German photographs (3)
26 July 2003
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These three photographs show three german artillery pieces. I know next to nothing about artillery, so for a long time I've had these three photographs up here with next to no information about them. One in particular has been something of a puzzle. I initially guessed that it might be a naval cannon mounted for field use. I was wrong, though (not surprising given how little I know about this sort of thing!).
Yesterday I received an email from a visitor to this site who provided definitive information about that third photograph. Here is what he said:
"In fact it is not a naval gun, but a so-called 15 cm Kanone in Schirmlafette. This gun was specially designed by Krupp to provide long range fire for the fortress Metz. The range was extraordinary for those days: 19,400 m. The gun was mounted on a four-legged metal platform and normally transported by rail. Around Metz a total of 10 batteries with each two emplacements were constructed. However Krupp only produced 15 guns (only eight in Metz) which makes photos of these guns extremely rare. Your photo must have been taken after September 1914, when the guns were converted for the field use with a new platform. The guns were transported using steam tractors.
One of the gun emplacements around Metz is under restoration. It is part of the Feste Wagner, a large German fort south of Metz. For more information you can look at http://site.voila.fr/festewagner/."
So now we know what this photograph is showing - very satisfying!
Krupp 15cm cannon, Schirmlafette.
German 21 cm heavy mortar (1).
The shell for these mortars weighted 113 kg, so it had to carried by four men. The mortar is equipped with plates on the wheels to prevent it from sinking into the mud.
German 21 cm heavy mortar (2).
German pictures:
page 1 | page 2 | page 3 | page 4 | page 5 | page 6 | page 7
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The photographs shown on this page belong to my mother, Mrs J Smillie. You are welcome to copy and use them for educational and other non-commercial purposes (we'd love to know about it if you do, though). To discuss other uses, please email me at dms@zetnet.co.uk. Thank you.
Photographs used by kind permission of Mrs J Smillie. All rights reserved.
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