Landships II

Date: Sep 24, 2005

mystery large guns part 3

Date: Sep 25, 2005

Hello Jon

I knew I had seen those guns before, While reasearching the U.S. Naval 7-inch Track-propelled Gun Mk.2 1918, I came across the same pictures, the pictures I saw were originals, and stamped US Ordanance Department Official Photo. It stated on the back, that they were American Navy Guns designed by the US Ordanance Department in conjunction with the US Navy, They are said to be some of the longest range field guns made to that point in history. I wish it would have had a name or caliber of the gun, but no such luck. It also stated more than a Hundred guns were sent to General Pershing, But they did not arrive before the war ended.

Thats all I have

All the Best

Tim R.

Date: Sep 26, 2005

Hello !

These are US 5 inch naval ordnance converted to land use. They were developed after the war in an effort to copy the efforts of the European powers use of such weaponry during the Great War. Only a limited number were converted, and none saw combat. The only survivor I am aware of resides peacefully at Aberdeen.

Jack Mueller

Date: Sep 27, 2005

Just wanted to thank Tim and Jack for their help. Anyone have any idea how long the US Army used the camo style shown? In one of his books Steve Zaloga seems to imply that it was at least 1920. He also says it was based on a French WWI camo style.

Jon

Date: Oct 4, 2005

Hello, I just ran accross some extra information on these guns, And I thought I would pass it along.

In the five and six-inch guns that could despaired from the Coast Artillery and the reserve store of the Navy there was shell power that might quickly be made available for the western front. When the United States entered the war the Ordnance Department at once set out to master the problem of placing these heavy fixed emplacement pieces on mobile field Mounts.

An inventory showed that ninety-five six-inch and twenty-eight 5-inch guns could be secured from the Coast Artillery and forty-six 6-inch guns from the Navy, while an additional 30 guns of the six-inch size were offered by a private dealer in this country. Minor alterations were necessary in many of the guns to make them adaptable to field mounts, and the Navy guns, ranging from 30 to 50 calibers in length, had to be cut down to a uniform length of 30 calibers. The long six-inch seacoast guns were not shortened because it was planned to return them to the Coast Defenses from which they were taken.

Speed in the manufacture of the Carriages for these Guns demanded that they be of the simplest design consistent with the great strength necessary to bear the weight of this fixed emplacement material. The carriage designed for the five and six-inch naval guns having been placed under test and found to meet all requirements by September of 1917 and orders were placed for ninety-two 6-inch Carriages and twenty-eight five-inch Carriages. Owing to the great weight of the long six-inch seacoast guns, however it was found at that it would be necessary to carry them separately on big transport wagons. Such a wagon was designed and an order placed for 55 wagons in February of 1918.

When the Armistice was signed practically all of these mounts had been completed. Seventy-two entirely assembled six-inch units and twenty-six; five-inch units had been shipped for overseas duty.

Here is picture 1. https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b328/ww1nsew/61RB7.jpg

A 6-inch, 50 calibres Seacoast Rifle mobile mount. This one is named "Krupp Krumbler" and this type was used by the 61st Artillery, 62nd Artillery and the 68th Artillery CAC. The lack of a traversing mechanism made this a very cumbersom gun to handle. It is laid by moving the entire gun by hand.

Here is picture 2. https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b328/ww1nsew/6inchgunpark.jpg

A gun park of 6-inch Seacoast guns.

All of this great information came from the following site.

Defeating the Hun

History of United States Army
Coast Artillery Corps
During World War One

http://freepages.military.rootsweb.com/~cacunithistories/defeating_the_hun.htm

Check it out, it has alot of great stuff.

All the Best

Tim R.

Date: Oct 16, 2005

Tim, thanks for the info and link to the "Defeating the Hun" website.

I spent some time today looking at the site, especially the 5 and 6 inch gun info. When I read the text you quoted, it seems to imply the there were no 5 Inch Naval guns put on field carriages, only Coastal Artillery ones. The other thing I noticed is that the two photos from the above site show fairly different guns; the upper photo (61RB7.jpg) shows a gun with a long and slender barrel, with the barrel centerline near the top of the carriage road wheel. The lower photo (6inchgunpark.jpg) shows a gun with a larger bore and with a barrel centerline below the top of the carriage road wheel.

What this seems to indicate to me is that the photos I originally posted show 5 inch Coastal Artillery guns on field carriages, and that 61RB7.jpg actually shows a 5 inch gun, not a 6 inch. Does this seem reasonable?

Jon