Normally, the bombard was of large dimensions; it was not mounted on a rotating carriage but had to be transported disassembled into its main parts and then assembled and positioned on site. The advantages of this weapon, for its time, included its ability to fire sufficiently large projectiles capable of causing damage to fortified defenses that came into prominence towards the end of the 15th century, with sufficiently long ranges to often avoid counter-battery fire from the opponent's defenses.
The bombard was usually designed with a double-diameter barrel so that the rear part, of smaller but longer diameter (called the chamber or throat), could hold the gunpowder charge, while the front part, of larger diameter (very short and called the bell), accommodated the projectile, usually made of stone, though sometimes metal.
This type of firearm was rather imprecise in its firing, as the barrel was not rifled, and the short muzzle did not allow for the full pushing capacity of the charge used. Furthermore, because the volume of the chamber containing the gunpowder was determined at the time of construction, it was not easy to modify the ballistic parameters simply by changing the amount of charge; it was necessary to modify the elevation according to empirical formulas derived, in particular, from the experience of the gunner. Elevation was achieved by raising the front of the barrel using beams, wedges, or by digging in the tail; gunners reduced recoil using ropes tied to stakes driven into the ground. Often, the bed supporting the barrel was constructed like a frame fixed in a kind of castle, which facilitated elevation aiming. The bombardier was shielded from enemy fire by pivoting mantlets supported by the same castle. The smaller bombards were often mounted on small carts.
In the second half of the 15th century, it fell out of use in Italy for various reasons, such as technological advancements in artillery and the fact that the primacy of construction shifted to France. The new weapons were generically referred to as cannons, and the term bombard was abandoned for several centuries, only to be revived during World War I to indicate the large guns with parabolic trajectories. Indeed, the position warfare tactics adopted by all the Central Powers led to the crystallization of the front, making it advantageous to assign the task of destroying barbed wire, leveling other accessory defenses, and filling in enemy trenches to artillery. For such tasks, it was clear that guns capable of firing projectiles with a parabolic trajectory to strike targets from above were required. High ranges were not needed, but the projectiles had to contain a large amount of explosive to inflict maximum damage.
