RodB Posted 8 May , 2011 Share Posted 8 May , 2011 Below I've attached a photograph from the Library of Congress, with no accompanying info. It appears to show two camouflaged 9.2 inch howitzers in firing position in what looks like a quarry or dry canal, and the camouflage appears to indicate a war zone. The shells appear to be fitted with No. 106 fuzes, which appears to date it no earlier than late 1916, and the position of shells and cartridges indicates shooting. The nearest gun is named "Persuader". Does anybody know where/ when this might be ? The barrels are drawn back but the recoil buffers are not connected - anybody know why this would be ? And the absence of men seems odd. There are higher-definition versions at http://loc.gov/pictures/resource/cph.3c36084/ Rod Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Reed Posted 8 May , 2011 Share Posted 8 May , 2011 I have a couple of versions of the same photo on postcard. The image is of German origin and according to the caption on one postcards shows a British position overrun in March 1918. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RodB Posted 8 May , 2011 Author Share Posted 8 May , 2011 That seems to fit Paul - disable guns & scarper. Were they fired with buffers disconnected to get them to how they appear ? This is a little-publicised aspect of artillery - how to quickly ruin a gun. They couldn't just take the breechblock with them. Rod Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnreed Posted 8 May , 2011 Share Posted 8 May , 2011 If you had to disable but not to wreck the gun one of the way was to remove either the PK Lock, Dial Sight or main nut from recoil system a lot lighter than breech block, this is with the hope of recovering the guns. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasmor58 Posted 9 May , 2011 Share Posted 9 May , 2011 This picture appears in Paul Strong & Saunders Marble's book Artillery in the Great War. The caption reads as follows "A 9.2 battery deployed in a chalk pit. Both guns are shown in the process of being stripped for maintenance (almost certainly conducting routine testing and inspection of gun carriage recoil and recuperation performance. withthe barrels set at full recoil." Could be! Jasmor58 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikB Posted 9 May , 2011 Share Posted 9 May , 2011 This picture appears in Paul Strong & Saunders Marble's book Artillery in the Great War. The caption reads as follows "A 9.2 battery deployed in a chalk pit. Both guns are shown in the process of being stripped for maintenance (almost certainly conducting routine testing and inspection of gun carriage recoil and recuperation performance. withthe barrels set at full recoil." Could be! Jasmor58 Probably the most likely. I would think firing with the recoil system disconnected might well pull the barrel out of the cradle altogether. Regards, MikB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnreed Posted 9 May , 2011 Share Posted 9 May , 2011 I can't believe both guns out of action at the same time, also if maintenance was being carried out why is there a shell on the loading tray on the gun in the foreground. To test the recoil system you would use the pulling back tackle. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RodB Posted 10 May , 2011 Author Share Posted 10 May , 2011 These guns are set up for a major shoot yet where is everybody ? Neither maintenance crew nor gunners. Doesn't make sense, whereas unplanned abandonment does. Rod Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunderbox Posted 10 May , 2011 Share Posted 10 May , 2011 If its a capture, then the absence of German soldiers in the photos is also a mystery. Having said that, examination of the larger photos shows what might be "ghosts" of individuals who moved through the position whilst the slow camera exposure was taking place. It does look to me like the guns have been temporarily disabled. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David B Posted 10 May , 2011 Share Posted 10 May , 2011 If it was photographed during operation Michael could it have occurred when the RGA was surprised by the sudden advance of the enemy. Maybe they were doing maintenance and the order was get out while the going is good. Everything would have been left as is, even a 9.2 in the loading tray. It proves one thing - the guns crews made a clean getaway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunderbox Posted 10 May , 2011 Share Posted 10 May , 2011 9.2" shell in the loading tray may have been a preparation to destroy the gun altogether. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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