"British Elephant Artillery" Topic

Hello,

I have seen pictures from the late nineteenth century from Burma and the NW Frontier of artillery on elephants. By this I mean broken down and carried on 2-4 elephants like mountain guns on mules.

Unfortunately, I lost the photographs. Does anyone have any or have any links to them.

Also, does anyone know the type of cannon?

Thank you.

The only pictures I remember are from the Abyssinian Campaign in 1866. Elephant carried artillery, I think siege mortars, for use against Theodore's city of Magdahla (sp). These were line drawings; found possibly on Britishbattles site.

There is a rather unclear picture in the Osprey MAA 201 "British Army on Campaign vol 4" p.18. I used it as the basis for converting a pair of elephants to pack 12 pdr Armstrong BLRs.

picture

This is one version

Chouan's pic is the elephant drawn (rather than elephant carried) version. As the gun is the 40pdr RML that is understandable. In their long lost 20mm equipment range Hinchliffe did a fantastic set of this. You could also get it with the 6.3" howitzer.

picture

picture

Soldier Magazine Vol 1 no. 2 from October 1969 had an article by Bill Connolly on elephant hauled artillery, and include 2 interesting original photographs and his (54mm I assume) diorama of a gatling gun carried on two elephants.
This has more pictures of elephant drawn guns and an interesting picture of loading heavy mortars onto elephants in the Abyssinian campaign.

The 1939 film of Gunga Din has a brief sequence of elephant carried atillery being brought into action – whether this used accurate kit or Hollywood lash ups I don't know.

I loved that film!

As did we all.

One of the more recent Sharpes (Sharpe in India or something) also had an elephant gun. Worth seeing just for that.