fbpx
Wikipedia

RML 10-inch 18-ton gun

January 06, 2023

The RML 10-inch guns Mk I – Mk II were large rifled muzzle-loading guns designed for British battleships and monitors in the 1860s to 1880s. They were also fitted to the Bouncer[4] and Ant-class flat-iron gunboats. They were also used for fixed coastal defences around the United Kingdom and around the British Empire until the early years of the 20th century.

Ordnance RML 10-inch 18-ton gun
Mk I gun on broadside ironclad HMS Sultan in the 1890s
TypeNaval gun
Coastal gun
Place of originUnited Kingdom
Service history
In service1868–1904?
Used byRoyal Navy
Australian Colonies
WarsBombardment of Alexandria
Production history
DesignerM Robert Fraser, Royal Gun Factory
Designed1868
ManufacturerRoyal Arsenal
Unit cost£1,006[1]
VariantsMks I – II
Specifications
Barrel length145.5 inches (3.70 m) (bore)[2]
Shell400 to 410 pounds (181.4 to 186.0 kg) Palliser, Common, Shrapnel
Calibre10-inch (254.0 mm)
Muzzle velocityPalliser : 1,364 feet per second (416 m/s)
Common & shrapnel : 1,028 feet per second (313 m/s)[3]
Maximum firing range6,000 yards (5,500 m)

Design

 
Mk I & MK II gun barrels

The 10-inch gun was a standard "Woolwich" design (characterised by having a steel A tube with relatively few broad, rounded and shallow rifling grooves) developed in 1868, based on the successful Mk III 9-inch gun, itself based on the "Fraser" system. The Fraser system was an economy measure applied to the successful Armstrong design for heavy muzzle-loaders, which were expensive to produce. It retained the Armstrong steel barrel surrounded by wrought-iron coils under tension, but replaced the multiple thin wrought-iron coils shrunk around it by a single larger coil (10 inch Mark I) or 2 coils (Mark II); the trunnion ring was now welded to other coils; and it eliminated Armstrong's expensive forged breech-piece.[5]

The gun was rifled with 7 grooves, increasing from 1 turn in 100 calibres to 1 in 40.[2]

It was first used for the main armament on the central battery ironclad HMS Hercules, completed in late 1868.

A number of the Mk I guns on HMS Hercules and one of the two damaged guns in HMVS Cerberus suffered from cracked barrels.[6] Presumably this is why only a few (at least 25) Mk I guns were made.

Ammunition

When the gun was first introduced projectiles had several rows of "studs" which engaged with the gun's rifling to impart spin. Sometime after 1878, "attached gas-checks" were fitted to the bases of the studded shells, reducing wear on the guns and improving their range and accuracy. Subsequently, "automatic gas-checks" were developed which could rotate shells, allowing the deployment of a new range of studless ammunition. Thus, any particular gun potentially operated with a mix of studded and studless ammunition.

The gun's primary projectile was "Palliser" shot or shell, an early armour-piercing projectile for attacking armoured warships. A large "battering charge" of 70 pounds "P" (pebble) or 60 pounds "R.L.G." (rifle large grain) gunpowder[7] was used for the Palliser projectile to achieve maximum velocity and hence penetrating capability.

Common (i.e. ordinary explosive) shells and shrapnel shells were fired with the standard "full service charge" of 44 pounds "P" or 40 pounds R.L.G. gunpowder,[7] as for these velocity was not as important.

  •  
    Studded shell without gas-check. Southsea Castle UK
  •  
    Studded shell without gas-check. Southsea Castle UK
  •  
    Studless Palliser shell, 410 lb, 1886
  •  
    Studless Common shell, 410 lb, 1886
  •  
    Studless Shrapnel shell, 410 lb, 1886

Surviving examples

 
One of the RML 10-inch Mk II gun of Fort Albert, currently mounted at Fort St Catherine, Bermuda

One 10-inch Mk I Common Shell, one 10-inch Mk II Common Shell & one 10-inch Mk III Palliser Shot as part of the Victorian Navy display at the Geelong Maritime Museum, Australia.

Various other guns are mounted or unmounted in Bermuda, with some lying outside of Fort St Catherine, having been rolled out when made obsolete (the guns actually mounted on display there were taken from other forts, notably Fort Albert), and a number having been found buried in the moat of Fort Cunningham (the two mounted at Fort George are the RML 11-inch 25-ton gun). Three have been erected on concrete display stands at Fort Hamilton, though the original mounts are missing, and another at Alexandria Battery.

See also

Notes and references

  1. ^ Unit cost of £1,005 10 shillings 2 pence is quoted in "The British Navy" Volume II, 1882, by Sir Thomas Brassey. Page 38
  2. ^ a b Treatise on Construction of Service Ordnance 1877, page 292
  3. ^ 1,364 feet/second firing 400-pound projectile with "Battering charge" of 70 pound "P" (gunpowder). Treatise on Construction of Service Ordnance 1877, page 348. 1,028 feet/second firing 410-pound common shell with gas-check with 44 pounds "P" (gunpowder). Victorian Navy Handbook 1887, page 211.
  4. ^ Paloczi-Horvath, George (1996). From Monitor to Missile Boat Coast Defence Ships and Coastal Defence since 1860. Conway Maritime Press. p. 27. ISBN 0-85177-650-7.
  5. ^ Treatise on Construction of Service Ordnance 1877, page 92-93
  6. ^ HMVS Cerberus website. reports of cracked guns
  7. ^ a b Treatise on Ammunition 1877, page 220

Bibliography

  • Treatise on the construction and manufacture of ordnance in the British service. War Office, UK, 1877
  • Treatise on Ammunition. 2nd Edition 1877. War Office, UK.
  • Manual for Victorian naval forces 1887. HMVS Cerberus website
  • Treatise on Ammunition, 4th Edition 1887. War Office, UK.
  • Sir Thomas Brassey, The British Navy, Volume II. London: Longmans, Green and Co. 1882
  • Handbook for the 10-inch rifled muzzle-loading gun of 18 tons, 1899 at State Library of Victoria
  • "Handbook for the 10-inch R.M.L. Guns (Land Service)", 1903, London. Published by His Majesty's Stationery Office at State Library of Victoria

External links

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to RML 10 inch 18 ton Gun.
  • Diagram of gun on Casemate Traversing Platform, at Victorian Forts website
  • Diagram of gun on Dwarf "D" Pivot mounting, at Victorian Forts website
  • Diagram of gun on 7-foot Parapet "C" mounting, at Victorian Forts website
  • Diagram of gun on 7-foot Parapet "C" Long Range mounting, at Victorian Forts website

January 06, 2023
inch, inch, guns, were, large, rifled, muzzle, loading, guns, designed, british, battleships, monitors, 1860s, 1880s, they, were, also, fitted, bouncer, class, flat, iron, gunboats, they, were, also, used, fixed, coastal, defences, around, united, kingdom, aro. The RML 10 inch guns Mk I Mk II were large rifled muzzle loading guns designed for British battleships and monitors in the 1860s to 1880s They were also fitted to the Bouncer 4 and Ant class flat iron gunboats They were also used for fixed coastal defences around the United Kingdom and around the British Empire until the early years of the 20th century Ordnance RML 10 inch 18 ton gunMk I gun on broadside ironclad HMS Sultan in the 1890sTypeNaval gunCoastal gunPlace of originUnited KingdomService historyIn service1868 1904 Used byRoyal NavyAustralian ColoniesWarsBombardment of AlexandriaProduction historyDesignerM Robert Fraser Royal Gun FactoryDesigned1868ManufacturerRoyal ArsenalUnit cost 1 006 1 VariantsMks I IISpecificationsBarrel length145 5 inches 3 70 m bore 2 Shell400 to 410 pounds 181 4 to 186 0 kg Palliser Common ShrapnelCalibre10 inch 254 0 mm Muzzle velocityPalliser 1 364 feet per second 416 m s Common amp shrapnel 1 028 feet per second 313 m s 3 Maximum firing range6 000 yards 5 500 m Contents 1 Design 2 Ammunition 3 Surviving examples 4 See also 5 Notes and references 6 Bibliography 7 External linksDesign Edit Mk I amp MK II gun barrels The 10 inch gun was a standard Woolwich design characterised by having a steel A tube with relatively few broad rounded and shallow rifling grooves developed in 1868 based on the successful Mk III 9 inch gun itself based on the Fraser system The Fraser system was an economy measure applied to the successful Armstrong design for heavy muzzle loaders which were expensive to produce It retained the Armstrong steel barrel surrounded by wrought iron coils under tension but replaced the multiple thin wrought iron coils shrunk around it by a single larger coil 10 inch Mark I or 2 coils Mark II the trunnion ring was now welded to other coils and it eliminated Armstrong s expensive forged breech piece 5 The gun was rifled with 7 grooves increasing from 1 turn in 100 calibres to 1 in 40 2 It was first used for the main armament on the central battery ironclad HMS Hercules completed in late 1868 A number of the Mk I guns on HMS Hercules and one of the two damaged guns in HMVS Cerberus suffered from cracked barrels 6 Presumably this is why only a few at least 25 Mk I guns were made Ammunition EditWhen the gun was first introduced projectiles had several rows of studs which engaged with the gun s rifling to impart spin Sometime after 1878 attached gas checks were fitted to the bases of the studded shells reducing wear on the guns and improving their range and accuracy Subsequently automatic gas checks were developed which could rotate shells allowing the deployment of a new range of studless ammunition Thus any particular gun potentially operated with a mix of studded and studless ammunition The gun s primary projectile was Palliser shot or shell an early armour piercing projectile for attacking armoured warships A large battering charge of 70 pounds P pebble or 60 pounds R L G rifle large grain gunpowder 7 was used for the Palliser projectile to achieve maximum velocity and hence penetrating capability Common i e ordinary explosive shells and shrapnel shells were fired with the standard full service charge of 44 pounds P or 40 pounds R L G gunpowder 7 as for these velocity was not as important Studded shell without gas check Southsea Castle UK Studded shell without gas check Southsea Castle UK Studless Palliser shell 410 lb 1886 Studless Common shell 410 lb 1886 Studless Shrapnel shell 410 lb 1886Surviving examples Edit One of the RML 10 inch Mk II gun of Fort Albert currently mounted at Fort St Catherine Bermuda 4 guns submerged near the remains of HMVS Cerberus in Half Moon Bay Victoria Australia 3 x Mk I amp 1 x Mk II Damaged Mk I gun No 17 from HMVS Cerberus is on display at HMAS Cerberus Victoria Australia Mark II gun No 35 at Parson s Lodge Battery Gibraltar Mark II gun no 38 at York Redoubt Halifax Canada Mark II gun No 67 at Southport Gates Gibraltar Mk II guns Mark II guns numbers 156 180 dated 1871 195 221 and 224 at Fort St Catherine St George s Island Bermuda Guns were originally from Fort Albert Mark II No 273 at Almeda Gardens Gibraltar Mark II guns numbers 338 340 342 356 and 357 dated 1878 Fort Cunningham Paget Island Bermuda A Mark II at the Citadel Quebec City Canada A single gun at Chapel Bay Fort United KingdomOne 10 inch Mk I Common Shell one 10 inch Mk II Common Shell amp one 10 inch Mk III Palliser Shot as part of the Victorian Navy display at the Geelong Maritime Museum Australia DetailsVarious other guns are mounted or unmounted in Bermuda with some lying outside of Fort St Catherine having been rolled out when made obsolete the guns actually mounted on display there were taken from other forts notably Fort Albert and a number having been found buried in the moat of Fort Cunningham the two mounted at Fort George are the RML 11 inch 25 ton gun Three have been erected on concrete display stands at Fort Hamilton though the original mounts are missing and another at Alexandria Battery See also EditList of naval gunsNotes and references Edit Unit cost of 1 005 10 shillings 2 pence is quoted in The British Navy Volume II 1882 by Sir Thomas Brassey Page 38 a b Treatise on Construction of Service Ordnance 1877 page 292 1 364 feet second firing 400 pound projectile with Battering charge of 70 pound P gunpowder Treatise on Construction of Service Ordnance 1877 page 348 1 028 feet second firing 410 pound common shell with gas check with 44 pounds P gunpowder Victorian Navy Handbook 1887 page 211 Paloczi Horvath George 1996 From Monitor to Missile Boat Coast Defence Ships and Coastal Defence since 1860 Conway Maritime Press p 27 ISBN 0 85177 650 7 Treatise on Construction of Service Ordnance 1877 page 92 93 HMVS Cerberus website reports of cracked guns a b Treatise on Ammunition 1877 page 220Bibliography EditTreatise on the construction and manufacture of ordnance in the British service War Office UK 1877 Treatise on Ammunition 2nd Edition 1877 War Office UK Manual for Victorian naval forces 1887 HMVS Cerberus website Treatise on Ammunition 4th Edition 1887 War Office UK Sir Thomas Brassey The British Navy Volume II London Longmans Green and Co 1882 Handbook for the 10 inch rifled muzzle loading gun of 18 tons 1899 at State Library of Victoria Handbook for the 10 inch R M L Guns Land Service 1903 London Published by His Majesty s Stationery Office at State Library of VictoriaExternal links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to RML 10 inch 18 ton Gun Diagram of gun on Casemate Traversing Platform at Victorian Forts website Diagram of gun on Dwarf D Pivot mounting at Victorian Forts website Diagram of gun on 7 foot Parapet C mounting at Victorian Forts website Diagram of gun on 7 foot Parapet C Long Range mounting at Victorian Forts website Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title RML 10 inch 18 ton gun amp oldid 1096268437, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.