25 April 2016

Da Feng Ke (大蜂窠)

Ming Chinese Paper-wrapped bomb
A Da Feng Ke, from 'Wu Bei Zhi (《武備志》)'.
Da Feng Ke (大蜂窠, lit. 'Great wasp nest'), also known as Huo Feng Wo (火蜂窩, lit. 'Fire wasp nest') and Yi Ke Feng (一窠蜂), was a type of primitive but powerful bomb and land mine. Made of one hundred layers of paper and ten layers of fabric, its payload included everything from incendiary and poison gas gunpowder, firecrackers, Di Shu (地鼠), small bomblets, darts, poisoned ceramic fragmentation, iron fragmentation and caltrops, to sulphur, resin, human hair and feces. Da Ke Feng was usually thrown by hand or launched from siege engine, and was most useful during siege or naval warfare. It is sometimes confused with Yi Wo Feng (一窩蜂) due to similarly sounding names.

21 April 2016

Huo Fei Zhua (火飛抓)

Ming Chinese Barbed Bomb
Drawing of a Fei Huo Xiang Mo Chui, from 'Wu Bei Zhi (《武備志》)'.
Huo Fei Zhua (火飛抓, lit. 'Fire flying catcher'), also known by another fancier name Fei Huo Xiang Mo Chui (飛火降魔槌, lit. 'Flying fire demon-subjugating hammer'), was a rather unique weapon of the Ming Dynasty. Essentially a spiked, baton-shaped grenade, it served as the Ming equivalent of anti-ship sticky bomb (although Fei Huo Xiagn Mo Chui did not attach to its target through sticky adhesive, but by barbed spikes).

Wu Pai Qiang (五排鎗)

Ming Dynasty Multi-barreled gun
Drawing of a Wu Pai Qiang, from 'Wu Bei Zhi (《武備志》)'.
Wu Pai Qiang (五排鎗, lit. 'Five arrayed handgonne') was a simple five-barreled handgonne of the Ming Dynasty. Each barrel of Wu Pai Qiang weighed one jin four qian, and was usually loaded with four to five lead balls (for a total of twenty to twenty-five lead balls in all barrels). Its wooden pole was four chi long.
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