The ‘Dardanelles’ Gun at the Tower

Before considering the actual gun which forms the title of this paper, it may be of some interest to give some details of the manufacture and use of gigantic guns for oriental war operations, for these present certain problems of manufacture, transport, and practical use which deserve more than passing consideration. A great deal of this material has been collected by that indefatigable student of all matters connected with artillery, General Sir Henry Lefroy, who was responsible for the foundation of the Royal Artillery Institution in 1838, and, in addition to his military duties, was a keen scientist and particularly interested in meteorological survey work, which he carried out in the observatories of St. Helena, Toronto, Lake Athabasca, and elsewhere.