Tampion

Limbo Mortars sealed with tampions

A tampion is a wooden plug, or a metal, canvas, rubber, or plastic cover, for the muzzle of a gun. Tampions can be found on both land-based artillery and naval guns. Naval tampions have developed into works of art.

Although the cannons of ships of the line were protected as they were retracted inside the ships, many smaller vessels had exposed gundecks which required a plug to protect inside of the barrels. Later, the invention of mobile gun turrets meant that all guns were constantly exposed to water. Hence, when not in use, naval guns were protected by wooden, and, later, rubber, muzzle plugs. Typically, rubber and plastic tampions can be shot through in case of an emergency. Plastic tampions are normally designed to be expelled by the build-up of pressure in the barrel as the first shell is fired.

Over time, tampions were embossed or engraved with the arms of the unit, and they became collector's items. Nowadays, even warships that typically would not carry heavy guns, such as submarines, have their own badges in the shape of a tampion.

Images

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  The muzzle of a 36-pounder cannon on the preserved ship of the line, HMS Victory. The red tampion is secured with a cord

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  The tampions of the 15-inch guns on the British battleship HMS Queen Elizabeth in 1917

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  A sailor polishing the tampion of an 8-inch gun on the Australian heavy cruiser, HMAS Australia in the early 1950s.

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  Tampion of a brass cannon with the crest of the British Leander class frigate, HMS Bacchante in 1976

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  Tampion on the 4.5 inch gun of the British Type 23 frigate, HMS Argyll in 2014

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  The unadorned tampions of the 16-inch guns on the US battleship, USS Missouri in 2002

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  The 100mm gun of the French frigate Prairial sealed by a tampion

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  Tampion of the French cruiser Jeanne d'Arc

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  Tampion of the French submarine Rubis

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  Tampion of the French submarine Émeraude

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