Greek Artillery 1941

[Sturm78]

Hi Dili,

According to Ebay photocaption, Greek Navy gun...

I would say an 75mm-class gun....

Sturm78

[ROLAND1369]

Despite some minor variences it appear to me to be an export version of the French Naval 75 MM AA gun M1922 on a ca mount M1922.

[Dili]

But there is no notice that Greece ever had that gun.

[Sturm78]

ROLAND1369 wrote
Despite some minor variences it appear to me to be an export version of the French Naval 75 MM AA gun M1922 on a ca mount M1922.

Ummhhh...It is difficult to ensure...

Sturm78

[Manuferey]

The only export version of the French Naval 75 MM AA gun M1922 I've seen was used by Poland and it looks identical to the French version.

Emmanuel

[Dili]

I think that ring around the tube is very atypical. I am now wondering if it isn't a 100/47 or 102/35 Italian. Since 100/47 appear more modern i think some sort of 4" 102mm

[ROLAND1369]

I certainly agree that it does not match the 75 MM m1922 french aa gun but neither does it match any Italian weapon which I am familial also. I checked Austrian and Italian WWI weapons also. The closest I found was a WW I SCHNIEDER 76 mm 40 aa gun which had the peculiar step on the barrel but it had neither the ring nor a recoil system resembling the picture. The mount had no resemblance to that of the picture. The entire mounting less the barrell still resembles the M 1922 more closely.

[ROLAND1369]

Should have said "SCHNIEDER Ansaldo" 76 MM.

[Dili]

http://www.jaegerplatoon.net/AA_GUNS3.htm

75 mm Zenit-Meller ?

[Dili]

An user ΒΙΚΤΩΡ ΧΙΩΤΗΣ in Nautilia Forum had this comment:

"As far as I know the Hellenic Navy officers and p/o did not wear ties in the summer uniforms."

[Idomeneas]

Anyway, it is known that the Royal Hellenic Navy had acquired Vickers 76 mm guns, and 7 of them were used in the various fortifications during WW II.

[Idomeneas]

According to an expert in Greek military uniforms I asked, the picture definitely shows personnel of the Royal Hellenic Navy. The officers wear the typical summer white uniform, without the jacket, that was a combination with black ties.

[Sturm78]

Hi all,

Regarding the gun I posted here on 23 Apr 2017 I have found aditional information.

These guns are the main AA guns of the old cruiser Georgios Averof. This cruiser was commissioned in 1911 but certainly this gun is more modern.
According to my information, the cruiser underwent a major refit in France from 1925-27, during which she received modern anti-aircraft armament, so I suppose these guns were installed in France during this modernization.

Probably an 75mm French gun desing, therefore....Any idea about the exact model ?

Here, another blurry image

However, I have also found photos of this cruiser armed with German 37mm automatic AA guns, which must have been installed later, during the 30s.
as Greece bought abundant German anti-aircraft artillery during the late 1930s (2cm Flak 30, 8.8cm Flak 18,....)

Sturm78

[Dili]

Nice discovery, its seems the same gun. Now how there was a gun on land too?

[nuyt]

I doubt these guns were French, interesting find though!
There is a lot of info on the Pisa class armoured cruisers, to which the Averof belonged. Originally they carried 16 76mm L40 guns in shields against torpedo boats, not airplanes. The guns were Elswick designs, built by Ansaldo.
This site: https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classe_Pisa says the 76mm weaponry of Averof was changed not during the refit in France, but as late as 1940. Looking at the guns, I'd say they were Vickers inspired or built: the mount is similar to Vickers and other British and Italian naval weapons and the gun itself could be a modernization (especially the breachblock and the aiming devices), either by Ansaldo or by Vickers.
Just my 10 cent...