Tom W. Posted 25 October , 2010 Share Posted 25 October , 2010 German light cannon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torrey McLean Posted 27 October , 2010 Share Posted 27 October , 2010 Hello, Tom - I think that it is a 37mm Luftschiff "Revolverkanone," which was used by German land forces as light flak primarily to protect airfields, observation balloons, etc. If I am incorrect, I'll be interested to find out what it is. Regards, Torrey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyE Posted 27 October , 2010 Share Posted 27 October , 2010 I don't think it is. The revolver cannon was a multi barrelled weapon. This one appears to be a single shot weapon with a falling block action, probably in 37mm calibre. I had not answered this previously as I do not know what it actually is. Regards TonyE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiegeGunner Posted 27 October , 2010 Share Posted 27 October , 2010 Any indications where and when, Tom? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 27 October , 2010 Share Posted 27 October , 2010 Looks a bit like the Vickers naval 3pdr QF stripped down and on an improvised mounting (on a narrow gauge railway truck) - very un airfield defence like. Taken off a capture/wrecked ship? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyE Posted 27 October , 2010 Share Posted 27 October , 2010 Agreed that is a possibility, but what was the breech action on the Vickers? The weapon in the picture definitely seems to have a falling block breech, but I do not know enough about Vickers naval weapons to comment. Cheers TonyE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 27 October , 2010 Share Posted 27 October , 2010 I think it did but the activating lever appears to have been on the left and not the right (an export model for continental firing!) The shoulder arrangement is typical of naval weapons of about 3 pounds (the Hotchkiss 3 pdr had a similar arrangement) so I'd guess it would be an ex naval gun of some make. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikB Posted 27 October , 2010 Share Posted 27 October , 2010 It seems hard to think it could be as large as 47mm when you look at the bloke next to it. The Vickers 3-pr had a barrel more than 6ft long and weighed over 500 lb. Even if it were cut down it's hard to imagine the round going into that little breech, and the bore would scarcely be longer than the chamber... I'd think we're looking nearer 20 - 30mm calibre. But it's certainly a bit of a puzzle... Regards, MikB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 27 October , 2010 Share Posted 27 October , 2010 It seems hard to think it could be as large as 47mm when you look at the bloke next to it. The Vickers 3-pr had a barrel more than 6ft long and weighed over 500 lb. Even if it were cut down it's hard to imagine the round going into that little breech, and the bore would scarcely be longer than the chamber... I'd think we're looking nearer 20 - 30mm calibre. But it's certainly a bit of a puzzle... Regards, MikB At the time 20 -30 mm were illegal calibres for shell firing guns, 37mm (ie 2lb) was about as small as you could go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4thGordons Posted 27 October , 2010 Share Posted 27 October , 2010 Not my areas but how about THIS (CLICKCLICK) with the barrel cut down just beyond the sighting blade? Type: Naval gun Kenmerken: Bouwjaar : rond 1885 In dienst : 1886 Cadans: semi- automatisch 25 schoten per minuut Schootsafstand : 1.4° = 910m 4.0° = bijna1900 m 8.4 ° = bijna 2800m 11.4° = 3200m Hit na : 2,2 sec voor 910m 5,8 sec voor 1900m 10,5 sec voor 2800m 13,5 sec voor 3200m Munitie: Heat (source: http://forumeerstewereldoorlog.nl/viewtopic.php?t=12938) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 27 October , 2010 Share Posted 27 October , 2010 Doesn't look at all like a semi automatic weapon - where is the magazine for a start? I think this gun and possibly the one in Post one may be a Nordenfelt QF built in various sizes there was one firing a 2 pound shell. Sold all over the world for use on torpedo boats, destroyers etc. Used in great numbers by the Spanish navy (many of which ended up salvaged by the US navy) Nordenfelt Some of the smaller calibre versions ended up on US sub chasers. A single shot weapon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4thGordons Posted 27 October , 2010 Share Posted 27 October , 2010 Doesn't look at all like a semi automatic weapon - where is the magazine for a start? I think this gun and possibly the one in Post one may be a Nordenfelt built in various sizes there was one firing a 2 pound shell. Sold all over the world for use on torpedo boats, destroyers etc. Used in great numbers by the Spanish navy (may of which ended up salvaged by the US navy Nordenfelt Just to clarify - you are suggesting that while the picture I linked resembles the original (and hypothesizing they may be a Nordenfelt) that the description underneath is inaccurate or applies to another weapon? Chris (BTW it was by searching for Nordenfelt that I found the picture!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 27 October , 2010 Share Posted 27 October , 2010 Just to clarify - you are suggesting that while the picture I linked resembles the original (and hypothesizing they may be a Nordenfelt) that the description underneath is inaccurate or applies to another weapon? Chris (BTW it was by searching for Nordenfelt that I found the picture!) The latter I suspect. None of these naval weapons were semi automatic. Perhaps some one got Quick Firing confused with Automatic? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom W. Posted 27 October , 2010 Author Share Posted 27 October , 2010 Any indications where and when, Tom? No, none. Just the photo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyE Posted 28 October , 2010 Share Posted 28 October , 2010 I think one candidate is that rather than a 3 Pdr. Nordenfelt, it is 3 Pdr. Hotchkiss, possibly captured from the French. The Hotchkiss had a simple vertical sliding breech which was operated by a lever on the right hand side. A diagram of the British version is on Page 34 of Hogg & Thurston. It differs in minor detail from the picture but that may be due to nationality. Regards TonyE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 28 October , 2010 Share Posted 28 October , 2010 I think one candidate is that rather than a 3 Pdr. Nordenfelt, it is 3 Pdr. Hotchkiss, possibly captured from the French. The Hotchkiss had a simple vertical sliding breech which was operated by a lever on the right hand side. A diagram of the British version is on Page 34 of Hogg & Thurston. It differs in minor detail from the picture but that may be due to nationality. Regards TonyE The Hotchkiss 3 pdr was a much heavier (chunkier) weapon. The Nordenfelt family of QFs also had a vertical breech but the external diameter of the barrel was smaller. see as follows which I was preparing before I read your post Looking at the photo it would seem that the sides of the truck must fold down to provide a platform for the loader(s) to stand on. If the gun is a Nordenfelt (as I am increasingly thinking that it is) it's worth noting that as the ships on which these were first installed in the 1880s and 90s began to decommisssion the guns began to appear in coastal defences which might be the source of this one. Apart from Spain Russia was originally a big user so some Russian coastal defence (say in Poland) might have been the original source. Such a mounting could well be used on something like a mole where it would be used to defend against light craft coming inshore. However the background in the photo appears somewhat un-moley. The gun shown has no scope for much elevation so very unlikely to be for AA use. The complex naval sights have been removed so intended to be used at relatively short range. BTW I believe that the Vickers 3 pdr QF was effectively a Nordenfelt development. Vickers absorbed some parts of the Nordenfelt 'empire'. Both the Nordenfelt family of QFs and the Vickers had lighter barrels than the equivelent Hotchkiss QFs and the external diameter was smaller. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharlieBris Posted 28 October , 2010 Share Posted 28 October , 2010 The gun doesn't look like any of the Nordenfelt 3/6 pdrs or the Hotchkiss 3 Pdr - I've seen surviving examples of these guns. www.ammsbrisbane.com/documentation/norden_2.html www.ammsbrisbane.com/documentation/hotchkiss_1.html - missing the shoulder brace. www.ammsbrisbane.com/documentation/nordenfelt_6Pdr_1.html It looks like an anti-torpedo boat gun from the 1880s or so of about 37mm calibre - no recoil mechanism used. Regards, Charlie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 28 October , 2010 Share Posted 28 October , 2010 It looks like an anti-torpedo boat gun from the 1880s or so of about 37mm calibre - no recoil mechanism used. Which were Nordenfelts. I suspect you've been looking at later weapons Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 28 October , 2010 Share Posted 28 October , 2010 3 Pdr Hotchkiss QF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 28 October , 2010 Share Posted 28 October , 2010 3pdr Vickers QF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 28 October , 2010 Share Posted 28 October , 2010 6 pounder Nordenfelt Nordenfelt 3 and 2 pounders were made Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 28 October , 2010 Share Posted 28 October , 2010 The German navy also had a 37mm anti torpedo boat gun built by Krupp but this has a Krupp sliding wedge breech Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cnock Posted 30 October , 2010 Share Posted 30 October , 2010 Hi, the 3,7 cm Luftschiff-Flak was single-barrelled Cnock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 30 October , 2010 Share Posted 30 October , 2010 Hi, the 3,7 cm Luftschiff-Flak was single-barrelled Cnock And a different gun http://wallbase2.net/high-resolution/2688f169ac2cafe76a96ae19ca8d2d04/wallpaper-227994.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cnock Posted 30 October , 2010 Share Posted 30 October , 2010 Centurion, we know! Cnock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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