The French army had 246 cannons at Waterloo, according to the commonly cited order-of-battle figures for Napoleon’s force engaged on 18 June 1815. These included field guns and howitzers operated by French artillery units.
Artillery was central to Napoleonic battlefield tactics. Napoleon often used concentrated batteries to bombard an enemy position before sending infantry or cavalry forward. At Waterloo, the French guns opened a heavy bombardment, but wet ground, limited visibility, and the Anglo-allied army’s sheltered position behind a ridge reduced the effect of some fire.
The 246-gun figure refers to the French force present at the battle, not every cannon available to France during the wider Waterloo campaign. Totals can vary between historical accounts because sources differ over whether they count guns detached elsewhere, damaged pieces, reserve artillery, or howitzers separately.
Napoleon’s artillery outnumbered Wellington’s Anglo-allied force, which had roughly 156 guns at the main position. Despite that advantage, the Coalition’s defensive terrain, infantry squares, cavalry resistance, and the arrival of Prussian reinforcements proved decisive.