WW1 Military Motors - 1916 set x 50 cards

[Lancashire Fusilier]

johnboy,

Another example of great British engineering.

Regards,

LF

[johnboy]

Some railguns were on a curved track to enable some degree of traverse.

Some early ones were positioned and had a pit dug between the rails to allow the recoil.

[Lancashire Fusilier]

Two photographs of the longer barrelled ( 17 feet 3 inches ) Mk III Railway Howitzer, which like the shorter barrelled ( 12 feet ) Mk I has the Recuperator located above the barrel, positioned at ' Salvation Corner ', so called due to the Salvation Army hut that was located there throughout the war.

Salvation Corner was on the Ypres to Dixmuide road, in the Flanders region of Belgium.

In these photographs we see the massive Howitzer being passed by the horse-drawn equipment, with one of the out-riders seeming to look up in amazement at the behemoth gun.

LF

IWM This image is reproduced strictly for non-commercial research and private study purposes as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, as amended and revised.

[Lancashire Fusilier]

A longer barrelled Mk III Railway Howitzer of the 104th Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery, in position at Salvation Corner, just North of Ypres on 3rd August, 1917.

IWM This image is reproduced strictly for non-commercial research and private study purposes as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, as amended and revised.

[GRANVILLE]

What a superb pair of photos. Can you just begin to imagine the logistics of moving that gun carriage across ground like this - even on rails!!

David

[Lancashire Fusilier]

Can you just begin to imagine the logistics of moving that gun carriage across ground like this - even on rails!!

David

David,

It is sometimes hard to comprehend exactly what those men dealt with during WW1, that Howitzer weighed a massive 76 tons, was 41 feet 2 inches long, and had a potential rate of fire of 1 round per minute.

Regards,

LF

[Lancashire Fusilier]

Although the 12 inch Railway Howitzer was often located on open ground away from built up areas, as and when necessary, it would have been brought into the centre of a town or city. Here we see a Mk III 12 inch Railway Howitzer of the 104th Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery positioned among the ruins of the City of Ypres on 27th August 1917.

LF

IWM7246 This image is reproduced strictly for non-commercial research and private study purposes as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, as amended and revised.

[GRANVILLE]

This is fascinating. I wonder what the tower is towards the rear? Observation?

David

[MikeyH]

Lancs,

Would imagine if fired from the position shown, the shock would bring down the already precarious wall to the left.

Mike.

[Lancashire Fusilier]

This is fascinating. I wonder what the tower is towards the rear? Observation?

David

David,

With all that heavy damage around the Howitzer, that tower could not have been an ' Ypres ' structure, and being in such close proximity to the Howitzer it had to be something related to the emplacement, as you say it is possibly an artillery observation/spotter's tower ?

Regards,

LF

[Lancashire Fusilier]

Lancs,

Would imagine if fired from the position shown, the shock would bring down the already precarious wall to the left.

Mike.

Mike,

Although on rails, the 76 ton Railway Howitzer was not an easy beast to move, I noticed there is a heavy wire towing cable fitted to the front which the Gunners are sitting on, so perhaps it was rolled forward a few yards for firing in the open and then rolled back behind the houses when not is use ?

Regards,

LF

[Dave1418]

My first thought was that the town looks too good to be Ypres for 1917, but the photo is truly excellent

[Lancashire Fusilier]

My first thought was that the town looks too good to be Ypres for 1917, but the photo is truly excellent

Dave1418,

I am pleased you enjoyed seeing the photograph, and apart from the IWM photo caption specifically stating it was taken in Ypres on 27th August 1917, I have also seen several references to the 104th Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery, being in action in Ypres during August 1917.

Regards,

LF

[Rockdoc]

I don't think we should discount the concussive effect of the blast from artillery pieces. In the BBC series of The Great War, there's a sequence of what I think, from memory, is a 60-pdr standing on an unmade road next to what looks like an untouched barn-like building. When the gun fires the tiles all leap into the air and some of the stones are dislodged from the wall. The shock wave from the railway gun may well have been at a different height, given the length of the barrel, but it's hard to think it had no effect at ground level.

Keith

[Lancashire Fusilier]

I don't think we should discount the concussive effect of the blast from artillery pieces. In the BBC series of The Great War, there's a sequence of what I think, from memory, is a 60-pdr standing on an unmade road next to what looks like an untouched barn-like building. When the gun fires the tiles all leap into the air and some of the stones are dislodged from the wall. The shock wave from the railway gun may well have been at a different height, given the length of the barrel, but it's hard to think it had no effect at ground level.

Keith

Keith,

Is that the reason for the wooden panels/screens placed around the Howitzer in post # 2744 ?

Regards,

LF

[Lancashire Fusilier]

This photograph shows the open breech on a 12 inch Railway Howitzer, and also the Shell Grab, and the Loading Tray.

The substantial Shell Grab which was attached by a steel cable to the Shell Crane, was used to firmly grip the sizable 750 lb 12 inch shell and secure it while it was lifted from the ground up onto the Loading Tray.

This particular photograph was taken at the village of Brielen, located N.W. of Ypres, during the Battle of Passchendaele on 1st August, 1917.

LF

IWM This image is reproduced strictly for non-commercial research and private study purposes as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, as amended and revised.

[Lancashire Fusilier]

An interesting aside shown in the previous photograph, the gunner on the far right is wearing the Army-issue Clasp Knife with a Marlin Spike on his belt. This is the first time, I have seen a WW1 soldier wearing the Army Clasp Knife.

Prior to 1913, these Clasp Knives had a Stag Grip, and in 1913 the grip was changed to checkered Horn.

LF

This image is reproduced strictly for non-commercial research and private study purposes as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, as amended and revised.

[BSM]

Nice pic mix LF. Re the cable on the front of the rail wagon....one would suggest that it is attached to something large and buried to prevent recoil sending the beast backwards to its point of origin. Trivia addition - according to the Osprey booklet on British Heavy Artillery, the Mk.5. gun could be rotated through 360 degrees and as such a number of outrigger heavy cables were secured to stabilise the gun during firing. Rod

[Lancashire Fusilier]

Attached are 3 photographs of the 12 inch Mk V Railway Howitzer which came into service in July 1917, although having the same 17 feet 3 ins barrel as the Mk III, the notable differences between the Mk III and the Mk V, were that the Recoil Buffer and Recuperator were incorporated into a single housing and mounted below the barrel. The Mk V also had a lighter breech, with the gun balanced by the redesigned recoil system and altered gun positioning on the cradle.

The Mk V also relocated the loading platform from the railway wagon to the revolving gun mounting, and by overhanging the opposite side provided crew access when the gun fired to the side (90° traverse) and also helped to balance it.

These 3 photographs of the Mk V were taken near Arras on 4th February, 1918.

The first photograph shows a 12 inch Railway Howitzer Mk V in Arras on 4th February, 1918. Note the Howitzer's camouflage pattern paint scheme.

LF

IWM This image is reproduced strictly for non-commercial research and private study purposes as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, as amended and revised.

[Lancashire Fusilier]

A 12 inch Mk V Railway Howitzer, showing the Recoil Buffer and Recuperator which were incorporated into a single housing located below the barrel.

LF

IWM This image is reproduced strictly for non-commercial research and private study purposes as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, as amended and revised.

[Lancashire Fusilier]

12 inch Mk V Railway Howitzer in Arras on 4th February, 1918 in the travelling position, note the barrel support in place while the Howitzer is in transit.

LF

IWM This image is reproduced strictly for non-commercial research and private study purposes as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, as amended and revised.

[Lancashire Fusilier]

a number of outrigger heavy cables were secured to stabilise the gun during firing. Rod

Rod,

I have photographs of the use of steel cables to secure the 12 inch Mk V Howitzer, and also others where large metal jack arms are used, I shall be posting photographs of both.

Regards,

LF

[Lancashire Fusilier]

a number of outrigger heavy cables were secured to stabilise the gun during firing. Rod

Rod,

There were 3 main methods used to secure/stabilise the 12 inch Railway Howitzer when in action, one of which was as you say, the use of heavy steel cables, and there was also the use of both heavy timber beams/spars and large steel jacks.

The heavy timber beams/spars, two to each side of the railway mounting, were set diagonally into cut-outs in the railway mounting and anchored into the ground.

The steel jacks, which could be swung out from the railway mounting, had large feet which resembled a duck's web foot, this design being needed to spread the weight load on the jack's foot whilst it was supporting the Howitzer, and so prevent the jack's foot sinking into the ground.

Attached are photographs of each of the three methods used to secure/stabilise the 12 inc Railway Howitzer, the wooden beams, the steel cables and the steel jacks.

The first photograph shows a Mk I Railway Howitzer in action near the village of Brielen, located N.W. of Ypres, during the Battle of Passchendaele on 1st August, 1917, large timber beams/spars have been used to secure/stabilise the Howitzer in action.

Regards,

LF

IWM This image is reproduced strictly for non-commercial research and private study purposes as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, as amended and revised.

[Lancashire Fusilier]

In a WW1 drawing by artist F. Mantania entitled " Gun of a Counter Battery in action ", we can again see the use of heavy timber beams/spars being used to secure/stabilise the 12 inch Railway Howitzer in action.

LF

This image is reproduced strictly for non-commercial research and private study purposes as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, as amended and revised.

[Lancashire Fusilier]

Here is an example of heavy steel cables, two cables anchored to each side of the railway mounting and secured into the ground, being used to secure/stabilise a 12 inch Mk V Railway Howitzer named " Peeping Tom " whilst in action near the small village of Queant.

The village of Queant was 15 miles S.E. of Arras in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of Northen France, and was at the south end of the German Drocourt-Queant Line, which was not captured by the British until 2nd September, 1918.

LF

IWM This image is reproduced strictly for non-commercial research and private study purposes as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, as amended and revised.