This 1/10 scale 42-pound howitzer was built by Clayton Johnson for a scale model of the Swedish warship, Vasa. This type of howitzer originated in the 16th century and had a thin-walled, stubby barrel. The guns were used much like large shotguns. They would be loaded with case shot or bits of metal to clear the enemy decks prior to boarding. Vasa carried two 82-pound howitzers, three 42-pound howitzers, and one 20-pound Stormstycke howitzer. These guns were carried in round gunports on the weather deck. The original 20-pounder on the Vasa was actually half of a matched pair that was captured by the Swedish army in Poland in 1625.
Clayton Johnson has built not one, but two impressive scale models of the Swedish warship, Vasa. The ship itself has a famed history as one of the largest and most ornate vessels of its time, but also because the Vasa sank in 1628 less than 2,000 yards into its maiden voyage. Fortunately, the warship was remarkably well-preserved after lying on the seafloor for centuries, and is now on display at the Vasa Museum in Stockholm, Sweden.
Mr. Johnson went to painstaking lengths when making his two Vasa models, which were built at 1/50 scale and 1/144 scale, respectively. The models were so accurate, in fact, that they were donated to the Vasa museum along with some scale cannons and associated block and tackle for a different 1/10 scale model that belongs to the Vasa museum. In fact, his historical research on how the ship was originally built, and the accuracy of his models, has been consulted by Vasa Museum research staff. We thank Mr. Johnson for donating seven of his historically accurate scale model warship cannons for display at the Miniature Engineering Craftsmanship Museum.