In the late 19th century, a radical invention briefly changed how explosives were launched in warfare. It wasn’t powered by fire and noise—but by compressed air.
The dynamite gun, developed to avoid setting off unstable explosives inside traditional cannons, was deployed on ships, in coastal fortifications, and even in battle by Theodore Roosevelt’s Rough Riders. Though its moment in history was short, it included experimental weaponry, an air-powered cruiser, and one submarine armed with an aerial torpedo tube.
An Idea Takes Shape
In 1883, D. M. Medford demonstrated a prototype of a compressed-air artillery piece at Fort Hamilton, New York. Among the spectators was U.S. Army officer Edmund Zalinski, who took the concept further. Working from Fort Lafayette, Zalinski built and improved several prototypes.
His designs impressed the U.S. Navy, leading to the commissioning of the USS Vesuvius, a warship launched in 1888 armed with three 15-inch pneumatic guns. These could lob explosive shells—sometimes called “aerial torpedoes”—up to 1.5 miles, and were used during the bombardment of Cuba in the Spanish–American War.
On Land and Underwater
From 1894 to 1901, the U.S. Army installed dynamite guns as part of coastal defenses recommended by the Endicott Board. The 15-inch guns, placed in locations such as Fort Winfield Scott near San Francisco, could fire explosive projectiles weighing between 50 and 500 pounds to distances of up to 5,000 yards.
Each coastal battery required not only the guns but also a steam-driven compressor system weighing over 200 tons. One 8.4-inch Zalinski dynamite gun was even installed on the U.S. Navy’s first commissioned submarine, the USS Holland, in 1897. It was removed by 1900.
The Sims-Dudley Gun and the Rough Riders
To bring the concept into the field, a different version was needed. The Sims-Dudley gun, weighing about 1,000 pounds, used a smokeless powder charge to compress air. When fired, it forced air into the main barrel to launch a 10-pound explosive shell filled with nitrocellulose-based gelatin.
Theodore Roosevelt’s Rough Riders used one of these during the siege of Santiago in 1898. It was quieter than standard artillery and left no smoke trail, which made it harder for Spanish troops to locate and target. However, its mechanical reliability and accuracy were limited.
The End of an Experiment
By 1904, dynamite guns had been removed from U.S. coastal defenses. The development of stable high explosives and improved conventional artillery made compressed-air weapons obsolete. The guns were dismounted and scrapped.
Some physical traces remain, such as the bolt circle of a 15-inch dynamite gun at the former site of Fort H. G. Wright on Fisher’s Island, New York. The age of air-propelled artillery had ended, but for a time, it had been very real—and very explosive.
