Artillery

Smoothbore cannon

The bulk of the Paraguayan artillery.

Smoothbore cannon
Smoothbore field gun on a wooden carriage. Reference model.
Material
Cast iron or bronze
Ammunition
Round shot, shell and canister
Origin
Pieces imported before the war and cast in the country (Ybycuí and the Asunción Arsenal)
Flying artillery
Three regiments of four batteries of six guns

Most of the Paraguayan artillery was smoothbore, of iron or bronze. Many pieces were old; others were cast in the country, with iron from Ybycuí and boring work at the Asunción Arsenal, directed by British technicians. The heavy pieces armed the river batteries at Humaitá and Curupayty.

‡ Disputed.How far Ybycuí cast cannon barrels, and not only shot and implements, is not clear in the sources.

Sources: Thomas L. Whigham, “The Iron Works of Ybycuí”, The Americas (1978); ABC Color, the weapons of the Paraguayan soldiers; George Thompson, The War in Paraguay (1869).

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