A friend posted this photo on another forum to figure out what type gun and why there is a chain attached to the tube. The optical illusion thought was ruled out by the owner of the photo; with magnification of the actual photo, the chain indeed comes out of the tube.
So, the conundrum is; why a chain in the tube? The maintenance theory is the only thing that makes sense to me.
Back when I still served in a gun battery, we would use a chain (often attached to a crane in the maintenance shop or a 5-ton wrecker in the field) wrapped around the outside of tube in order to pull it "out of battery" (out of its normal firing position which would release pressure on the recoil system) and hold the tube up in order to perform maintenance on the hydraulic recoil system. Of course, again we wrapped the chain on the outside the tube (to prevent tube damage) and it would not slip off because of the muzzle brake.
The gun in the picture likely has a recoil system and the chain could be related to a maintenance procedure. As the tube has no muzzle break, they would need to attach a chain differently. To be this taut, I would think the chain is running down the tube and is connected to something at the breech end. Of course, since it's in the field and not a depot, they would have to use a field expedient method that would not be normally used. Like putting a chain down the barrel.
Also, might explain why the "plate" propped on the front of the bunker has been removed from the gun and has been put out of the way while they perform some type of maintenance.
Any expert opinions or guess as to the type of gun and why the chain?
Fascinating - one would be tempted to suppose it is a naval gun modified for land service and that we are are looking, as you suppose, at an infrequent in-service maintenance procedure such as replacing slide cylinder keys in/associated with the recoil system. But conjecture is futile - as you say it needs an expert to weigh in with informed comment. Thanks for these rare pictures and the opportunity to learn more about the long-range guns on the static fronts.
But wouldn't a chain cause damage to the rifling inside of the tube? And why not a rope instead of a chain? Considering the profliferation of rohrkreper - weak barrels that explode - I would think gunners wouldn't want to cause any extra damage to the tube and risk a rohrkreper.
And why is the chain taut going to the side if they are simply cleaning the gun? Wouldn't it be pulled straight out? And if it's being pulled, why not show the soldiers pulling instead of the barrel and no one?
Of course, cleaning the tube is a plausible theory, I just don't think likely.
The chain mustn't necessarily be of metal. If it is made of pieces of rope, it wouldn't damage the barrel. Why they should use this instead of a simple rope of course I can't tell.
Perhaps the gun breech is missing, they put in a chain and secured it with a tie bar, all in order to remove the gun from its position?
-- Edited by Pat on Sunday 13th of March 2011 04:25:00 PM
This appears to be French naval ordnance; note the slightly capped muzzle consistent with Schneider jacket design. I've seen this pic from the right side angle; though not with the chain attached. To further speculation, note the splinter shield has been removed and set aside. The only practical purpose ( to my mind ) for the chain would be to remove the tube from it's carriage by pulling it through the revetment opening. German battle field scrounging was notorious during WW1, and they recovered as much of their own, and enemy material, as they could. They were particularly fond of French long range ordnance and put it to use when at all possible. Whole batteries, for example, were armed with DeBange 120mm and 155mm guns during the 1916 artillery expansion.
But wouldn't a chain cause damage to the rifling inside of the tube? And why not a rope instead of a chain? Considering the profliferation of rohrkreper - weak barrels that explode - I would think gunners wouldn't want to cause any extra damage to the tube and risk a rohrkreper.
Rohrkrepierer, that happened mainly after a longer period of quick-firing or barrages. The barrel then over-heated, causing the shell to explode. That's not caused by a weak barrel: it's the grenade that starts 'to cook'. Other reasons are drooped or bent barrels, wrongly tempered time fuses or left cleaning material as cloth in the barrel. The chain: I can only imagine something like a chimney sweeper, a brush connected to a chain though these contraptions are 'thrown in' by gravity. More speculation, the pic doesn't reveal if for instance that chain goes through the barrel all the way, may be just the end, connected to a rod and brush?
-- Edited by kieffer on Monday 14th of March 2011 08:37:41 AM
-- Edited by kieffer on Monday 14th of March 2011 08:38:33 AM
Much interesting conjecture. Some random and totally uninformed impressions - the chain links are rigid, it's a steel chain for sure (sorry, rope chains would only multiply the number of failure points of otherwise serviceable cordage). The tension seems excessive for a "pull-through" - and the angle is wrong for that purpose. Removing the barrel certainly seems possible - some naval guns allowed that process without undue complication I believe, but they also allowed adjustment to the recoil (and anti-rotation) system(s) too, as the O/P suggested.
Removal of the shield suggests barrel removal (perhaps as part of recovery) but alternatively it might have been discarded right from the start (it would only complicate the improvised mounting inside the fortification). And there ought to be some sort of arrangement to receive the barrel if it is about to be slid out through the firing port. Credit where credit is due, the "drop-shorts" take care of their gear - or other people's gear. Which begs the question, is it simply being registered unusable? I would think some work at the breech end would be the usual (and easier) way to do that.
It is still a puzzle to my mind. The location and time would probably tell us (or someone who knows the battlefields well) much.
i see a fieldtrack in front of the gun instead of at the back of the emplacement, a train would bump against the barrel, my gues is a knocked out gun that is recuperated lieven
-- Edited by lieven on Monday 21st of March 2011 09:42:44 PM
Yes, there is a track in front of the gun position. At first, I didn't bring that in to the discussion because I wanted to see what might come up regarding the chain in the tube.
But now that you raise the point; what the heck is the track doing in front of the position?
