Mallet’s Mortar

Firing a one-ton projectile almost two miles? Mallet’s Mortar at Woolwich embodies that audacious Victorian ambition. Mallet’s Mortar wasn’t just big. It was a statement. Designed by Robert Mallet for the Crimean War, this 36-inch behemoth was meant to lob 2,400-pound shells over a mile and a half. Imagine the devastation. Mallet unveiled his design in 1854. The British government, desperate for a game-changer, commissioned two. These weren’t your typical cast-iron cannons. Mallet’s Mortar was built in sections for easy transport, a sort of 19th-century flat-pack weapon of mass destruction. The Thames Ironworks began construction. However, their bankruptcy meant three other companies had to scramble to finish the job, finally delivering the mortars in 1857. Testing began that October. Nineteen shots were fired. Each test, though, ended with damage to the mortar itself. The project was eventually scrapped. The Crimean War ended without Mallet’s Mortar ever seeing action. The surviving test mortar now rests here, a testament to Victorian engineering and, perhaps, over-ambition. The other, unfired mortar resides at the Royal Armouries Fort Nelson near Portsmouth. Though a failure in its intended purpose, Mallet’s Mortar stands as a unique piece of artillery history. It showcases the innovative thinking of its designer, Robert Mallet. He would later become renowned for his work in seismology, perhaps inspired by the earth-shaking power of his giant mortar.