WW1 Military Motors - 1916 set x 50 cards

[Lancashire Fusilier]

That may well be the case, modern unpowered lighters used (e.g.) on the Rhine have a small motor to give independent manoeuverability in port, so on a current-less canal when speed was perhaps not of the essence, a small engine may have been enough - but that does give rise to the question of the fuel and where it was stored! Nevertheless, by the look of it walking/marching would have been quicker for fit men.

Cheers

Colin

The barge photo in post No 2986 is featured in the book I have just mentioned above and in this, the author states that the barges were towed by tugs, so presumably the lead vessel in post No 2985 must be steam powered, even though there is little evidence of this?

David

The photos in posts 2984 - 2985 - 2986 are of the same 2 canal barges.

Post 2986 clearly shows there is nothing in front of barge As 179, so it must be moving forward under its own power, and is also towing the larger barge A555, which is probably without an engine.

The only question remaining seems to be, what type of small engine was used to power canal barges such as As 179 ? steam, petrol ?

Regards,

LF

[GRANVILLE]

Actually, I would have thought steam would be too involved for such activity and it will almost certainly be a petrol engine.

David

[johnboy]

All the barges are provided with a dynamo and gas engine; they can be lighted either by electricity or by removing one or more sections of the deck which forms the ceiling of the ward. They are drawn by a tug in charge of men accustomed to canal work. They are divided into flotillas of four, but more often than not they travel singly or in couples. Every barge carries two trained women nurses in addition to nursing orderlies, general orderlies, and cooks. Each barge also carries a medical officer, unless two barges or more are travelling together, and then one is sufficient for all of them. The average duration of a barge journey is from twenty-four to forty-eight hours. They travel only by daylight, and at the rate of about three miles an hour.

Perhaps the stacks are the exhausts of the gas engine?

[Lancashire Fusilier]

The Gun Carrier Mark I was used both to transport an artillery piece, and or ammunition to the front lines. In the following 2 photographs, we see the Gun Carrier named ' Dublin ' in action transporting a 6-inch Howitzer and its ammunition to the front lines near Irles, in the Somme region of Northern France on 25th August, 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.

[Lancashire Fusilier]

An excellent side view of the Gun Carrier ' Dublin ', shown in action near Irles in the Somme region, on 25th August, 1918.

This photograph shows us a 6-inch Howitzer stowed in the front of the Gun Carrier, and either side of the transported Howitzer are the tall armoured cabs for the Gun Carrier's Driver and Brakeman, and this photo also shows the seating arrangement in that cab.

Behind the stowed Howitzer and in front of the crew's armoured compartment is an open area used for storing ammunition, which again is clearly shown in this photograph.

Attached to the side of the Gun Carrier, are the wheels for the 6-inch Howitzer's carriage.

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]

Wishing everyone a very Happy New Year, with health and happiness in 2015.

Regards,

LF

[Lancashire Fusilier]

Several of the Gun Carriers Mark I, were designated as ' Supply Tanks ' carrying only ammunition and supplies to the Front, rather that those Gun Carriers which carried an artillery piece, those designated Supply Tanks carried the ' Supply ' marking.

The following 2 photographs, including a very nice colourised photo, show the Supply Tank named ' Harwich ' taking supplies up to the Front.

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]

A very nice colourised photo, showing the Supply Tank named ' Harwich ' taking supplies up to the Front.

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]

A rare and interesting photograph of a unique Gun Carrier Mark I, which has been modified to be used as a mount for a commercial ' Priestman ' steam crane. The caption for this photograph, tells us it was taken at the Railway Station in Arras during the Winter of 1918/19.

Unlike the Gun Carrier ' Salvage Tank ' shown in post # 2995, which was one of only two Gun Carrier Salvage Tanks made for the War Department by Kitson & Co., of Leeds, and was intended for use on the battlefield, this Gun Carrier mounted with the Priestman steam crane was probably made locally in Arras from a redundant Gun Carrier Mark I, and was used at the Arras Railway Station to lift heavy equipment such as locomotives or tanks and other heavy military equipment being loaded onto railway flat-beds for shipment back to Britain after the Armistice in late 1918 or early 1919.

LF

IWM49888 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]

I have not found any record or evidence of a Gun Carrier Mark I having been captured by the Germans, and I have only found one reference to a Gun Carrier Mark I having been badly damaged by German fire.

The incident occurred at around 4 pm in the afternoon on 7th August 1918, when some 16 Gun Carriers which had been allotted to the 5th Division, were lying-up in an orchard just North of the town of Villers-Bretenneux prior to the commencement of the Battle of Amiens which was to start the next day, August 8th, 1918.

At approximately 4 pm, a single German shell landed in the orchard and the resulting explosion set off a chain detonation of ammunition and petrol stored in the Gun Carriers. The German artillery seeing the dense smoke coming from the area, concentrated their artillery fire on the orchard, destroying or damaging 13 of the 16 Gun Carriers parked in the orchard.

Fortunately, replacement Gun Carriers were available and were brought up prior to the start of the Battle of Amiens the next day.

The town of Villers-Bretenneux in the Somme, Picardy region of Northern France, is 11 miles East of Amiens.

The first photograph, shows a Gun Carrier Mark I badly damaged in the shelling of the orchard and having both the armoured cabs for the Driver and the Brakeman completely blown off the front of the Gun Carrier.

LF

AWM04944 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]

This photograph, shows the damage caused by German shelling on the afternoon of 7th August 1918 to many of the 16 Gun Carriers which had been allotted to the 5th Division, and were lying-up in an orchard just North of the town of Villers-Bretenneux prior to the commencement of the Battle of Amiens, which was to start the next day, August 8th, 1918.

LF

AWM03908 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.

[Uncle George]

I hope this is of interest. It is from 'The Australian Victories in France in 1918'.

[Lancashire Fusilier]

I hope this is of interest. It is from 'The Australian Victories in France in 1918'.

Uncle George,

Many thanks for the post, that is an Austin Armoured Car Model 1918 destroyed near the village of Bony in the Picardy/Aisne region of N. France during the Battle of Cantigny, which involved American and Australian troops fighting alongside each other.

The Battle of Cantigny was the first major action which involved American troops in WW1 ( American troops can be seen in the first photograph ), and those American troops who were killed are buried in the Somme American Cemetery in Bony.

Two more photographs of that same destroyed Austin Armoured Car Model 1918, are attached.

Regards,

LF

IWM These images are 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 nicely detailed photograph of an Austin Armoured Car Model 1918 of the 17th Armoured Car Battalion, with its distinctive ' 17th AC Batt. ' vertical stripe insignia.

Also shown standing in front of the armoured car, is a 17th Armoured Car Battalion Captain.

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]

3 photographs of Gun Carrier Mark I No. C.C.103, transporting a 60 pounder Gun, which along with the 6-inch Howitzer were the two types of artillery pieces typically carried by the Gun Carrier.

LF

These images are 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]

2.

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 this 3rd photograph of Gun Carrier No. C.C.103 transporting a 60 pounder Gun, we can see the front loading ramp, which in this photo is raised, used to load and unload the artillery piece being carried. A motorised winch which was powered by the Gun Carrier's engine, was also used to assist in the loading and unloading of the artillery piece.

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.

[Wigwhammer]

Seeing these photos make me wonder again: how could the trailing steering wheels actually influence the direction of travel of such a heavy and ponderous vehicle?

I would have thought that the tank tracks with a huge area of ground contact (compared to the steering wheels) would be absolutely "immune" to anything as comparatively "flimsy" as these wheels tacked on at the back!

Were the steering wheels dropped due to ineffectiveness?

Cheers

Colin

[Lancashire Fusilier]

Seeing these photos make me wonder again: how could the trailing steering wheels actually influence the direction of travel of such a heavy and ponderous vehicle?

Colin,

Here is a link to a 2007 GWF Thread which discusses this issue.

http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=78043

Regards,

LF

[Lancashire Fusilier]

The Gun Carrier Mark I named ' Darlington ', transporting a 6-inch Howitzer and the Howitzer's ammunition.

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.

[Wigwhammer]

Thanks LF - I read that threadbut am not tech-literate enough to understand the workings of the mechanism, although my supposition that they were (next to) useless seems to have been fairly near the truth.

I had not thought of these wheels enabling them to cross wider trenches - but I guess that was more of a by-product, otherwise the wheels would have been made appreciably more substantial..

Cheers

Colin

[GRANVILLE]

Colin,

Here is a link to a 2007 GWF Thread which discusses this issue.

http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=78043

Regards,

LF

LF, thanks for that link - I'd not seen this before and this answers my earlier query about the steering. Were the trailing wheels not also regarded as a counterbalance weight for when crossing trenches?

David

[Lancashire Fusilier]

I had not thought of these wheels enabling them to cross wider trenches - but I guess that was more of a by-product, otherwise the wheels would have been made appreciably more substantial..

LF, thanks for that link - I'd not seen this before and this answers my earlier query about the steering. Were the trailing wheels not also regarded as a counterbalance weight for when crossing trenches?

David

Looking at that 2007 Thread, it would certainly seem that one of the perceived advantages of the trailing steering wheels being fitted to the rear of Tanks was to assist in the crossing trenches. However, soon after the Gun Carriers went into service, these wheels were considered redundant and were dispensed with.

Regards,

LF

[Lancashire Fusilier]

With reference to post # 3009 and the incident which occurred at around 4 pm in the afternoon on 7th August 1918, when some 16 Gun Carriers which had been allotted to the 5th Division, were lying-up in an orchard just North of the town of Villers-Bretenneux prior to the commencement of the Battle of Amiens which was to start the next day, August 8th, 1918, when a single German shell landed in the orchard and the resulting explosion set off a chain detonation of ammunition and petrol stored in the Gun Carriers. The German artillery seeing the dense smoke coming from the area, concentrated their artillery fire on the orchard, destroying or damaging 13 of the 16 Gun Carriers parked in the orchard.

The Australians were heavily involved in the fighting in and around Villers-Bretenneux, and here is a very nice 1918 watercolour painting by an Australian artist James F. Scott, which depicts at first hand the aftermath of the destruction of the Gun Carriers in the orchard at Villers-Bretenneux.

LF

AWM 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]

Again relating to the Australian soldiers who were heavily involved in the fighting in and around Villers-Bretenneux during the Battle of Amiens, here is an early 1919 photograph of 2 Australian soldiers and a woman in the orchard at Villers-Bretenneux where the Gun Carriers were destroyed by German shellfire.

They were apparently sightseeing the battlefields around Villers-Bretenneux, including having their photograph taken with one of the destroyed Gun Carriers.

LF

AWM 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.