Also known as Naysmyth's Submarine Mortar and the Steam Ram, the Anti-Invasion Floating Hammer was a semi-submerged naval ship design conceived and published by inventor James Nasmyth in 1853.[1]
.jpg) Naysmith Mortar (1853) | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | Anti-Invasion Floating Mortar |
| In service | Never built |
| General characteristics (as designed) | |
| Length | 80 ft (24 m) |
| Beam | 30 ft (9.1 m) |
| Propulsion | Steam engine, single screw |
| Speed | More than 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) |
| Armament | Explosive-filled ram |
| Armour | 10 ft (3.0 m) |
About
The mortar had a length of 80 feet (24 m) and a beam of 30 feet (9.1 m) and was equipped with a small steam engine that drove a single propeller. The walls of the mortar were 10 feet (3.0 m) thick, protecting it against potential enemy gunfire of that period.[2] At the front of the boat was a hollow brass cap shaped like a ram that was 9 feet thick. Inside the ram was a case filled with a heavy charge of explosive powder. With only the funnel and a domed structure covering the pilot being visible above water, the mortar sought to attack enemy ships by ramming the hull with the explosive-filled ram at speeds of over 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph).[3] Because of potential dangers associated with its means of attack, the Anti-Invasion Floating Mortar was never built.