| 15-inch Pneumatic Dynamite Gun | |
|---|---|
 A drawing of the 15-inch Pneumatic Dynamite Gun at Fort Winfield Scott from the Scientific American, Vol. 63, Issue 12. | |
| Type | Dynamite gun |
| Place of origin |  United States |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1890s–1904 |
| Used by | United States Department of War |
| Wars | Spanish–American War |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Edmund Zalinski |
| Manufacturer | Pneumatic Torpedo and Construction Company[1] |
| Unit cost | US$60,000 |
| Produced | 1889–1901 |
| No. built | 11–15 |
| Variants | 2x 8.4 in (21 cm) caliber 2x 8 in (20 cm) caliber |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 50 ft (15 m)[2] |
| Caliber | 15 in (38 cm) |
| Warhead | Nitrocellulose and nitroglycerine |
| Warhead weight | 50 to 200 lb (23 to 91 kg)[3] |
Detonation mechanism | Pressure |
| Engine | Steam generator |
Operational range | 6,000 yd (5,500 m)[3] |
| Accuracy | ~75 percent |
The Zalinski dynamite gun referred to a series of dynamite guns which were designed and built by American military engineer and inventor Edmund Zalinski. Only approximately 15 of these guns were built, 11 of which were known as the 15-inch Pneumatic Dynamite Guns. They were 15 in (38 cm) in diameter and were installed on a series of experimental[4] coastal artillery batteries initiated by the Endicott Board from 1894 to 1901.[5]
The dynamite guns were commissioned by the United States Department of War for the defense of the US's Atlantic and Pacific coasts. They were designed to throw explosive projectiles from 2,000 to 6,000 yd (1,800 to 5,500 m) depending on their weight. The projectiles, colloquially known as "aerial torpedoes," could have contained anywhere from 50 to 200 lb (23 to 91 kg) of "desensitized blasting gelatin" composed of nitrocellulose and nitroglycerine.[3] The guns themselves weighed over 200 tons, requiring the existence of a steam generator, air compressor, and other equipment to operate the guns.
After the guns were declared obsolete in 1904 due to significant technological advances in conventional artillery, the four batteries on which they were installed were decommissioned and the guns were scrapped for metal. Only two of the guns' original locations remain to this day; one abandoned battery is located at Fort Winfield Scott, in San Francisco, California, while the remains of another are located on the premises of a private resort on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.
- ^ Stanton, John. "Battery Dynamite (2)". Fort Wiki. Retrieved January 26, 2020.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
hmdbwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ a b c "New Pneumatic Gun Tested". The New York Times. December 9, 1901. Retrieved January 26, 2020.
- ^ Hess, Scott. "Guarding the Gate: The Harbor Defenses of San Francisco". Terrain.org: A Journal of the Built + Natural Environments. Terrain Publishing. Retrieved January 26, 2020.
- ^ Becker, Erin (December 22, 2001). "Research leads to tour of Port Royal steam gun". The Island Packet. Retrieved January 26, 2020.