Lancashire Fusilier Posted 28 July , 2015 Author Share Posted 28 July , 2015 In addition to the British using the French 75 mm Auto-Canon, American Anti-Aircraft Units were also equipped with the French 75 mm Auto-Canon, and in this nicely detailed photograph, we see a 75 mm Auto-Canon of ' B ' Battery, 1st Anti-Aircraft Regiment ( American 2nd Division ) in action in France on 5 June 1918. This photograph provides excellent details of the gun's crew, their number and positions, and also the loading of the breech by a member of the crew on the ground, the Quick Firing shells, and the American uniforms and equipment. At the back to the left, is a crew member wearing a Field Telephone headset, also of note is the gun barrel's cleaning rod, and the camouflage paint scheme used on the French De Dion vehicle. 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Filsell Posted 28 July , 2015 Share Posted 28 July , 2015 LF Your mention of C.O.W.,which means nothing to me I'm afraid, did however bring to mind that 4.7s in South Africa were called "Cow Guns". The usual explanation is that the mountings were drawn by oxen. However i have a theory that it was that they were perfect cows to handle, but that's just a surmise. So what is C.O.W. please? best regards - keep posting the pictures. David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Filsell Posted 28 July , 2015 Share Posted 28 July , 2015 Silly boy, It must be Coventry Ordnance Works. If so did they also make the 4.7 tubes and etc for the Royal Navy?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lancashire Fusilier Posted 28 July , 2015 Author Share Posted 28 July , 2015 Silly boy, It must be Coventry Ordnance Works. If so did they also make the 4.7 tubes and etc for the Royal Navy?? David, As is confirmed in post # 3821, C.O.W. stands for Coventry Ordnance Works, and as you say, the large wheeled guns drawn by teams of oxen in places like South Africa, were nick-named ' Cow Guns '. Regards, LF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lancashire Fusilier Posted 29 July , 2015 Author Share Posted 29 July , 2015 Although both the British and American military were very satisfied with their being equipped with the French 75 mm Auto-Canon Mobile Anti-Aircraft Gun, both countries wanted to develop their own mobile Anti-Aircraft Gun, and although British and American mobile anti-aircraft guns were subsequently developed, their production came towards the end of 1918, and therefore had little or no impact on WW1. The British version was the 3.6 inch Quick Firing Anti-Aircraft Gun, and the American version was the 3 inch M1918 Anti-Aircraft Gun. The British 3.6 inch QF AA Gun, officially designated the ' Ordnance QF 3.6 in gun Mk 1 ' was introduced on September 20th, 1918. However, there are no records showing that this gun ever saw service during WW1. The 3.6 inch Quick Firing Anti-Aircraft Gun revolved 360 degrees on a rear-trunnion turntable which was mounted on a tracked carriage, officially designated the ' Carriage Garrison Mk 1 ' which was fitted with tank type tracking, no doubt being adopted in response to the problems experienced in the quagmire of the Western Front. As with the French 75 mm QF Anti-Aircraft Gun, the British 3.6 inch QF AA Gun's breech was loaded by a crew member standing on the ground. In addition to being tracked, the carriage was also fitted with movable stabilizing arms fitted with stabilizing jacks. The carriage was not self-propelled and the 1.5 Ton unit would have been drawn by a suitable towing vehicle, which in the case of this example was a Holt Tractor. The 3.6 inch Quick Firing Anti-Aircraft Gun was declared obsolete in 1927. The first photograph shows the British 3.6 inch Quick Firing Anti-Aircraft Gun in the firing position, with the gun carriage's stabilizing arms and jacks deployed. The photograph also provides excellent details of the gun crew's numbers, and their positions during firing. The Holt Tractor used to tow the gun, can be seen in the background. LF C/o British Artillery Weapons & Ammunition 1914-18 Hogg & Thurston 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lancashire Fusilier Posted 29 July , 2015 Author Share Posted 29 July , 2015 The 3.6 inch Quick Firing Anti-Aircraft Gun shown with it's gun lowered and stowed in the travelling position mounted on it's tracked carriage, which is being towed by a Holt 75 Tractor. LF C/o British Artillery Weapons & Ammunition 1914-18 Hogg & Thurston 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GRANVILLE Posted 29 July , 2015 Share Posted 29 July , 2015 Fascinating, not seen this before. David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lancashire Fusilier Posted 29 July , 2015 Author Share Posted 29 July , 2015 Fascinating, not seen this before. David David, It is an extremely rare piece of British weaponry, and these two photographs are probably the only two existing photographs of the 3.6 QF AA Gun. Sadly, no original examples of this gun still exist today, as all were scrapped shortly after the end of WW1. Regards, LF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lancashire Fusilier Posted 30 July , 2015 Author Share Posted 30 July , 2015 It is interesting that following the scrapping of the mobile 3.6 inch Quick Firing Anti-Aircraft Gun after the end of WW1, the British Army continued with the concept of a towed mobile Anti-Aircraft Gun during the inter-war years. Whilst the Army's Anti-Aircraft Gun remained the 3 inch, the advance in technology was in the vehicle used to tow the 3 inch Anti-Aircraft Gun. Here is a fine looking AEC ( Associated Equipment Company ) 850 6 x 6 Artillery Tractor of the 15th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Battery, towing a 3 inch Anti-Aircraft Gun. Some of the features of the 3 inch AA Gun's trailer were retained from WW1, such as the drop-down extensions to the gun's firing platform. The 850 Tractor appears to be armed with one, possibly two, Lewis Machine Guns, carried at the rear. The 6 x 6 Artillery Tractor was developed as the result of the collaboration between AEC., FWD ( the Four Wheel Drive Co. ) and Hardy Rail Motors Ltd. The mobile 3 inch AA Gun shown in this photograph, is the type used for the toy model AA Gun shown in David's post # 3787. 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Filsell Posted 30 July , 2015 Share Posted 30 July , 2015 LF quick follow up - did C.O.W. make the 4.7 tubes do you know? Best regards David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lancashire Fusilier Posted 30 July , 2015 Author Share Posted 30 July , 2015 LF quick follow up - did C.O.W. make the 4.7 tubes do you know? Best regards David David, I have seen several references to the Coventry Ordnance Works ( COW ) making torpedo tubes during WW1, however, as yet, no specific reference to the 4.7 tubes. Here is a photograph of the busy factory floor at Coventry Ordnance Works taken during WW1, and as you can see, they manufactured a wide array of armaments. Regards, 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Filsell Posted 30 July , 2015 Share Posted 30 July , 2015 LF Thank you. David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lancashire Fusilier Posted 31 July , 2015 Author Share Posted 31 July , 2015 By the end of 1916, the U.S. Army had foreseen the need for mobile anti-aircraft artillery to be a necessary part of the equipment for any U.S. forces that may be sent to Europe. Due to time constraints, it was decided to improvise a simple steel mobile mount onto which a modified U.S. 75 mm Field Gun, which was already in production, could be easily mounted. The new mobile 75 mm Anti-Aircraft Gun mount was completed on May 1st, 1917, with an initial order of some 26 x 75 mm Anti-Aircraft Guns being mounted on 1.1/2 Ton trucks made by the White Motor Company of Cleveland, Ohio. I shall be posting a series of photographs showing the American 75 mm Anti-Aircraft Gun mounted on the ' White ' truck. This first photograph shows U.S. Army vehicle No. 904, a ' White ' 1.1/2 Ton truck mounted with a modified 75 mm Field Gun using the newly designed Anti-Aircraft mount, with the gun stowed in the travelling position. Note the camouflage paint scheme, and the large spotlight mounted on the front of the truck. 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lancashire Fusilier Posted 1 August , 2015 Author Share Posted 1 August , 2015 Here is another photograph of the U.S. Army's 75 mm Anti-Aircraft Gun mounted on a ' White ' 1.1/2 Ton Truck, showing the gun in the firing position with the stabilizing jacks deployed. Note the steel beams used to support the rear stabilizer jacks, and also the steel beams supporting the front wheel chocks, both being designed to counter soft ground. As the gun's crew are not wearing steel helmets, I assume this is a training exercise. By coincidence, this is the same vehicle No. 904 shown in the previous post. 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lancashire Fusilier Posted 2 August , 2015 Author Share Posted 2 August , 2015 Another nice photograph of the U.S. Army's 75 mm Anti-Aircraft Gun, mounted on a ' White ' 1.1/2 Ton truck. 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lancashire Fusilier Posted 3 August , 2015 Author Share Posted 3 August , 2015 One final photograph before moving on, of the U.S. 75 mm Anti-Aircraft Gun mounted on the ' White ' 1.1/2 Ton truck. This is a particularly nice clear side view, giving us good details both of the gun and the truck. 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lancashire Fusilier Posted 4 August , 2015 Author Share Posted 4 August , 2015 Towards the end of 1918, the U.S. Army took delivery of a new Mobile Anti-Aircraft Gun the M1918 3-inch, which was developed from the M1903 3-inch Coastal-Defence Gun. The M1918 was also based on an earlier M1917 3-inch fixed position Anti-Aircraft Gun. The new M1918 3-inch Anti-Aircraft was trailer mounted, with it's new mount allowing for an extremely high angle of fire, and permitted elevations of the gun from 10 to 85 degrees, with the gun being able to rotate 360 degrees. The M1918's gun barrel had a very high muzzle velocity of 2,400 feet per second, with a maximum range of 8,600 yds., using a 15 lb shell. An initial order for 612 M1918s was placed with the New Britain Machine Co. of Connecticut in July 1917. Although a battery of M1918s were rushed to the Western Front in late 1918 for field trials, it is not confirmed that any M1918s saw actual combat service during WW1. The first photograph shows the trailer mounted M1918 3-inch Mobile Anti-Aircraft Gun in the firing position with it's stabilizer jacks deployed. 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lancashire Fusilier Posted 5 August , 2015 Author Share Posted 5 August , 2015 The M1918 Mobile 3 inch Anti-Aircraft Gun used a combination of 4 outrigger stabilizer arms attached to the side of the gun's trailer, and 4 large circular jack pads located under the trailer, to support and stabilize the gun during firing. These can be clearly seen in this photograph of a superbly restored M1918 Mobile 3 inch Anti-Aircraft Gun, on display at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, U.S.A. The large box seen at the left end of the trailer, is the ammunition locker, which also doubles up as crew seating. 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lancashire Fusilier Posted 6 August , 2015 Author Share Posted 6 August , 2015 With reference to the previous post showing the superbly restored trailer mounted M1918 3 inch Mobile Anti-Aircraft Gun ( US A 02 06 ), here is an interesting photograph of that same gun, taking part in what was probably a Victory Parade at the end of WW1. What is intriguing, is the position of the crew member's arms adopted during the parade, which I can imagine was particularly difficult to maintain for too long. Also, on the gun mount is the name ' Sgt. Clifford ', and I assume that was the name of the leader of the gun's crew. 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lancashire Fusilier Posted 7 August , 2015 Author Share Posted 7 August , 2015 Based on this photograph of M1918 3-inch Mobile Anti-Aircraft Guns on parade post WW1, the tradition of the crew's disciplined folded arm position on parade is still seen. 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lancashire Fusilier Posted 8 August , 2015 Author Share Posted 8 August , 2015 A Battery of M1918 3-inch Mobile Anti-Aircraft Guns, shown with the guns at their maximum elevation. 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Eyden Posted 9 August , 2015 Share Posted 9 August , 2015 I am looking for help in identifying this Royal Engineers lorry. Apologies for the quality but the original was extremely faded and this was the best I could do to enhance it. It was taken probably in 1917 at Archcliffe Fort in Dover, home of the 3rd Fortress Company R.E. for the whole war. Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lancashire Fusilier Posted 9 August , 2015 Author Share Posted 9 August , 2015 I am looking for help in identifying this Royal Engineers lorry. Apologies for the quality but the original was extremely faded and this was the best I could do to enhance it. It was taken probably in 1917 at Archcliffe Fort in Dover, home of the 3rd Fortress Company R.E. for the whole war. Thank you! Fossil Phil, Although many WW1 period lorries looked remarkably similar, and unfortunately we are unable to see the front of the lorry's radiator grille which would have helped considerably, there are certain key features to the lorry in your photograph, such as, the vents in the bonnet's side panel, which not every manufacturer used, and it does not look to be a rear wheel chain-drive lorry, which several British makes were, so these features help with it's identification. Also, it does not appear to have any W^D markings, other than someone painting/chalking ' R.E. ' on the lorry's side, so it was probably a private commercial lorry impressed into military service early in WW1. Based on your lorry's features and ruling out those that do not match for one reason or another, it could be a Karrier WDS., an early Leyland A Type, or possibly a Pagefield, however, the side details of the Pagefield's radiator do not match exactly, so my preference would be an early commercial Leyland A Type, followed by the Karrier WDS. Regards, LF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lancashire Fusilier Posted 9 August , 2015 Author Share Posted 9 August , 2015 The Fort Sill M1918 Mobile 3-inch Anti-Aircraft Gun during it's restoration. 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lancashire Fusilier Posted 9 August , 2015 Author Share Posted 9 August , 2015 The fully restored M1918 Mobile 3-inch Anti-Aircraft Gun, on display at Fort Sill. 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. 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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