Shortfinals – aviation and more!

By: shortfinals

Jun 03 2011

Tags: #488, 'Her Majesty's Palace and Fortress the Tower of London', 'world cities', 1070, 13", 16" calibre, 17th century, 1801, 1807, 1815 - 1864, 1842, 18th century, 1988 listing, 200 lb shell, 3000 yard range, ancient form of artillery, angle of elevation, architectural gems, armoury, art collections, artillery, at sea, autumn, barrel, Battle of Copenhagen, bomb ketch, British, British Government, British Protectorate, calibre, cannon, carefully sighted, cast design, cast in bronze, cast iron, central keep, central keep of the fortress, conquest of the remainder of England, Copenhagen, Corfu, Crown Jewels, Crownhill Fort, dated '1684', diplomat, during the Victorian era, eastern half of the Mediterranean Sea, engage attackers, England, Europe, explosive shells, First Battle of Copenhagen, fixed installation, fortification, great art collections, Great Britain, Great Britain ruled Corfu, great buildings of Europe, Guillaume le Conquérant, heavy mortar, Ionian Islands, iron, Italian weapons, James Alexander Stewart-Mackenzie, land targets, large explosive shells, large mortars, Leeds, Lion of St. Mark, London, Lord High Commissioner, Lord High Commissioner of the Ionian Islands, maker's mark 'TW', maritime power, markings on the weapon, marvellous treasures of the Crown Jewels, Mediterranean Sea, mortar, mortars, museum, Museums, Napoleonic Wars, older mortars, plunging fire, Plymouth, presented to the British Government, preserved British mortars, principal fortress, rich history, River Thames, Royal Armouries Collections, Royal Navy, ruled from 1401 to 1787, Scottish, Scottish diplomat, Second Battle of Copenhagen, Spanish, Spanish design, Spring, Thames, the battery would open fire, thronged with tourists, Tower of London, trading giant, trunnions, UNESCO, unwieldy vessels, Venetian, Venetian Republic, Venice, Victorian, Victorian Era, White Tower, William the Conqueror, World Heritage Site, Yorkshire

Category: British Isles, Castles, England, France, Great Britain, London, military, Museums, Royalty, Scotland, ships, World Heritage Site

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London is one of the great ‘world cities’, of that there is no doubt. Her wealth of architectural gems, great art collections and much more ensure that London is thronged with tourists from Spring through Autumn. The attraction of London is often based on the amazingly rich history of the city, and one of the great buildings of Europe (and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, #488, 1988 listing), the Tower of London. Technically, its correct title is ‘Her Majesty’s Palace and Fortress, the Tower of London’, and this gives you some idea of its initial use. Started in around 1070, the White Tower (the central keep of the fortress) was intended by William the Conqueror – Guillaume le Conquérant – to be the principal fortress and armoury for his conquest of the remainder of England.

It is singularly appropriate, therefore, that as well as the marvellous treasures of the Crown Jewels, the Tower would house some items from the Royal Armouries Collections (there are many more held in Leeds in Yorkshire). Outside the Tower, close to the River Thames, you can find two very large mortars. They are both cast iron, but have differing histories, despite looking fairly similar.

The mortar on the left is of Spanish design, and dates from the 18th century. Unusually, both the base and the barrel have been cast as one unit. The calibre of the mortar is 13 inches, which seems to be a common heavy mortar calibre, as preserved British mortars at Crownhill Fort, Plymouth, are similar. The range of this weapon would be around 3,000 yards, and it is likely to have been used as a fixed installation in a fortification, or at sea in a bomb ketch. These were unwieldy vessels but could produce deadly plunging fire against land targets, such as that provided by bomb ketches of the Royal Navy at both the First Battle of Copenhagen (1801), the Second Battle of Copenhagen (1807) and in many other engagements during the Napoleonic Wars. When installed in a fortification, because the angle of elevation was fixed, the mortars would be carefully sighted (and sited) so that when a target reached a certain point (at a predetermined distance), the battery would open fire with telling effect, hurling their large, 200 lb, explosive shells at the enemy.

The other mortar is also a cast iron weapon (some older mortars and cannon were cast in bronze). This time the mortar has trunnions, which allow the weapon to be elevated, in its carriage, to the required angle to engage attackers. It is of 16″ calibre and bears a maker’s mark ‘TW’; it is an earlier piece, and is dated ‘1684’. Interestingly, it resembles Italian weapons of the period and is described as this. The barrel, however, reveals a cast design of the ‘Lion of St. Mark’, the symbol for Venice and the Venetian Republic. This maritime power and trading giant dominated the eastern half of the Mediterranean Sea (and more) during the 17th century. The mortar came from Corfu, as a gift, and since the Venetian Republic ruled that island from 1401 to 1787, the markings on the weapon make perfect sense.

This mortar was presented to the British Government in 1842, during the Victorian era, at a time when Great Britain still ruled Corfu as a British Protectorate (it did so from 1815-1864). The Lord High Commissioner of the Ionian Islands at this time was James Alexander Stewart-Mackenzie, a noted Scottish diplomat, so it is quite possible that he was behind the gift of the mortar! All in all, these two weapons are fine examples of an ancient form of artillery.

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