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Testing heavy guns at Shoeburyness, 1862. Creator: Unknown
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Testing heavy guns at Shoeburyness, 1862. Creator: Unknown
Testing heavy guns at Shoeburyness, 1862. Shoeburyness is on the Essex coast, about three miles below Southend, and is an admirable situation for the vast Government establishment placed there for the purpose of testing large implements of destruction. The authorities are strict in excluding strangers, and very little that transpires here is allowed to be made public...on the south is the subject of our Illustration, the battery for testing the range and accuracy of ordnance, large and small. On the occasion represented some half dozen large guns by different inventors were severely tried, and to prevent accident from bursting, which was anticipated, the artillerymen immediately after loading took shelter below the battery, and behind the screen to the left of the guns; a flag was then hoisted as a signal to those stationed on the sands to mark the range, and the guns were fired by an electric battery. To a spectator placed behind the battery...the effect was singular. The gun exploding without visible agency - the loud detonation - the whizzing of the shot - the distant thud - men...galloping over the sands...vanishing from sight as rapidly as they appeared - gave a stem reality even to the trial of our loud-voiced peacemakers'. From "Illustrated London News", 1862
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Media ID 35119823
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Armaments Artillery British Army Cannon Cannons Essex England Firing Range Heavy Artillery Testing Armed Services
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EDITORS COMMENTS
This photograph, taken in 1862, depicts a significant moment in the history of military testing at Shoeburyness, located on the Essex coast near Southend. The area was renowned for its vast Government establishment dedicated to testing large weapons, with strict security measures in place to exclude outsiders. In this image, we witness a battery used for testing the range and accuracy of various ordnance, both large and small. During this particular occasion, several heavy guns, invented by different individuals, were undergoing rigorous trials. To minimize the risk of accidents, such as bursting, the artillerymen took shelter behind the battery and a screen to the left of the guns. As a signal to mark the range, a flag was hoisted, and the guns were fired using an electric battery. The scene presented a unique spectacle to an observer positioned behind the battery. The gun's sudden explosion without apparent cause, the loud detonation, the whizzing of the shot, and the distant thud, combined with men appearing and disappearing rapidly as they galloped over the sands, brought a stark reality to the peaceful town of Shoeburyness. This photograph offers a glimpse into the past, showcasing the meticulous process of testing the 'loud-voiced peacemakers' of the time.
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