IMPROVEMENTS IN MARINE APPARATUS FOR ATTACK AND DEFENCE."
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Christian Lobnitz, of Renfrew, in the County of
Renfrew, North Britain, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MARINE
APPARATUS FOR ATTACK AND DEFENCE."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Christian Lobnitz at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th May 1876.
HENRY CHRISTIAN LOBNITZ, of Renfrew, in the County of Renfrew, North
Britain. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MARINE APPARATUS FOR ATTACK AND DEFENCE."
This Invention has principally for its object to render naval ramming or equi-
valent operations more effective and decisivo than as hitherto proposed, and consists
mainly in combining a hollow ram projecting below water from a ship or from any
partly or wholly immersed structure with one or more guns to be fired through the
ram when the ram is near, or in contact with, or has penetrated an enemy's vessel,
so that instead of only a single compartment of the enemy's vessel being penetrated
by the ram, an extensive perforation may be additionally produced by the gun or
guns, and insure the immediate sinking of the vessel.
A steel cutter or head of a punch-like or other suitable form is to be fitted on the
extremity of the ram to enable it in the most effectual manner to penetrate the side
of the enemy's vessel. The ram, whilst formed with the requisite external angular
or other strengthening parts, may be formed internally with a bore adapted to
receive a single gun; or the ram and gun may be practically one structure; or
again, the ram may be made of sufficient size to have two or more guns mounted in
its interior.
The gun or guns may in some cases be placed a little to the side or sides of the
centre or most projecting part of the ram.
The gun or guns may be directed horizontally or at an inclination upwards, down-
wards, or laterally; or may be mounted so that the direction can be changed when-
ever desirable.
The arrangements connected with the firing of the gun or guns, and for cutting
off communication between the inside and outside of the attacking vessel, may be
any suitable one of the various plans proposed in connection with submarine guns;

page_text: and shot, shell, torpedoes, or other projectiles may be fired from the gun or guns, or
be otherwise projected through the hollow rain.
It is believed that the improvements will be most advantageously applied to high
speed steam war ships and for attacking purposes, a combined ram and gun or guns
being provided at one or both ends of each vessel, and the vessel being propelled in
any suitable known manner. The improved apparatus is however also advantageously
applicable for purposes of defence, and may be fitted at the sides or other part of a
seagoing vessel of any kind, or of a floating fort, or even of a stationary fort, pier,
or other structure partly or wholly immersed in any situation where an enemy's
vessel may come in contact with or approach it, the rain, although stationary, having
on any vessel moving towards and encountering it an action more or less like
that of a moving rain on a stationary or moving vessel.
The improved apparatus is applicable to existing ships or structures as well as in
constructing new ones.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Henry Christian Lobnitz in the Great Scal Patent Office on the 16th
November 1876.
HENRY CHRISTIAN LOBNITZ, of Renfrew, in the County of Renfrew, North
Britain. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MARINE APPARATUS FOR ATTACK AND DEFENCE."
My said Invention has principally for its object to render naval ramming or
equivalent operations more effective and decisive than as hitherto practised or pro-
posed, and it consists mainly in combining a hollow ram projecting below water
from a ship or from any partly or wholly immersed structure with one or more guns
to be fired through the ram when the ram is near, or in contact with, or has penc-
trated an enemy's vessel, so that instead of only a single compartment of the
enemy's vessel being penetrated by the ram, an extensive perforation may be
additionally produced by the gun or guns, and insure the immediate sinking of the
vessel,
A steel cutter or head of a punch-like or other suitable form may be fitted on the
extremity of the ram to enable it in the most effectual manner to penetrate the side
of the enemy's vessel. The ram, whilst formed with the requisite external angular
or other strengthening parts, may be formed internally with a bore or tube adapted
to receivo a single gun; or the ram and gun may be practically one structure; or
again, the ram may be made of sufficient size or be otherwise arranged so as to have
two or more guns mounted in its interior.
The gun or guns may in some cases be placed a little to the side or sides of the
ram or its most projecting part, and may be arranged so that the lines of fire con-
verge towards a point in front of the ram.
The gun or guns may be directed horizontally or at an inclination upwards,
downwards, or laterally; or may be mounted so that the direction can be changed
whenever desirable.
The arrangements connected with the firing of the gun or guns, and for cutting
off communication between the inside and outside of the attacking vessel, may be
any suitable one of the various plans that have been proposed in connection with
submarine guns; and shot, shell, torpedoes, or other projectiles may be fired from the
gun or guns, or be otherwise projected through the hollow ram.
And in order that my said Invention and the manner of performing the same
may be properly understood, I hereunto append four Sheets of explanatory Drawings
to be herein-after referred to, and representing what I believe to be the most pre-
ferable of the various modifications herein-before indicated. In these Drawings the
same reference letters and numerals are used to mark the same or like parts wherever
they are repeated.

page_text: "
»
Figure on Sheet 1 of the Drawings is a longitudinal vertical section of the
forward part of a war ship as constructed with my improved hollow ram and gun,
and which ship may be briefly termed a "gun ram." The ram R is shown as pene-
trating the side of an enemy's vessel E, shown as a first class ironclad. Figure 2 is
a horizontal section corresponding to a part of Figure 1. The Figures show a "gun
ram" of about 2,000 tons fitted with a single gun G of 9 or 10 inches calibre, and
which may be either muzzle or breech loading. The "gun ram is constructed
with an ironclad deck and belting, and with transverse and longitudinal bulkheads.
The ram R is in one solid forging shipped into a suitable stem frame, and its outer
end may be of tempered steel. A conical cap 1 of thin metal is fitted on the end of
the ram R to diminish resistance when running at full speed. The inner end of the
ram tube is entered through a stuffing box into the front end of a connecting
casing C, into the back end of which the muzzle of the gun G is entered, also
through a stuffing box; and this casing C is fitted with two sluice valves V for
closing the ram tube, and with a safety or escape tube 2, which rising above the
water level and proceeding to the outside of the ship, servos for the escape of smoko
or gas from the casing C and the ram tube. The second sluice valve V is provided
as a reserve in case the first should get out of order. The gun G is shown as mounted
on a carriage or slide fitted to slide on a bed frame with the recoil action, but any
suitable known arrangement of the gun and its supporting and controlling gear
may be adopted.
Sheet 2 of the Drawings comprises Figure 3, a vertical longitudinal section, and
fitted with two ram
Figure 4, a horizontal section of the bow of a "gun ram
guns G, the ram R being shown as penetrating the side of an enemy's vessel E, indi-
cated as being a first class ironclad. The two guns G are placed at slightly different
levels, and so as to form opposite horizontal angles with the keel. Each gun is con-
nected with a separate ram tube T, these tubes crossing each other so that their
external orifices are a little on each side of the cutter or end of the ram R, which in
front view presents a vertical cutting edge in this modification. The other arrange-
ments are similar to those herein-before described with reference to Sheet 1 of the
Drawings.
"
" guu ram
"
Figure 5, on Sheet 3 of the Drawings, is a diagram showing in a plan view a first
class ironclad E, built on the cellular system with cleven transverse and three longi-
tudinal bulkheads, forming about forty water-tight compartments, as being attacked
The delineation of the
by one of my improved "gun rams" having two gun rams.
is repeated in seven different positions, so as to plainly show that the
guu ram" is certain to inflict the most serious damage whatever inay be the part
of the enemy's vessel which it encounters. Thus the effect of the stroke of an
ordinary ram would be to merely fill one or at most two of the compartments,
whereas with my "gun ram," after the penetration of the ram the guns would be
fired, and the vessel be completely perforated by the shot or shell, so many compart-
ments being filled that the vessel must inevitably sink, whilst the destruction of the
engines and boilers would be all but certain.
Figure 6, on Sheet 4 of the Drawings, is a vertical longitudinal section, and
"constructed
Figure 7 is a corresponding plan showing a 2,000 ton "gun ram
according to my Invention as attacking a circular ironclad P, built on the system of
Admiral Popoff. These Figures demonstrate, in contradistinction to the absolutely
none effect of the attack of an ordinary ram, the certainty of the sinking of such a
circular ironclad by the firing of the submarine ram gun, so as to completely perforate
the structure, and at the same time most probably destroy the engines and boiler.
Figures 8 and 9, on Sheet 4 of the Drawings, are a longitudinal vertical section
and a plan of a double-ended modification of iny "gun ram," the vessel being fitted
with hollow rams and guns, and with twin screws at each end.
With "gun rams" constructed and fitted according to my Invention the procedure
in actual warfare will be as follows:-On approaching an enemy's vessel or going
into action the gun or guns will be loaded, the sluice between the gun and ram will
be opened, and an electric wire connected with the commander's conning tower and

page_text: wheel house will be attached to the fuse of the gun or guns; then as soon as the
ram has come in contact with the enemy's vessel the commander will by means of
the electric wire discharge the gun or guns; the sluice will then be at once shut,
and the gun or guns be loaded for a fresh discharge.
In all the modifications the compartments formed between the gun space or battery
and the ram may be used for containing water ballast.
I believe that my improvements will be most advantageously applied to high
speed steam war ships and for attacking purposes, a combined ram and gun or guns
being provided at one or both ends of each vessel, and the vessel being propelled
in any suitable known manner. My improved apparatus is however also advan-
tageously applicable for purposes of defence, and may be fitted at the sides or other
part of a seagoing vessel of any kind, or of a floating fort, or even of a stationary
fort, pier, or other structure partly or wholly immersed in any situation where an
enemy's vessel may come in contact with or approach it, the ram, although sta-
tionary, having on any vessel moving towards or encountering it an action more or
less like that of a moving ram on a stationary or moving vessel.
My improved apparatus is applicable to existing ships or structures as well as in
constructing new ones.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I have to state that I do not restrict myself to the precise details
herein described or delineated, but that what I believe to be novel and original
and claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited
Letters Patent is, the combining of a ram projecting below water from a ship or
from any partly or wholly immersed structure with one or more guns to be fired
through or close beside the ram, substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Christian Lobnitz, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
HENRY C. LOBNITZ. (L.S.)