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[Martin (Admin)]

The Underwater Cannon Gallery!!!

http://www.douglas-self.com/MUSEUM/COMMS/underwtrgun/underwtrgun.htm

[Netleyned]

Hmmm
Bit like an ashtray on a motorbike

Ned

[DavieTait]

The bullet went about 6ft so a cannon would be utterly useless lol

[Bob K]

In the trial and error evolution of naval architecture the concept is no sillier than many that actually got built.   
The ram, the dynamite gun, steam powered submarines with funnels, and circular hulled warships that spun like a top when the guns were fired.  Then there were armoured hulls with vulnerable paddle wheels, and battleships with guns so heavy that freeboard was almost non existent.  Add to the later a full square rig and HMS Captain must rank amongst the most ill advised.

[TailUK]

The bullet went about 6ft so a cannon would be utterly useless lol

Presumably a cannon shot would go further given the larger charge.  If the boats involved were laid alongside as if for boarding the underwater cannon would fairly rip the enemy boat apart.  All in a pretty daft idea but I could see working on principle if they didn't sink their own boat in the process.
Cool picture by the way!

[Pondweed]

I thought you were going to bring up the 'Davis Torpedo Gun', a weapon that mixed the worst aspects of the torpedo and the gun.  It was a normal torpedo with a short approx 5inch gun at the front along with some explosive in the warhead.

The idea behind it was that a ordinary torpedo exploded against the ships side or just within the hull wasteing some of the explosive force, the designer of the above weapon thought how much better it would be if the detonation was in the middle of the hull 'amongst the ships vitals'.

The torpedo was fired the normal way and when it hit the ships side, the internal cannon was triggered and fired a shell into the ship... the momentum of the torpedo may in cases be enough for the head to pierce the side before firing the cannon. The torpedoes warhead then detonated.

Such a double-whammy would ruin many a sailors day.