Explosion Museum of Naval Firepower

Museum in Gosport, Hampshire, England

Explosion Museum of Naval Firepower
18th-century gunpowder magazine within the museum

Established	2001
Location	Gosport, Hampshire, England
Type	Museum
Website	www.explosion.org.uk

The Explosion Museum of Naval Firepower is situated in the former Royal Naval Armaments Depot at Priddy's Hard, in Gosport, Hampshire, England. It now forms part of the National Museum of the Royal Navy.^[1]

The museum includes a wide variety of exhibits ranging from the 18th century to the present day. These range in size from small arms, to missiles and missile launching systems, as well as complete gun turrets. Exhibits range from the Victorian RBL 20 pounder Armstrong gun through to the Second World War QF 4 inch Mk XVI naval gun. Post-war missile systems include the Exocet missile and launcher and Sea Dart missile. Modern weapons are represented in the Sea Wolf missile system and 4.5 inch Mark 8 naval gun.

The weapons cover all aspects of naval warfare from surface to surface, air to surface, surface to air and sub-surface weapons systems, including mines and torpedoes.

The museum has a waterside coffee shop which looks out on to the original 18th-century camber dock.

Royal Navy Coastal Forces

The Night Hunters: the Royal Navy’s Coastal Forces at War is a permanent exhibition gallery opened in 2021^[2] and supported by Coastal Forces Heritage Trust, a registered charity.^[3]

The display includes two historic preserved vessels:

CMB 331 – a 1941 55-foot Thornycroft coastal motor boat
MTB 71 – a 1940 60-foot Vosper motor torpedo boat

References

^ Heal, Sharon (14 August 2013). "Explosion! taken over by NMRN". Museums Association.
^ "Museum".
^ "The Coastal Forces Heritage Trust, registered charity no. 1044933". Charity Commission for England and Wales.