Artillery gun near Njombe in Southern Tanzania

[Chris Dale]

Hello all (especially Holger!),

Can anyone help identify this artillery piece photographed at the Lutheran Church in Lupembe, near Njombe in Southern Tanzania?

Photo credit: Liz de Leyser.

Cheers
Chris

[danebrog]

No Krupp breech block, hence I would suppose it´s of british origin.
Muzzle part looks similar:
http://www.nam.ac.uk/microsites/ww1/wp- ... 100660.jpg

[Chris Dale]

Yes, possibly a 12 pounder... MC Heunis just suggested that on another forum.

Cheers
Chris

[ROLAND1369]

British 12 Pounder Rifled Breechloading Gun M 1888 Armstrong.

[Chris Dale]

Thanks Roland!

[ROLAND1369]

No problem, glad to help.

[Tanzania]

Good morning gents,

Chris many thanks for posting this interesting gun. It would be interesting to know more background details.

I would support the statement from Oliver and Roland that the old photo shows a British 12.5 pdr Maxim-Nordenfelt gun.
The horizontal hinges show a clear visible for the trick-block-lock of this old breech-loading-guns.

During the fights from 11th - 15th November 1916, Lupembe, the British force commanded by Lieutenant A.H.L. Wyatt
However used three muzzle- loading 7-pounders.

456.jpg (93.58 KiB) Viewed 21428 times

[Tanzania]

Chris,

Did MC Heunis still have contact to Liz de Leyser?
I read her published: “A Guide to the Southern Highlands of Tanzania”, but of course can´t remember of her name.

An old friend, Father Wolfram Ngaillo who worked before long years in Lupingu Parish was send out by the Diocese
of Njombe in 2006 to Lupembe. But I am not be aware if he is still there, and I lost contact to him years ago.
The background of my question is: Make it sense to make next time a detour over Lupembe to take some dimensions?

Cheers Holger

[Tanzania]

The `Lupembe´ Gun (Part I)

Photos from today, 4th July 2017 in Lupembe Mission:

[Tanzania]

The `Lupembe´ Gun (Part II)

[Tanzania]

The `Lupembe´ Gun (Part III)

Q.F. 12 PR. 8 CTW – No 1863 – F.G.F. 1904

R.C.D. – 12 PR Q.F. F.C. – S.

R.C.D. 1904. – No 327.

In the next step we have to follow and prove the detail history of this Gun.

Cheers Holger

[Tanzania]

Does nobody really seen that the Gun-barrel was (up-down) wrongly re-installed at the time? ( – – )

Otherwise the opening direction of the breach-block is not to the right, but would shall be opened to the left
and the joint of the gearwheel-segment, for the height-direction would be not below, but be sitting at the top.

[Tanzania]

Here are fantastic detail photos of a complete Gun from Harold A. Skaarup´s webpage, which prove finally the type in Lupembe.


British Ordnance 12-pounder 8-cwt QF Royal Navy Quick Firing Landing Gun, Maxim Nordenfelt

http://silverhawkauthor.com/images/site ... to--4-.jpg

http://silverhawkauthor.com/images/site ... -photo.jpg

12-pounder 8-cwt QF Royal Navy Landing Gun, weight 8-0-0 (896 lbs), Gun Serial No. 1750, dated 1903, Breech Block Serial
No. 4444 stamped out, Serial No. 1750, 1917, Carriage weight 6-1/4-cwt, Admiralty No. 56, dated 1898, with Limber Serial No.
9049. Note that the breech for this specific gun is for a 12-pounder and a 14-pounder, which was a Maxim Nordenfelt competitor
to the 12-pounder. It would therefore appear the breech blocks were interchangeable. The British gunners apparently used the
same ammunition for the two guns. Canada may not have used the Maxim, although that needs to be confirmed.

The 12-pounder 8-cwt Naval Landing Gun was carried on ships of the British and Commonwealth navies for use by naval landing
parties. This one was made at Elswick Works in 1898. These guns were almost entirely restricted to use as naval landing guns
by sailors and marines. Its ammunition was separate Quick Firing (QF), which means the projectile and propellant were separate
loading, the latter in an ejectable brass cartridge case; this same ammunition was also used by heavier shipboard 12-pounders.
Typically, the landing gun appears on a low carriage, with small-diameter spoked wheels. Despite its 8 hundredweight (8-cwt), it
had the same length of rifled bore as the 12-pounder 7-cwt. Nelson Lawry. The Naval Landing Guns found in Canada probably
originated on early ships of the Royal Canadian Navy, such as HMCS Niobe, HMCS Aurora, HMCS Rainbow and others.
Original Source: http://silverhawkauthor.com/artillery-p ... o_421.html

[danebrog]

Probable competitor for Wintgens naval guns from Ngominyi?

[Tanzania]

You and your harmless sounding questions!?! ( - - ) I can be only very, very careful. ( - -)

What you mean with: Naval guns by Wintgens?

(Ich sitze jetzt in Bagamojo und denke hier bereits schon wieder in `größeren´ Dimensionen)