Lancashire Fusilier Posted 30 November , 2015 Author Share Posted 30 November , 2015 Another excellent find LF. There are some interesting details that I have noted before, the "quick action" elevation hand-wheel and foot pedal has been mentioned before, plus the brackets on the main bed sides do show "pickets" have been driven down....possibly into the corresponding housings on the holdfast....one thing I have not seen before, the air pump located below the barrel and to the left, has a domed cover... George, We know that following the ' Mother ' 9.2 Howitzer's return after being in service in both Flanders and France, it was sent to the School of Gunnery at Shoeburyness both for training and also evaluation trials, so no doubt it went through various changes and gave those evaluating the 9.2 Howitzer the opportunity to experiment with various new components. Regards, LF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lancashire Fusilier Posted 30 November , 2015 Author Share Posted 30 November , 2015 Today's photographs, show two different examples of a Holt 75 Tractor hauling a dismantled 9.2 Howitzer mounted on it's three Vickers Travelling Carriages, forward to a new position on the Western Front. 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...
Lancashire Fusilier Posted 30 November , 2015 Author Share Posted 30 November , 2015 2. 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...
BSM Posted 1 December , 2015 Share Posted 1 December , 2015 LF, a couple of very nice pics. The last has an interesting camo pattern on the rolled up canvas plus an interesting mix of transport going in different directions on the same reasonably narrow road. Rod Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lancashire Fusilier Posted 1 December , 2015 Author Share Posted 1 December , 2015 LF, a couple of very nice pics. The last has an interesting camo pattern on the rolled up canvas plus an interesting mix of transport going in different directions on the same reasonably narrow road. Rod Rod, The camouflaged canvas is very unusual, and it looks like a Ford Model T Staff Car passing on the right of the Holt on that busy road in post #4253. Regards, LF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lancashire Fusilier Posted 1 December , 2015 Author Share Posted 1 December , 2015 Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year. 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...
Lancashire Fusilier Posted 1 December , 2015 Author Share Posted 1 December , 2015 An interesting and very seasonal photograph, taken exactly 100 years ago in December 1915, showing a dismantled 9.2 Howitzer on it's Vickers Travelling Carriages making it's way through a snow covered Taunton, Devon. This is the only photograph I have yet seen, which shows a dismantled 9.2 Howitzer on Vickers Travelling Carriages en train in Britain. 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 December , 2015 Author Share Posted 2 December , 2015 With reference to the late-WW1 steel-wheeled Vickers 9.2 Howitzer Travelling Carriages shown back on 6th October 2015 in post # 4058, whilst it is well documented that the 9.2 Howitzer was still in service during WW2 mainly as a Home Front coastal defence gun, the attached extremely interesting and important photograph provides evidence of the 9.2 Howitzer also being transported across to France during WW2. Taken in the French port of Dunkerque, in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of Northern France on 20th March 1940, this photograph shows a dismantled 9.2 Howitzer's barrel along with the Howitzer's other parts, mounted on steel-wheeled Vickers Travelling Carriages and loaded on British SR railway flatcars, having been shipped from England to France on a cross-channel ferry. This 9.2 Howitzer is captioned as belonging to No.2 Super Heavy Battery, Royal Artillery. Not only does this photograph importantly document the 9.2 Howitzer being shipped to France early in WW2, but also the continuing use of the late-WW1 steel-wheeled Vickers Travelling Carriages well into WW2. 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...
Modelmaker Posted 2 December , 2015 Share Posted 2 December , 2015 (edited) With reference to the late-WW1 steel-wheeled Vickers 9.2 Howitzer Travelling Carriages shown back on 6th October 2015 in post # 4058, whilst it is well documented that the 9.2 Howitzer was still in service during WW2 mainly as a Home Front coastal defence gun, the attached extremely interesting and important photograph provides evidence of the 9.2 Howitzer also being transported across to France during WW2. Taken in the French port of Dunkerque, in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of Northern France on 20th March 1940, this photograph shows a dismantled 9.2 Howitzer's barrel along with the Howitzer's other parts, mounted on steel-wheeled Vickers Travelling Carriages and loaded on British SR railway flatcars, having been shipped from England to France on a cross-channel ferry. This 9.2 Howitzer is captioned as belonging to No.2 Super Heavy Battery, Royal Artillery. Not only does this photograph importantly document the 9.2 Howitzer being shipped to France early in WW2, but also the continuing use of the late-WW1 steel-wheeled Vickers Travelling Carriages well into WW2. 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. LF I have seen this posted on other sites, I think it's actually a 12". The 9.2" soldiered on as the Mk2 with the BEF in France 1940, I have a list somewhere of those guns that were left behind. The Mk2 had a longer barrel, and the main bed had a lowered section, which I think (??) allowed maximum elevation at extreme traverse, I think the recoil length would have been greater. The photo is of a 12" howitzer abandoned in France 1940. George. Edited 2 December , 2015 by Modelmaker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Modelmaker Posted 2 December , 2015 Share Posted 2 December , 2015 Update. The tables I have show 4 12" howitzers were lost in France 1940. George Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lancashire Fusilier Posted 2 December , 2015 Author Share Posted 2 December , 2015 I think it's actually a 12". The 9.2" soldiered on as the Mk2 with the BEF in France 1940, George, Yes, that is a 12 inch, although the IWM caption states that it is a 9.2 Howitzer, and I had noticed that the barrel lengths of the 12 inch and the 9.2 Mk.2 Howitzer were that much longer on the Travelling Carriage than the Mk.I, and I was in the process of checking and comparing the dimensions as follows :- 9.2 Mk.1 Howitzer - Total weight of the gun & carriage - 13 tons 7 cwt - Total length - 133.8 inches - Length of bore - 121.5 inches. - Max range - 10,060 yds. 9.2 Mk.2 Howitzer - Total weight of the gun & carriage - 16 tons 4 cwt - Total length - 170.51 inches - Length of bore - 159.16 inches. - Max range - 13,935 yds. Hogg & Thurston state that the 9.2 Mk.2 Howitzer was used in France during the early stages of WW2, although most were abandoned, so again we must assume that those 9.2s were transported to France on the Vickers Travelling Carriages and were those same steel-wheeled carriages as used in that photograph. The 9.2 Mk.2 Howitzer was declared obsolete in August 1945. 12 inch Mk.2 Howitzer - Total weight of the gun & carriage - 36 tons 12 cwt - Total length - 174.55 inches - Length of bore - 160.00 inches. Max range - 11,340 yds. ( very similar length dimensions to the 9.2 Mk.2 ) Here is an excellent photograph of a 12 inch Howitzer's barrel being lined-up in preparation for being transferred from the steel-wheeled Vickers Travelling Carriage and drawn into the Howitzer's cradle, in the same procedure as with the 9.2 Howitzer. Regards, LF 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...
Dai Bach y Sowldiwr Posted 2 December , 2015 Share Posted 2 December , 2015 Update. The tables I have show 4 12" howitzers were lost in France 1940. George And how many 9.2s? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lancashire Fusilier Posted 2 December , 2015 Author Share Posted 2 December , 2015 I think it's actually a 12". The 9.2" soldiered on as the Mk2 with the BEF in France 1940, George, Many thanks for the information and photographs, and I have edited post # 4258 accordingly. Regards, LF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Modelmaker Posted 3 December , 2015 Share Posted 3 December , 2015 George, Many thanks for the information and photographs, and I have edited post # 4258 accordingly. Regards, LF Another great photo LF......I would love to see more of your collection one day. George. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patrick Eggs Posted 3 December , 2015 Share Posted 3 December , 2015 Thanks for your Christmas Greetings LF,all the best to you I am still following . Crimson Rambler. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lancashire Fusilier Posted 3 December , 2015 Author Share Posted 3 December , 2015 Thanks for your Christmas Greetings LF,all the best to you I am still following . Crimson Rambler. Many thanks, I am pleased to hear from you, and that you are still following this Thread. Regards, LF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lancashire Fusilier Posted 3 December , 2015 Author Share Posted 3 December , 2015 Another great photo LF......I would love to see more of your collection one day. George, Many thanks, and I am sure you will especially enjoy today's and tomorrow's photographs. Regards, LF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lancashire Fusilier Posted 3 December , 2015 Author Share Posted 3 December , 2015 My final posts today and tomorrow relating to both the 9.2 Howitzer and it's Vickers Travelling Carriages, including some of the best images of the of a dismantled 9.2 Howitzer being re-assembled under extreme combat conditions. We have seen photographs of the Howitzer's re-assembly in the safe and sterile conditions of the Imperial War Museum, and these photographs show that same re-assembly procedure being carried out in the horrendous and extremely dangerous conditions of not only the front-line, but also in the freezing conditions of winter. This next series of photographs were taken during the fierce fighting in and around the town of Lens, located some 9 miles north of Arras in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France during the severe winter of February 1918, and with the both the Howitzer's parts and the Vickers Travelling Carriages both frozen and covered in snow. Those adverse freezing climatic conditions and the effect those freezing conditions had on the various Howitzer and the Travelling Carriage's metal parts, must have made the precision adjustments need to re-assemble the Howitzer that much harder to complete, let alone dealing with the fierce fighting taking place in and around the area. This first photograph, which is the best I have ever seen of the actual Howitzer re-assembly procedure being completed under front-line combat conditions, shows the final stages of the dismantled Howitzer's barrel being transferred from the Vickers Travelling Carriage, aligned and inserted back into the Howitzer's Cradle, this being done in the midst of a freezing winter at the Front ! Note the endless chain winch's chain-guard cover on the barrel's Vickers Travelling Carriage, and also the furrows that had to be dug to allow the wheels of the barrel's Travelling Carriage to be properly lined up and level with the wheels of the carriage & cradle's Travelling Carriage. 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 December , 2015 Author Share Posted 3 December , 2015 In preparation for being re-assembled in a new position, a dismantled 9.2 Howitzer mounted on it's 3 Vickers Travelling Carriages, one carrying the Howizer's barrel, another the Howitzer's bed and another the Howitzer's carriage & cradle, is drawn up in the devastated town of Lens, located some 9 miles north of Arras in the Picardy region of Northern France. Also of note, the large grooves cut inside the Howitzer's cradle, into which long inserts attached to the side of the barrel were aligned. This photograph, which was taken during the severe winter of February 1918, aptly illustrates the atrocious conditions, and the devastation within which men lived and died on the Western 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Modelmaker Posted 3 December , 2015 Share Posted 3 December , 2015 And how many 9.2s? Hi, The list covers all artillery pieces lost by the BEF, there are two listings, one for 9.2", howitzers 27, then 9.2" guns 2....I believe the "guns" were railway guns. Although modified in the 1930's for pneumatic tyres, 216 18 pdrs were also lost. I have some incredible photographs of fields in France post the evacuation, full of guns and limbers......with Teutonic efficiency all the different types are grouped together. George. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lancashire Fusilier Posted 4 December , 2015 Author Share Posted 4 December , 2015 Two more superbly detailed photographs, again taken in the town of Lens, located some 9 miles north of Arras in the Picardy region of Northern France, during the heavy fighting in and around the town during the severe winter of February, 1918. These photographs, graphically illustrate the manhandling of the 14,800 lbs combined weight of the 9.2 Howitzer's carriage & cradle mounted on it's Vickers Travelling Carriage into it's new position, in preparation for the Howitzer's re-assembly under the most difficult and severe ice and snow winter conditions, whilst also being exposed to enemy fire. I am amazed at the bravery and determination of those men, and I am sure none of us could possibly comprehend exactly what deprivations they endured, with some of the men not even having any additional winter clothing, and having to handle the heavy and frozen metal parts of the Howitzer and the Vickers Travelling Carriage without even having gloves ! 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 December , 2015 Author Share Posted 4 December , 2015 2. 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 December , 2015 Author Share Posted 5 December , 2015 In this enlarged portion of the photograph shown in the previous post, we can see that the Howitzer's bed ( arrowed ) is already in position and ' dug in ' having been removed from it's Vickers Travelling Carriage, and now the Howitzer's carriage and cradle are being manoeuvred backwards into position over the bed, so that the carriage and cradle can be lowered from their Travelling Carriage down onto the Howitzer's bed. 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 December , 2015 Author Share Posted 5 December , 2015 With reference to post #4269, which shows the dismantled 9.2 Howitzer's Vickers Travelling Carriage convoy lined up in the Picardy region town of Lens awaiting the Howitzer's re-assembly in a new position, the attached photograph shows one of the Howitzer's crew sitting atop the Howitzer's barrel removing the covering of snow from the barrel in preparation to it's insertion into the Howitzer's cradle. Note the light railway track running under the barrel's Travelling Carriage, and again, the lack of winter clothing being worn by the Gunner in February 1918. 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...
Modelmaker Posted 5 December , 2015 Share Posted 5 December , 2015 LF You beat me to it....I noticed the bed in (4272) has been emplaced, and was going to comment, The photo is interesting in a number of details. There seems to be a lot going on getting the cradle into position, the tow hitch on the axle is pointing up.....this has the volute spring so is definitely for "vehicle" transport, but it would appear that a second (single) axle unit is being manhandled in front of the carriage as well, I am intrigued by the chaps at the front as they appear to be engaged on moving this unit. Your earlier photo with the furrows, (4268) has something that I have been searching for. To the left of the photo is a mass of clutter, boxes and a T bar.....BUT looking closely there are two jacks. One upright the other on its side (showing the triangular base)....these jacks were used in placing the carriage onto the base, also for lifting the components to enable the axle units to be fitted or removed. The gun I photographed at IWM has a brass plate on the carriage (lifting jack).....this is amazing, as we often require these sort of details to supply with the kits.....Thanks. George. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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