Help to Id. US artillery

[ChristopherPerrien]

Interesting , I would have thought they dropped the barrell on last after finishing the carriage.

[Carl Schwamberger]

For some reason I'm distracted by the details of the metal framed building. Contrasting that with the modern early 21st Century techniques.

Sorry

The gun itself represents something near the peak in cannon technology at the time. Be interesting to compare the technical details to some of the ultra modern projectile launchers the US Navy is experimenting with.

[ChristopherPerrien]

In a working/contemporary environment , big cannons are beautiful pieces of steel. Kinda like a fine old antique hunting rifle that you just can't pick up, handle, and put back in a case. And hitting small objects(playing card size) with a really big gun at a mile or more is just plain fun. I prefer direct fire guns over indirect cannons, and single barrell shooting over battery fire, of course. That is a different subject.

[Carl Schwamberger]

Yes, I found after playing with the big guns pissing around with light weights like magnums & other noise makers in the centimeter & below calibers is kind of boring. popping paper, cans or melons is lame after you have seen entire vehicles roll over or fly apart from a single 45 kg shot : )

[Hoist40]

On the other hand, I am searching for wartime images of 305mm 12in US railway guns...Somebody ??

Thanks in advance
Sturm78

Have you looked in Google Books? There is a two volume US Government history of Railway Artillery published in 1921 and 1922 which has pictures and drawings of many Railway guns of the period. The picture quality isn’t great but they are useable and the books are downloadable in PDF

Volume 1

https://books.google.com/books?id=7kAaA ... &q&f=false

Volume 2

ttps://books.google.com/books?id=OlcuAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA183&dq=railway+artillery+vol+i&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiixbS9odHJAhXDeSYKHUpvDfMQ6AEIJTAA#v=onepage&q=railway%20artillery%20vol%20i&f=false

If the links don’t work try searching for Railway Artillery Vol 1 / Vol II and its also available for download from other sites

[Sturm78]

Thank you very much, Hoist40

I did not know that the United States had developed so many projects and designs for railway artillery during WWI and the years immediately following...

According to these books, the following US railway guns were manufactured :

4.7in M1913 howitzer on M1917 railway mount: 4 manufactured. I did not know nothing about this howitzer

7in Mk.II on M1918 railway mount. I do not know the exact number manufactured

8in M1888 and Navy gun models on M1918 railway mount. 47 guns ordered but only 37 built

10in M1888/M1895 and Navy gun models on M1919 (Schneider) railway mount. I am not sure if manufactured in series or not... ?

12in M1890 howitzer on M1918 railway carriage. 91 manufactured between 1918-1920

12in M1895 gun on M1918 (Batignolles) railway mount. 12 manufactured between 1919-21

12in M1918 gun L50 ??? on M1918 railway mount. I am not sure if manufactured in series or not...?? Was the gun model a new design for railway use ??

12in M1919 L20 howitzer on M1918 railway mount. I am not sure if manufactured in series or not.... ? New design of howitzer

14in M1919 L40 gun on Railway Mount Model E. Only a prototype. I am not sure if a new design of gun barrel or a old M1909 Army gun. ?

14in Mk.IV naval gun on Mk.I railway mount. 5 manufactured for US Navy + 6 for US Army in 1918

14in Mk.IV naval gun on Mk.II railway mount. I am not sure if manufactured in series or not... ?

16in M1918 L18 howitzer on Railway Mount Model E. Only a prototype...??

16in M1918 L18 howitzer on M1918 Railway mount. I am not sure if manufactured in series or not...??


Any additional information and/or images of these guns will be wellcome

Regards Sturm78

[karlik]

Hi!
All of these guns are described in the book Franz Kosar "Artillerie im 20. Jahrhundert".

[Sturm78]

Hi all,

Any idea about this ??

Image from Ebay
Sturm78

[ChristopherPerrien]

I don't think it is a US looks bigger than 16". Might be a Karl Morser round or some other heavy German mortar, though can't see holes round the base, and it looks too stubby. Might be Gustave/Dora(though it looks small for that). Wish I could recall the diameter of those HET tires.

[Carl Schwamberger]

I'm thinking the steel wheel is 17" or 18", 43 to 46 cm, diameter. Tho 40cm (16") is possible. Maybe a 44 cm projectile?

[ROLAND1369]

One of the salient points is that this object shows no sign of grooves for driving bands. This would indicate that it is not a projectile. I would hazard a guess that this is the casing of an armor piercing aerial bomb undergoing testing. There were several methods as it was impossible to consistently ensure a hit on armor plate from aircraft alternate methods were utilized. A method used by the navy at their testing ground was an experimental 18 inch gun which had been rebored to a 20 inch smoothbore gun. It fired into sample armor plates with the powder charge varied to obtain the proper velocity. as the shape of the object is consistent with the shape of a bomb and with the lack of driving bands I feel that this is a AP bomb casing

[ROLAND1369]

One of the salient points is that this object shows no sign of grooves for driving bands. This would indicate that it is not a projectile. I would hazard a guess that this is the casing of an armor piercing aerial bomb undergoing testing. There were several methods as it was impossible to consistently ensure a hit on armor plate from aircraft alternate methods were utilized. A method used by the navy at their testing ground was an experimental 18 inch gun which had been rebored to a 24 inch smoothbore gun. It fired into sample armor plates with the powder charge varied to obtain the proper velocity. as the shape of the object is consistent with the shape of a bomb and with the lack of driving bands I feel that this is a AP bomb casing.

[Sturm78]

Thank to all for your answers...I know it was a very difficult question.... :roll:

Here, another image from Ebay. Any idea about this naval gun ??

Sturm78

[Hoist40]

4 inch 50 cal, probably a mk 9 which was the mass produced WW1 design

[Sturm78]

Hoist40 wrote
4 inch 50 cal, probably a mk 9 which was the mass produced WW1 design

Thanks s lot, 4 inch 50 cal, Hoist40

Regards Sturm78