Japanese 280mm

[forttravel]

Last two pictures from YC Chen post shows a kind of gun construction which is quite different that 28 cm Krupp haubitze L/12 (designation unknown for me) - I mean about this Krupp construction with big hydraulic recoils on lafette (used also in WW 2). Italian and Japanese guns doesn't have this device and cradles of these guns recoiled along the slides on the carriages. I found a German picture with similar construction: 28 cm Küsten-Haubitze in Rahmen-Lafette 1888. Here also a barrel shape is similar to Italian and Japanese guns.

[forttravel]

Two threads from Polish article (Jarosław Chorzępa; Bez klucza do twierdzy. Niewykorzystanie przez Rosję najcięższych haubic nadbrzeżnych przeciw twierdzom na początku I wojny światowej).
Fact 1. One of the best coast howitzers in second half of 19’th century was German 28 cm from Krupp factory (no designation of type in article). It was exported to many countries but some other countries bought only barrels to do on its base own constructions. Such solution used also Russia with its M1877 (11-inch) howitzer.
Fact 2. Japan has own 28 cm howitzer mark 1890 produced under Italian license. This gun has iron barrel and cast carriage. But because barrel of this howitzer was pattern from Krupp barrel, so during siege of Port Arthur both sides of conflict used enemies duds for fire to “send it back”.

[forttravel]

One more drawing, with following oryginal description: Krupp's 11in. (28 cm.) 10-ton howitzer, on slide carriage. Published on: The Engineer, 15.08.1879, page 128.

[Black gunner]

Two threads from Polish article (Jarosław Chorzępa; Bez klucza do twierdzy. Niewykorzystanie przez Rosję najcięższych haubic nadbrzeżnych przeciw twierdzom na początku I wojny światowej).
Fact 1. One of the best coast howitzers in second half of 19’th century was German 28 cm from Krupp factory (no designation of type in article). It was exported to many countries but some other countries bought only barrels to do on its base own constructions. Such solution used also Russia with its M1877 (11-inch) howitzer.
Fact 2. Japan has own 28 cm howitzer mark 1890 produced under Italian license. This gun has iron barrel and cast carriage. But because barrel of this howitzer was pattern from Krupp barrel, so during siege of Port Arthur both sides of conflict used enemies duds for fire to “send it back”.

Well, but wherefrom Armstrong origin version did come?
I have the layout of the Italian 280-мм howitzer. Is it Krupp design?

[Black gunner]

The source of the drawings: http://ru-artillery.livejournal.com/334 ... 6#t3072726

[forttravel]

I found one more drawing of other version of 280 mm mortar (мортира) mark 1877 from Vladivostok. It looks like real Krupp barrel shape.

[forttravel]

Comparasion of some 280 mm barrels. First one is a barrel from previous picture.

[YC Chen]

Wasn't the Russian 280mm guns homebuilt copies of Krupp design? I think I have read about it somewhere.

[forttravel]

Replica of 280 mm Japanese howitzer displayed on Oshoima island.

[fenderkicker]

After reading each and every post, and being the author of the German Wikipedia article of the 28 cm howitzer I did an intensive research of the Japanese 28 cm howitzer. Ironically the first post on page 1 seems to have said it all – I repeat user toque's entry:
Designed by Armstrong-Whitworth.
Licenced to Italy, produced by Ansaldo.
Licenced to Japan, produced by Osaka Arsenal.

There is a book called "Military Industries of Japan" from 1922, written by Ushisaburō Kobayashi, who mentions on page 43, that Italian major Pompeio Grillo was hired by the Japanese Army to help develop their artillery.
Here's the link to the Google Book: https://play.google.com/books/reader?id ... g=GBS.PA43

The book describes how the development of the howitzer started and follows its progress through the years until its release.

Hope this helps.