (《武備志》)'.

Che Lun Pao (車輪砲, lit. 'Wheel cannon') was a type of primitive rapid-firing cannon. It consisted of two set of thirty-six guns arranged in two wheels, allowing it to be carried by pack animal. Leather bands were used to cover the muzzles to prevent bullets and gunpowder from falling out. Entire Che Lun Pao including its props weighed two hunderd jin.

As with many rapid-firing weapons of this period, Che Lun Pao wasn't terribly practical on the battlefield. It was simply too unreliable to justify the high cost of producing so many iron barrels.

A rotating gun platform, from 'Vier Bücher der Rytterschafft' by Vegetius Renatus Flavius.

Incidentally, similar designs were attempted in Europe in the early sixteenth century, with predictable results.

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