RBL 7 Inch Armstrong Gun - Use in Action

Use in Action

The gun was not employed in a major war, but was used extensively by Royal Navy ships against land fortifications in the Bombardment of Kagoshima and Bombardment of Shimonoseki in 1863 and 1864. We have two descriptions of the same incident aboard HMS Euryalus at the Bombardment of Kagoshima in August 1863:

"We had on our main-deck 32-pr. 56 cwt. muzzle-loaders; and they, of course, gave no trouble... in the forecastle we had a 7-in. B.L. 110-pr. Armstrong. Whether the men in the heat of the action became hurried I cannot say; but certain it is that the breech piece of this gun blew out with tremendous effect, the concussion knocking down the whole gun's crew, and apparently paralysing the men, until Webster, captain of the forecastle and of the gun, roused them by shouting: 'Well; is there ere a b----- of you will go and get the spare vent piece?'" -- Letter from an officer of HMS Euryalus to historian William Laird Clowes many years after the event.

"My opinion, and also that of the gunnery lieutenant, is that for long range they, are most successful. The 100-pounder (sic) as a pivot gun is superior to the 95 cwt. solid 8-inch gun ; but as broadside guns between decks we do not like them; the smoke is too great. Rear choke carriages with such heavy guns are very slow in working and the decks dreadfully cut up. The common shell is one of its great efficiencies, the bursting charge is so great. At Kagosima one vent-piece of the pivot-gun broke and a piece went up to foreyard, but no one was hurt, and it was the fault of the captain of the gun not putting the tin cap in. If the gun is understood and worked properly, it is very successful". -- An officer from HMS Euryalus, published in The Times on 25 April 1864.

The guns while functioning well when correctly handled were hence seen to be difficult and potentially dangerous to use under the stress of combat.