| Davis Gun | |
| Origin: | United States |
| Type: | Recoilless cannon |
| Is Explosive: | yes |
| Is Artillery: | yes |
| Is Uk: | yes |
| Used By: | Royal Naval Air Service |
| Wars: | World War I |
| Designer: | Cleland Davis |
| Design Date: | 1912 - 1914 |
The Davis gun was the first true recoilless gun developed and taken into service. It was developed by Commander Cleland Davis[1] of the United States Navy in 1910, just prior to World War I.
Davis' design connected two guns back to back, with the backwards-facing gun loaded with lead balls and grease of the same weight as the shell in the other gun, acting as a counter. His idea was used experimentally by the British and Americans as an anti-Zeppelin and anti-submarine weapon[2] mounted on the British Handley Page O/100 and O/400 bombers and the American Curtiss Twin JN[1] and Curtiss HS-2L and H-16 flying boats. The direct development of the gun ended with the end of World War I in November 1918, but the firing principle has been copied by later designs.
The gun was made in three sizes: 2-pounder, 6-pounder and 12-pounder; 1.57inches, 2.45inches,[3] and 3inches in caliber respectively, firing 2lb, 6lb, and 12lb shells. The 3-inch gun carried a pressure of 15 tons per square inch (2,109 kg per cm2) when fired.[4] Usually a Lewis machine gun was mounted on top of the Davis gun's barrel for use in sighting and as an auxiliary and anti-aircraft weapon.
The gun was tested on various aircraft and some aircraft were designed to carry the gun:
There are examples at the Naval Aviation Museum at Pensacola, Florida, the Imperial War Museum in London, and the Kentucky Historical Society in Frankfort, Kentucky.