U.S. Artillery

[DocCasualty]

Pre-war training exercises. Model 1918 155mm Howitzers.

[Gojulas]

Nice additions, Gojulas!



Hmm, wonder which on has the worst bark and bite??

I don't know anything about this photo, other than it appears to be a US Coastal Artillery emplacement. Anybody up on Coastal Arty that could add anything else?

I think the gun is a 12incher on Buffington Crozier Disappearing Carriage.

On recoil the gun would be driven backwards and downwards in an arc until it is locked by a pawl at the bottom of this arc. The gun is now lowered and protected behind the parapet for reloading. During this arcing motion, a giant lever on which the trunnions are mounted lifts a counterweight in a pit beneath the mounting. After loading the locking pawl is released the counterweight would now pull the gun back into position ready for firing.

Here are some more pictures of the mounting and a simplified diagram of its mechanism and a drawing showing the gun in its loading and firing position.

[Pirate-Drakk]

Nice detail pics Gojulas!

[DocCasualty]

Great post, Gojulas! Excellent diagrams of the carriage mechanism. I didn't understand the "disappearing" concept previously.

I wonder if this picture was taken in The Phillipines. I found photos of these kinds of emplacements with these guns and carriages there (e.g.):


12-inch gun on a disappearing carriage, Battery Cheney, Fort Mills (2006)

I'm going to have to do more research on this. I know many coastal forts in the US had been abandoned as obsolete by WWII. I'm pretty sure Hawaii was still active as well as multiple forts in PI, possibly Gitmo and others.

I did have a chance to visit Fort De Soto in Tampa Bay, FL a few years ago. It was decomissioned long before WWII but has been nicely preserved. Fort De Soto has the only four 12-inch seacoast rifled mortars (model 1890 mounted on 1896 carriages) in the continental United States. Besides, it has an awesome beach!

[MAGNA]

There were some of these guns in Australia. At one place there were a heap of dignitaries and wives for some presentation many years ago. Apparently they fired one of these guns as part of the goings on. Problem was these things have a fairly wicked backblast - the spectators were behind and most were no longer standing afterward - "Simpkins - collect all those top hats and parasols and get them back to their owners...."

[DocCasualty]

"American howitzers shell German forces retreating near Carentan, France." Franklin, July 11, 1944.

[Gojulas]

8 in Howitzer in action against the Japanese in Luzon