Petard

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British army petard

The 29cm Petard spigot mortar on a Churchill AVRE of 79th Squadron, 5th Assault Regiment, Royal Engineers, under command of 3rd Infantry Division, 29 April 1944. A 40lb bomb can be seen on the right. H38001

Petard is a small bomb or explosive device used historically, primarily in siege warfare, to breach gates, walls, or other fortifications. The term originates from the French word pétard, meaning a loud explosion or fart, which in turn derives from the Latin peditum, signifying the same. Petards were used from the 16th to the early 19th centuries by military engineers who were tasked with breaching fortifications during sieges.

Design and Operation

A petard was a bell-shaped metal device filled with gunpowder. It was typically affixed to a wooden base called a "plank" and was detonated by a slow match or a fuse. The design of the petard allowed for a directed explosion, focusing the force towards the target, such as a gate or wall, with the aim of creating a breach for assaulting troops to enter.

Historical Usage

Petards were part of the arsenal of tools used by siege engineers, a group that also included larger artillery pieces like cannons and mortars, as well as other siege engines. The use of petards required a team of engineers and sappers to approach the target under cover, often during the night or under fire, to place the device. This operation was hazardous, as the team had to work close to the defensive walls, within range of the defenders' missiles and other anti-siege measures.

The phrase "hoist with his own petard," famously used by William Shakespeare in Hamlet, refers to the danger involved in using petards, as the engineer placing the device could be blown up (hoist) by his own bomb if it detonated prematurely or if something went wrong during the operation.

Decline in Use

The decline in the use of petards paralleled the evolution of military technology and tactics. As artillery became more powerful and effective, the need for such close-range siege devices diminished. The development of more sophisticated and safer means of breaching fortifications, including explosive shells and later, dynamite, rendered the petard obsolete by the 19th century.

Legacy

Today, petards are remembered mostly through historical texts and the idiomatic expression mentioned earlier. They represent an interesting aspect of siege warfare and military engineering, illustrating the lengths to which armies would go to breach fortifications and the dangers involved in such operations.