Battard. An early cannon of small size.
Batten. The sloping of a wall which brings the perpendicular from the top inside the base.
Batter. A cannonade of heavy ordnance, from the first or second parallel of intrenchment, against any fortress or works. To batter in breach implies a heavy cannonade of many pieces directed to one part of the revetment from the third parallel.
Batterie en Rouage (Fr.). Is an enfilading battery, when directed against another battery.
Battering. In military affairs, implies the firing with heavy artillery on some fortification or strong post possessed by an enemy, in order to demolish the works.
Battering Charge. The charge of powder used in battering. The heaviest charge used in a gun.
Battering-pieces. Are large pieces of ordnance, used in battering a fortified town or post.
Battering-ram. In antiquity, a military engine used to batter and beat down the walls of places besieged. There were two different kinds of battering-rams, one rude and plain, the other compound. The former seems to have been no more than a great beam, which the soldiers bore on their arms and shoulders, and with one end of it, by main force, assailed the walls. The compound ram was a large beam with a head of iron, which was sometimes made to resemble the head of a ram. It was suspended by ropes to a beam supported by posts, and balanced so as to swing backwards and forwards, and was impelled by men against the wall. These rams were sometimes 120 feet in length.
Battering-train. A train of artillery used solely for besieging a strong place, inclusive of mortars and howitzers. See [Siege-train].
Battery. A battery consists of two or more pieces of artillery in the field. The term battery also implies the implacement of ordnance destined to act offensively or defensively. It also refers to the company charged with a certain number of pieces of ordnance. The ordnance constitutes the battery; men serve it; horses drag it, and epaulments may shelter it.