Somerset cannon facts for kids

The Somerset cannon was a very large British gun. It was designed by the British Admiralty, which was the main office for the navy. A company called Armstrong's built these powerful cannons.

The Somerset Cannon: A Big Gun Story

This cannon was created because some newer guns didn't work very well. The Armstrong breech-loading rifles were supposed to be great. But they had problems on Royal Navy ships. So, the navy needed a new, reliable big gun.

Why Was This Cannon Needed?

Imagine a ship's main weapon not working right! That's what happened with the Armstrong breech-loading guns. These guns loaded from the back, which was a new idea. But they often broke down or were hard to use. The Royal Navy needed powerful, dependable cannons. The Somerset cannon was designed to be that strong, simple gun.

What Made the Somerset Cannon Special?

The Somerset cannon was a huge gun. It weighed 6.5 tons, which is like six small cars! It was a "smoothbore muzzle-loader." This means it had a smooth barrel inside. And it was loaded from the front (the muzzle). It fired a 100-pound shot, which is very heavy.

This cannon had a wide barrel, called a "calibre," of 9.2 inches. With a charge of 33 pounds of gunpowder, it could fire a steel shot. This shot could go through 5.5 inches of armor. It could do this even from 800 yards away!

How Did It Work?

Making a gun this big work on a moving ship was a challenge. Regular gun carriages, called "truck carriages," were not strong enough. They couldn't handle the powerful kick, or "recoil," of the gun.

Researchers looked back at old designs. They found a great idea from Captain Sir Thomas Hardy, 1st Baronet. He was a famous captain who served with Admiral Nelson. His idea was a special carriage that stayed still. The gun itself would slide back on the carriage. This sliding motion was slowed down by special "friction blocks." These blocks helped absorb the gun's powerful recoil.

Where Was It Used?

The Somerset cannon was put into service on several Royal Navy ships. These included:

• Achilles
• Research
• Favorite
• Enterprise

Why Didn't It Work Out?

Even with its clever design, the Somerset cannon didn't perform well. It was very hard to control the gun, especially at sea. Because of these problems, the cannon was eventually taken out of service. It showed that even good ideas can be tricky to make work perfectly in real life.