Described as "the most magnificent guns in the word"¹ the 10 inch Rifled Muzzle Loading (RML) Guns fired a 400 pound shot or shell using a charge of 60 pounds of gunpowder. Weighing 18 tons the range of the guns, at 11 degrees (maximum elevation) was 5,000 yards.

Cerberus was originally fitted with four Mark I versions of this gun. The right gun in the aft turret was replaced with another Mark I in 1885 when the barrel cracked. The left gun in the same turret was replaced with the Mark II version in 1898 when one of its trunnions cracked.

The gun on the left is the damaged gun removed in 1898. It is shown here at HMAS CERBERUS at Crib Point.

Given that at least four of the Mk I guns on HMS Hercules also suffered from cracked barrels it would appear that the Mk I guns had a serious design fault. It would appear that the gun placed on board Cerberus in 1885 (no. 8) was one of the damaged guns from HMS Hercules that had been retubed.

In 1897 two 18 cwt 14 pounder Maxim-Nordenfelt Quick Firing Guns became the secondary armament of Cerberus. The slightly less powerful version, the 18 cwt 12 pounder Q.F. gun, was used on British Light Cruisers as their primary armament as well as on ships such as HMS Dreadnought (1906) as their secondary armament. The even lighter 12 cwt 12 pounder version was used extensively during WWII on hundreds of auxillary vessels. The 14 pdrs on Cerberus could fire a shell weighing 14 lbs to a range of 8,000 yards with a muzzle velocity of 2,100 ft/second, using a 6.5 lb 1 black powder charge. Additions to 1890 Manual for Victorian Naval Forces, circa. 1895. 1 Hand written notes in Andrew Currer's copy of the 1890 manual give the charge as 7 lb 2 oz P.B.

Two 14 pounder guns were fitted to HMVS Cerberus from 1897 until 1900. These 14 pdrs were not Mk I or Mk II guns but rather were "Exhibition Guns" & hence were the only two of their kind. A report in The Argus on 6 April 1891 refers to the 14 pounder guns at Fort Queenscliff as the "two guns now in the colony having long chambers". The length of the round is about 40 mm longer than for the Mk I projectile and shell casing.

The total length of these guns was 138 inches (3.5352 m)³ as opposed to 150 inches (3.81 m) for the Mk I gun and 155.35 inches (3.94589 m) for the Mk II gun.

It would appear that the 14 pounders were acquired in 1889² and originally intended for fitting to the SS Courier⁸ in an emergency. It appears that while not required they were loaned to the Land Forces and tested at Fort Queenscliff. The arrival of five Mk I 14 pdr guns with shorter chambers in 1891/2 led to the two earlier guns being returned, most likely for consistency reasons, to the Navy⁷ where they were assigned to Nelson. On the sale of Nelson the guns were transferred to Cerberus in July 1897. These guns were mounted on the Breastwork Deck, one on the port side & one on the starboard side of the ship.

Even when the guns were mounted on Nelson, some of the ammunition was stored in the Quick-Firing Gun Magazine on board Cerberus.

"The armament has been increased during the last six months by a couple of quick-firing 14-pounders, which are almost ideal guns. One man puts his shoulder to them, traverses and depresses with the greatest ease, using only the left hand and firing with his right hand, while another couple of mem load. This has the advantage that the man laying the gun fires it without taking his eye from the sights, so that there is much greater likelihood of accuracy than where the work of laying and firing is divided."

The shell shown at left was aquired in October 2008 from the Chanter Estate Military Museum in Moama NSW.

Given that only two guns existed that used the 14 pdr fixed round ammununition, it follows that the round shown is from the guns used on board Nelson & Cerberus.

The purchase was sponsored by the Antique Arms Collectors Society Aust., John Short, the Port Melbourne Historical Society & Marie Epstein.

According to the 1908 Treatise on Ammunition, the only other British ships to mount 14 pounder QF guns were HMS Swiftsure (Mk I version) & HMS Triumph (Mk II). Both ships were completed in 1904 & carried fourteen 14 pdr guns each. Switsure Class Battleship website. As mentioned above these guns were different versions to the ones on Cerberus.

Although the Victorian Navy had four quick firing guns in June 1888 two Nordenfelt 6 pounder Quick Firing (QF) guns do not appear to have been added to Cerberus until 1890. One gun was mounted at each end of the Flying Deck. A trained man could fire 25 unaimed rounds per minute or 15 rpm at a target. Engagement range was in the order of 1000 yards, when the launch range of a torpedo boat's weapons at that time was in the region of 400 yards. At 1,000 yards (9,140 m), the penetration of the shell was over 2 inches (51 mm). ammunition

The following account leads us to conclude that the QF guns were the "secondary battery" that were fitted to Cerberus in 1890.

"There are also on the Nelson some of the quick firing artillery used on both ships and forts, and worked by one man.....The secondary battery of the Cerberus has been more conveniently placed upon an upper deck, which would have to be provided with temporary breast works in action, but greatly clears the way for the working of the more important turret guns." The Argus, 10 December 1890

Shown above is the 6 pounder Q.F. round purchased by Friends of the Cerberus in January 2008. The AA battery shows the size of the round. The shell (projectile) and shell casing are each enlarged to show the markings.

The Victorian Navy ship's lists show that four of these guns were fitted to their ships, two on Cerberus and two on Nelson. It is likely that the two Nelson guns were transferred to Cerberus to replace the 14 pdrs left in Hong Kong in 1900.

Nordenfelt 6 pdr QF gun
photographed courtesy of The Museum of HMAS Cerberus


6 Pounder SlideShow

The first of four Nordenfelt 1 inch 4 barrel guns was added to Cerberus about September 1883. Two Nordenfelts were being fitted in March 1884. Although machine guns, they were not automatic as the rapid firing was produced by moving a lever rather than using the weapon's recoil. Operated by five men, they could fire at a rate of 400 rounds per minute. Effectively armour piering rounds, the bullets could penetrate two inches (50 mm) of solid plate at 300 yards (275 metres). Two guns were mounted at each end of the Flying Deck.

In 1893 Victoria and Albert carried two 4 barrel one inch Nordenfelts as well as two 2 barrel one inch Nordenfelts.

view Nordenfelt video.


View cutaway animation


ammunition

The Weekly Times, April 29 1905,
photo courtesy of "Newspaper Collection, State Library of Victoria"

Two Barrel Version

The Victorian Navy also used two barrel one inch Mk I Nordenfelt guns on Victoria, Albert, The Countess of Hopetoun, Gordon, Batman and Fawkner.

There is no evidence that any other Nordenfelt Machine guns apart from two and four barrel one inch guns were used by the Victorian Navy.

According to Register of Guns on Naval Charge, 1889 there were eight 4 barrel 1 inch Nordenfelts and 15 two barrel 1 inch Nordenfelts.

Two Barrel 1 inch Nordenfelt used by the NSW Naval Brigade
Photographed at the Australian War Memorial, ACT.

British sailors on HMS Shah, using a Gatling Gun with Broadwell Drum in 1877, raking the decks of the Peruvian Turret ship Huascar.

A Gatling Gun was added to Cerberus in August 1882¹. This was the gun exhibited by Sir William Armstrong & Co. at the 1880-1 Melbourne International Exhibition⁴.

It was described as "a .45 inch Gatling Gun having ten barrels, mounted on an iron carriage and having a rack and pinion elevator."⁵

Although an 1884 engraving (bottom of page) shows a 400 round broadwell drum, according to the description in the 1887 Manual for Victorian Naval Forces, it would appear that the Victorian guns were, by 1887 fitted with Accles Drums, that held (to quote the manual) "about 105 rounds."

At the end of 1883 Cerberus was carrying one Gatling Gun and one 4 barrel one inch Nordenfelt Gun. At some point after this, three more Nordenfelts were added and the Gatling Gun was removed.

view Gatling Gun videos.

By 1893 the Victorian Navy had four Gatling Guns, two of which were used on HMVS Gannet and two on HMVS Nelson. According to the 1887 Manual for Victorian Naval Forces, the specifications for the guns were as follows:-

.45-Inch Gatling Gun. DESCRIPTION OF GUN. Length of gun (total), 51 inches. Length of barrel, 31.95 inches. Calibre, 0.45. Nature of rifling, Henry. Number of grooves, 7. Twist of rifling, uniform, 1 turn in 22 inches. Weight of drum, filled, 28 lbs. Weight of drum, empty, 16¾ lbs. Weight of bullet, 480 grains. Weight of charge, 85 grains. Total weight of cartridge, including case, 1.8 oz. Elevation, 55°. Depression, 65°.

Gatling Gun with Accles Drum Exhibition of Naval & Military weapons, Melbourne. Illustrated Australian News, 1 June 1895. State Library of Victoria.

Serial number - 4136
Length of barrel - 32 inches
Length of gun (total) - 50¾ inches
Calibre - 0.45
Location - Fort Queenscliff Museum.

Serial number - 4138
Length of barrel - 32 inches
Length of gun (total) - 50¾ inches
Calibre - 0.45
Location - Privately owned

Photo and details from Gatling Gun article by Neil Speed in Caps & Flints, Vol 4 No 1, September 1972.