WWI Artillery....

[Emac44]

Originally Posted by peter benn

Speaking of the "creeping barrage," has anyone else seen that History Channel (??) clip of the British or Canadian large artillery gun rocking backward on its huge wheels with every recoil -- and a pair of soldiers shovelling dirt into the exposed wheel ruts with every pass? As if that was as good a way as any to make the "creeping" adjustment?

Earplugs, like parachutes, were considered unimportant by the British. My maternal grandfather, a Lt. in charge of one gun, had tintinnitus for the next 50 years....

Yes Peter seen many film clips of Artillery being used in WW1 on either History Channel or other resources like the Australian War Museum Canberra Australia. You mentioned about Gunners filling in wheel ruts after GUNS fired etc. Dont forget GUNS had to be relocated very often to avoid Counter Battery Fire and this was time consuming but necassary for the GUNNERS and Engineers to accomplish. More so if they wanted to keep the Battery hidden from sight or observation etc for the time being. You mentioned your Grand Father with Tintinnitus that was common with Gunners from WW1 and WW2. As were other injuires from handling hot shell casings after GUNS were fired. And the dangers of a misfire which occured on more than one occassion. Quality control of manufacturing of artillery shells wasn't a great priority during WW1 from what I have read. It was more of a case was to produce as many shells as possible regardless of the consquences not only on the battle front but also in the factory or armoury. Quiet a few artillery shells were more dangerous to the people making them or firing them, then to the enemy who would eventually were supposed to receive them in a bombardment etc. Read a few accounts were women in factories in England were either maimed or killed by shells exploding or shells fillings catching fire during manufacturing or poor work practises at the time in those factories

[trackend]

Originally Posted by Emac44

Quality control of manufacturing of artillery shells wasn't a great priority during WW1 from what I have read.

I agree EM although even during WW2 the quality varied considerably I like the Idea of the Soviets, instead of scraping them, using out of spect shells as war heads for there Katyusha's

[Emac44]

God Track Misfires in the GUNS are chilling. You hear and see the Lanyard being pulled and hear the firing mechanism work. Then nothing but a cold silence. You normally expect a very large bang. the Gun recoiling, But what you get is nothing. those misfires are bloody scarey. Because if that Gun still hasn't fired you know eventually that shell will have to be cleared from the breach. With the possiblity shell going off when breach is opened. Not something one wants to be around

[trackend]

Sounds like fun EM Id just us a 50 foot lanyard and send you back too open the breach

[Glider]

Originally Posted by Emac44

God Track Misfires in the GUNS are chilling. You hear and see the Lanyard being pulled and hear the firing mechanism work. Then nothing but a cold silence. You normally expect a very large bang. the Gun recoiling, But what you get is nothing. those misfires are bloody scarey. Because if that Gun still hasn't fired you know eventually that shell will have to be cleared from the breach. With the possiblity shell going off when breach is opened. Not something one wants to be around

I used to work with someone who did national service in the 1950s as a gunner on the Centurion. He described a misfire as the loneliest time of his life as the rest of the crew bailed out and left him to extract the dud shell. In the confined space of a tank turret he was almost totally terrified that a nudge or knock could set the thing off.

[Emac44]

Originally Posted by trackend

Sounds like fun EM Id just us a 50 foot lanyard and send you back too open the breach

Put it this way Track. Would colourful refusal offend you

[trackend]

I'd understand unless of course I out ranked you then Sorry you're volunteering.

[Emac44]

Wouldn't bother me at all Track. Can always tell you in the most colourful terms where to stick your 50ft lanyard and rank in and give demonstrations on how its achieved

[trackend]

You Naughty Squaddie

[SoD Stitch]

Okay, before this thread gets too far off-track . . .

I'm gonna have to go with the famous (or infamous, depending on you POV!) "Paris Gun". Quote from Wikipedia:

"It was capable of hurling a 94 kilogram (210 lb) shell to a range of 130 kilometres (81 miles) and a maximum altitude of 40 kilometres (25 miles) — the greatest height reached by a human-made projectile until the first successful V-2 flight test in October 1942."

[Emac44]

Originally Posted by trackend

You Naughty Squaddie

Not a naughty squaddie Track. More of an ex Gunner with Attitude

[trackend]

OK

[trackend]

Sorry for the double post guys

[delcyros]

The paris gun hardly can be called an accurate weapon.
My vote goes to a Skoda gun.

[Glider]

Originally Posted by delcyros

The paris gun hardly can be called an accurate weapon.
My vote goes to a Skoda gun.

Be fair, all it had to do was hit Paris