#19
Post
by nuyt » 10 May 2009, 13:59
I have a problem with the numbers.
Franz Kosar's artillery book states the US 75mm 1917 "British" gun had just 909 pieces built by 1918. I assume production in the US was halted at the end of WW1.
But Chamberlain and Gander mention 895 75 mm pieces delivered to the UK in 1940, "the bulk of which were M1917s". If the Fins received 200 pieces in 1940, the Dutch East Indies received 50 in 1942, the Phillipines (afaik) another 50, that would bring the maximum of the guns delivered to Britain at approx. 600.
Apparently the British received also the 75mm US "French" 1897 gun in 1939-40: the Belgian forces in the UK received 8 pieces in 1941, the Belgian Congo forces received a small number of these guns around 1942, through South Africa (source LÁrtillerie a lÁrmee Belge by Jacques Champagne). It is of course possible that these guns were direct military aid (Lend Lease?) to Belgium and the delivery did not pass through the hands of the British. The US deliverd 230 pieces of 75mm field guns (alltypes) under lendlease to Britain (170) and "other countries" (58) as wel as Latin America (2).
"Other countries" must include Belgium, as USSR, French, China, Brazil, Canada and The Netherlands have their own entries in the Lend Lease docs.
Anyway, could it be the number of 895 pieces sent to the UK as mentioned by Chamberlain/Gander included the US French 75mm as well? If so, we have another candidate for AT guns with the Home Guard and field pieces in the MIddle East....
Last edited by
nuyt on 10 May 2009, 14:25, edited 2 times in total.