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The Dum Dum Arsenal was a British military facility located near the town of Dum Dum in modern West Bengal, India.[1]
The arsenal was at the centre of the Indian Rebellion of 1857, caused in part by rumours that the paper cartridges for their muzzle-loading rifles, which they were expected to bite open, were greased with pig lard (a problem for Muslims) or cow fat (a problem for Hindus).[2]
It was at this arsenal that Captain Neville Bertie-Clay developed the .303-inch Mark II Special cartridge, incorporating the original so-called "Dum-dum bullet", a soft-point bullet designed to mushroom on striking.[3][4] This was the first in a series of expanding bullets developed by the British for military use. They were later banned in warfare by the Hague Convention as being "too inhumane."
On 7 December 1908, a serious, accidental explosion occurred at the Dum Dum arsenal, resulting in the death or serious injury to about 50 workers.[5][6]
References
- ↑ DUM-DUM CARTRIDGES.(4 January 1886).
- ↑ Memoir of John Lovering Cooke, with a sketch of the Indian mutiny of 1857-58{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. Oxford University(1873)
- ↑ British Military Small Arms Ammunition.
- ↑ The .303 British Service Cartridge.
- ↑ Template:Cite encyclopedia
- ↑ Template:EB1911