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Early American SPGS

Discussion in 'The Guns Galore Section' started by scaramouche, Nov 21, 2004.

  1. scaramouche

    scaramouche New Member

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    While going through a very interesting second hand book store in Washington D.C, l came accross a copy of a book called "Age of Great Guns"-which was readable enough and well detailed. What the heck! for $10.00 you can't go wrong..At any rate, when l reached the the sixth chapter, I found an extra added bonus: several loose pages( obviously from another book !) fell out. They depict American SPGs of the First World War. Hope you find them as interesting as l did!

    1 and 2) "Caterpillar Tractor with 3-inch gun mounted on it" reads the caption... Can anyone identify the gun? It appears to be the 75 mm version of the British 18 pdr. built in US plants during WW1
    3) A British 8-inch howitzer, which was built in large numbers for the English as well a sthe American Armies during WW1 , also on a caterpillar mount..

    Best regards
     
  2. liang

    liang New Member

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    I am amazed to find that the concept of SPG was already being utilized in WWI.
     
  3. scaramouche

    scaramouche New Member

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    the acrual saving in tonnage shipped in useless horse-towed artillery pieces, including horses, harnasses, forrage and vehicles must have been enormous, and a compelling reason to motorize artillery... For example, when you couple the gun to a truck, at once you do away with limber and ammo wagon..The ammo is carried on the truck, which also carried the gunners and other equipment in relative confort.. What is really amazing is the fact that the US and French armies (see the photos under unknown type of gun) failed to follow up on mechanization....Contrast the photos of those early US SPGS to this text-book display of an Argentine army Schneider 155 mm howitzer battery on parade during WW2...
     
  4. Roel

    Roel New Member

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    The fuel consumed by truck-towed artillery proved too much for the Germans during WW2, too; throughout the war most of their artillery was towed by horses, unless an integrated part of a mobile division or SP gun of course. On the Eastern front the Germans used 650,000 horses!
     
  5. scaramouche

    scaramouche New Member

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    The Russians were heavily dependant on horse power to tow their artillery, even during the closing stages of the war..despite the 500.000 American vehicles provided uner Lend-Lease.


    "Forgive your enemies, but get even first!" Guido Fannucci, Bensonhurst, Brooklyn (New York) 1961
     

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