artillery in Lithuanian wars 1200-1400 AD

[Bill]

Hello- I am new to this forum and Medieval wargaming , can anyone tell me if Lithuanians or Teutonic Knights used any artillery or firearms in 1200-1400AD in their battles in Lithuania, Prussia or Livonia? I am starting to game this period, thanks- Bill.

[Tim]

Bill

Welcome.  Good to know of another member interested in Eastern European warfare.  They are both beautiful armies when deployed on the field.

As far as I know there was no gunpowder artillery used in those wars prior to 1380.  After that both sides seem to have used bombards but prior to 1409 AD I am not aware of usage of bombards other than at sieges.

Hope that helps.
Regards
Tim

[Bill]

Hello Tim thanks for your reply- What about 1410 at Tannenburg? Any artillery there?

[Tim]

Sources are inconsistent.  Both side certainly had access to artillery but I have not read any reports suggesting that they had a material impact upon the battle of Grunwald/Tannenburg.  The Wikipedia article mentions a source

Turnbull, Stephen (2003), Tannenberg 1410: Disaster for the Teutonic Knights, Campaign Series, 122, London: Osprey, ISBN 978-1-84176-561-7, p43.

ss saying there was artillery but as it also mentions rain and I have not read that in any other source I might be sceptical.

Turnbull in general has a good reputation but I don't remember reading that Osprey in particular.

[Erpingham]

A quick google reveals Artillery: An Illustrated History of Its Impact by Jeff Kinard; p43 states that heavy rain may have affected the artillery at Tannenberg/Grunwald.  He gives figures for artillery of 16 Lithuanian and 100 Teutonic pieces.  He confirms lack of impact.

I also incidentally found an article on the artillery used in this war https://www.e-anthropology.com/DownloadFreeFile.aspx?DwID=6057

but it is in Ukrainian

[Patrick Waterson]

but it is in Ukrainian

One could try putting it in a format suitable for Google Translate, and then marvel at the usage and terminology ...

[Duncan Head]

http://rcin.org.pl/Content/58683/WA308_78466_PIII368_Technology-of-manufa_I.pdf is an article on manufacture of artillery in the Teutonic Order state. There's a list of mentions in administrative documents - most after 1400, though; the earliest is

6 iron guns (yserynne buchsen) in the Commandery of Toruń (Thorn) in 1392 and 1397

https://www.academia.edu/8170378/Characteristics_of_Medieval_Artillery_in_the_Light_of_Written_Sources_from_Bohemia_and_Poland is also useful, and does mention artillery in sieges in the 1410 war.

[Bill]

Thank you all very much! You have put me on track to learn more.