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Paris Gun attacks, the original.

But then, the Amiens gun wasn't a 'Super Gun' either.
Where I grew up had a railway gun stationed there in WW!. A railway runs around a Headland giving a gun a very wide arc of fire across the Tees Bay.
 
Captain_Swoop said:
But then, the Amiens gun wasn't a 'Super Gun' either.
Where I grew up had a railway gun stationed there in WW!. A railway runs around a Headland giving a gun a very wide arc of fire across the Tees Bay.
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However, it was probably more effective for not being such a gun.
 
Most of them were battleship guns, plenty of ammunition and parts for re sleeving when needed.
 
I don't see why not, there would be plenty of spare guns anyway. There were usualy several sets per ship as they have to change them for re lining every 300 rounds or so.
 
Captain_Swoop said:
I don't see why not, there would be plenty of spare guns anyway. There were usualy several sets per ship as they have to change them for re lining every 300 rounds or so.
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So the guns on the ships would be irrelevant and could be broken up as part of the Big Picture. I've seen BB guns cut up but wasn't sure if that was standard practice.
 
Gawdzilla said:
Demilitarizing the BBs under the Washington Conference, were they allowed to keep the guns?
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When the Japanese demilitarized Hiei, they carefully stored everything so they could re-convert her when the time came. It did, and they did. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_battleship_Hiei

Back on the original topic, the Paris Gun was emplaced on the grounds of the Chateau de Coucy. When the Germans departed, they blew up the enormous (35m dia x 55m tall) keep. Whether that was to keep it from being used as an observation post or simply out of spite is debatable.
 
Trebuchet said:
Back on the original topic, the Paris Gun was emplaced on the grounds of the Chateau de Coucy. When the Germans departed, they blew up the enormous (35m dia x 55m tall) keep. Whether that was to keep it from being used as an observation post or simply out of spite is debatable.
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Perhaps the latter motive. During the Middle Ages the family of warlords whose stronghold that castle was were astonishingly influential throughout Western Europe.
The lords of Coucy become, especially in the 13th century, one of the most powerful sub-comital magnates in western Europe, and forged links with royal families such as those of France, England and Scotland. It was eventually absorbed at the end of the 14th century by Louis of Valois, Duke of Orléans.
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http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lords_of_Coucy
 
Reading this thread made me think of the biggest artillery piece I have seen and touched, the M65 Atomic Annie (almost certainly a play on Anzio Annie) at the U.S. Army Artillery Museum at Ft. Sill OK (I did AIT just up the road back in '86). I didn't realize until yesterday, after reading the Wikipedia article, that this was the actual gun that fired the only live atomic artillery shell test at Frenchman Flat back in '53.
 
They have a working model of one of the US Coast Artillery's "Dissapearing Guns" at Battery Baker in San Francisco. The Guns were mounted on a platform that could be raised and lowered a few feet in a matter of seconds. The idea was the guns would be behind a wall;all the sighting and tracking info would be calculated and then the gun presighted while still lowered;then it would be raised,a quick check made, fired,and then lowered behind the wall so the enemy ships would not have a chance to return fire. Fascinating to watch.
 
dudalb said:
Anything by Tuchman is worth reading.
Distant Mirror is excellent, but her best book remains "The Guns Of August".
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That's what I meant by her "1914". I really like it, but it's now fifty years old. Is it seriously dated, or has it survived the passage of time?
 
dudalb said:
They have a working model of one of the US Coast Artillery's "Dissapearing Guns" at Battery Baker in San Francisco. The Guns were mounted on a platform that could be raised and lowered a few feet in a matter of seconds. The idea was the guns would be behind a wall;all the sighting and tracking info would be calculated and then the gun presighted while still lowered;then it would be raised,a quick check made, fired,and then lowered behind the wall so the enemy ships would not have a chance to return fire. Fascinating to watch.
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Such batteries were still in position in the Philippines in 1941, and engaged the invading Japanese forces.
Battery Crockett - This gun emplacement was initially constructed in 1905 and was completed in 1908 at a cost of $290,049. It was one of the six "disappearing" gun batteries that formed the interlocking field of fire which totally encircled the island ... It was located centrally on the island and firing basically south across the major southern channel into Manila Bay.
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http://corregidorisland.com/guns.html
 
dudalb said:
They have a working model of one of the US Coast Artillery's "Dissapearing Guns" at Battery Baker in San Francisco. The Guns were mounted on a platform that could be raised and lowered a few feet in a matter of seconds. The idea was the guns would be behind a wall;all the sighting and tracking info would be calculated and then the gun presighted while still lowered;then it would be raised,a quick check made, fired,and then lowered behind the wall so the enemy ships would not have a chance to return fire. Fascinating to watch.
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It was designed for Muzzle Loaders, the alternative is to run the gun in to load.
 
Captain_Swoop said:
It was designed for Muzzle Loaders, the alternative is to run the gun in to load.
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James Eads developed the system during the ACW. He fitted out the City-class riverboat ironclads with guns that recoiled below the waterline and stored the recoil to allow the gun to return to battery after loading.

He also built the Eads Bridge in St. Louis.
 
dudalb said:
They have a working model of one of the US Coast Artillery's "Dissapearing Guns" at Battery Baker in San Francisco. The Guns were mounted on a platform that could be raised and lowered a few feet in a matter of seconds. The idea was the guns would be behind a wall;all the sighting and tracking info would be calculated and then the gun presighted while still lowered;then it would be raised,a quick check made, fired,and then lowered behind the wall so the enemy ships would not have a chance to return fire. Fascinating to watch.
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They have two actual guns at Fort Casey State Park on Whidbey Island, WA. They had originally been emplaced in the Philipines and one has battle damage from WWII.

http://www.parks.wa.gov/505/Fort-Casey
 
Craig B said:
Such batteries were still in position in the Philippines in 1941, and engaged the invading Japanese forces. http://corregidorisland.com/guns.html
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There were in position in the San Francisco Bay Coastal Defences as well, same design.
The one currently in San Francisco above Baker Beach is the only one that still works, though. The National Park Sevice ( the SF coastal defence sites are part of the Golden Gate Recreation Area) operates it twice a week.
 
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