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OT - Artillery


Subdeacon Joe

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Why has field artillery been metric basically since the invention of hydraulic recoil damping, e.g. 75mm, 105mm, 155mm, but naval artillery is still in general in imperial measure, e.g. 3"/50, 5"/38, 8"/55?

 

This is just a guess, but it could be from the fact that we used the French 75 during WWI and kind of stuck with the metric usage as a result.

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This is just a guess, but it could be from the fact that we used the French 75 during WWI and kind of stuck with the metric usage as a result.

 

 

I had thought of that, but given our stubbornness, it seems odd that we didn't call that 75 a 3", and the others 4" and 6" respectively. But I wouldn't bet against you.

 

Come to think of it, the tubes on our modern "Horse Artillery" (tanks) is also metric.

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Squid are slow learners. If it wasn't for the Marines they would sail over the horizon and never find their way to shore again.

 

Know how to take out a whole platoon of marines without firing a shot. Through wet sand on the wall and yell hit the beach. :D

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Naval guns are measured by diameter and length of barrel to get final designation for weapon system, ie; 5" 38 is a 5" bore with a 190" long barrel. A 5" 54 is a 5" bore with a 270 inch long barrel etc....then you get to my personal favorites the 16" rifles, you got to love a 2,750 pound projectile traveling 21 miles to wipe out a target.

 

Only one naval piece I crewed was in metric, and that was a MK75 - 76mm. Great gun, water cooled rapid fire, was on all the FFG7 (Perry class frigates) and hydrofoils (Pegasus class) .

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Naval guns are measured by diameter and length of barrel to get final designation for weapon system, ie; 5" 38 is a 5" bore with a 190" long barrel. A 5" 54 is a 5" bore with a 270 inch long barrel etc....then you get to my personal favorites the 16" rifles, you got to love a 2,750 pound projectile traveling 21 miles to wipe out a target.

 

 

Didn't the Japanese battlewagons have 19" guns (rifles?) in WW II?

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Squid are slow learners. If it wasn't for the Marines they would sail over the horizon and never find their way to shore again.

 

 

Just remember "squids" are the most intelligent form of marine life.

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Didn't the Japanese battlewagons have 19" guns (rifles?) in WW II?

 

 

The Yamato: 1941 & Musashi: 1942, battleships of Japan carried 9-18.1"/45 guns along with 6.1" and 5" guns.

 

http://www.combinedfleet.com/ships/yamato <- the link if you wish to read more.

 

Dutchman

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Why has field artillery been metric basically since the invention of hydraulic recoil damping, e.g. 75mm, 105mm, 155mm, but naval artillery is still in general in imperial measure, e.g. 3"/50, 5"/38, 8"/55?

 

Up until WWI, all our artillery pieces were measured in inches. the Largest breech loading field gun up until then was the 3 inch M1905. Coastal Artillery ranged from 10 to 12 inch rifles and were mostly mounted on a disappearing carriage. Once we entered the "Great War" we relied on the French to supply our Field Artillery units with guns and ended up with 1890's vintage French 75mm and 155mm Howitzers. After that, to be comptable with European ammo, we stayed with the Metric system for all but the 8 inch Howitzer and the Costal Artillery Guns. The Eight Inch gun fired projectiles compatable to the guns used on the US Navy's Cruisers.

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Some of the coastal guns used in Hawaii were actually naval guns removed from the Saratoga when her 8- 8 inch guns were replaced with 5 inch guns.

Both Lexington (CV-2) and Saratoga (CV-3) were originally built with 8 -8inch guns as heavy cruisers were seen as their main threat.

Experience with Coral Sea showed that aircraft was the real threat and the 8inch guns were useless as they were too slow firing and didnt have the elevation capability to be useful against aircraft.

Aircraft carriers after this point were built with dual purpose 5 inch guns.

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Up until WWI, all our artillery pieces were measured in inches. the Largest breech loading field gun up until then was the 3 inch M1905. Coastal Artillery ranged from 10 to 12 inch rifles and were mostly mounted on a disappearing carriage. Once we entered the "Great War" we relied on the French to supply our Field Artillery units with guns and ended up with 1890's vintage French 75mm and 155mm Howitzers. After that, to be comptable with European ammo, we stayed with the Metric system for all but the 8 inch Howitzer and the Costal Artillery Guns. The Eight Inch gun fired projectiles compatable to the guns used on the US Navy's Cruisers.

 

 

Since the OP's question has been answered, I'll lend my own by-line to the mix:

 

"Field Artillery: Lending dignity to what would otherwise be a vulgar brawl."

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Why has field artillery been metric basically since the invention of hydraulic recoil damping, e.g. 75mm, 105mm, 155mm, but naval artillery is still in general in imperial measure, e.g. 3"/50, 5"/38, 8"/55?

I lost most of my hearing to 203 mm guns. I didn't know they were called that until after I left the batallion.

 

1st Battalion 75th Artillery, 8" Self Propelled. 7th corps Artillery, US 7th Army.

and yes, nuclear capable.

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I lost most of my hearing to 203 mm guns. I didn't know they were called that until after I left the batallion.

 

1st Battalion 75th Artillery, 8" Self Propelled. 7th corps Artillery, US 7th Army.

and yes, nuclear capable.

 

Well Noz, I lost most of mine to the M1 Garand, the 81mm mortar and 106mm Recoilless rifle.

What was that you wuz saying? What ear protection? We don't need no stinkin ear protection......

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Up until WWI, all our artillery pieces were measured in inches. the Largest breech loading field gun up until then was the 3 inch M1905. Coastal Artillery ranged from 10 to 12 inch rifles and were mostly mounted on a disappearing carriage. Once we entered the "Great War" we relied on the French to supply our Field Artillery units with guns and ended up with 1890's vintage French 75mm and 155mm Howitzers. After that, to be comptable with European ammo, we stayed with the Metric system for all but the 8 inch Howitzer and the Costal Artillery Guns. The Eight Inch gun fired projectiles compatable to the guns used on the US Navy's Cruisers.

 

Thank you. You confirm DocWard's guess above. I knew that someone would come up with the information for me.

 

Since the OP's question has been answered, I'll lend my own by-line to the mix:

 

"Field Artillery: Lending dignity to what would otherwise be a vulgar brawl."

 

You know why Infantry is called "The Queen of Battle," don't you?

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Ya know the Squids and Jarheads have been at eachother since they started ,

Kinda like the Grunts and Treadheads, Cannoncockers , Ect .

We may scuffel amongest each other but ya outside folks best leave us alone , lest we all take ya out .

Inter-service riviley comes under the heading of on feilds of friendly strife .

 

CB (former GRUNT)

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Ya know the Squids and Jarheads have been at eachother since they started ,

Kinda like the Grunts and Treadheads, Cannoncockers , Ect .

We may scuffel amongest each other but ya outside folks best leave us alone , lest we all take ya out .

Inter-service riviley comes under the heading of on feilds of friendly strife .

 

CB (former GRUNT)

 

 

GRUNTS IS GUD! :)

 

But I wuz a straightleg.

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Squid are slow learners. If it wasn't for the Marines they would sail over the horizon and never find their way to shore again.

 

I thought the Marines just go where the squids take them. The squids might sail off the edge of the world but the marines will make sure they are safe all the way.

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Probably because Squids don't have cannons or artillery. They have Naval Rifles.....

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just remember the jarheads come under the navy comand we give the job of standing on the quater dech to look purdy

The Marines are part of the Department of The Navy.....

 

 

The Men's Department.....

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Ya know the Squids and Jarheads have been at eachother since they started ,

Kinda like the Grunts and Treadheads, Cannoncockers , Ect .

We may scuffel amongest each other but ya outside folks best leave us alone , lest we all take ya out .

Inter-service riviley comes under the heading of on feilds of friendly strife .

 

CB (former GRUNT)

 

 

Well I must be schizophrenic. I started out as an enlisted grunt, then got commissioned in the ordnance branch, then became a Reservist and switched to the Military Police Corps. I have a lot of brass sitting around!

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Looks like we hijacked this one pretty good .

CB

 

Gentlemen, feel free to hijack this to wherever you want. Kinda fun reading what all of you have to say. Just keep in mind as you fly it around that Triple A doesn't always mean the Automobile club.

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Dunno. I was in an 8 inch howitzer batallion. If coerced we would say "203 mm." Of course, our sister batallions had 175mm howitzers on the same chassis.

 

Now the old Long Tom 175's were some real cannons! Hard to beat the accuracy of an 8 incher tho.

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I was in a couple Cannon Cocker Units over the years too. We had 105's 155's, 175's. My units didn't have any 8" Guns but they were out there in other's...

BTW, the 4.2 mortars are classified as Artillery.

 

 

As mentione earlier, Artillery brings dignity to what would otherwise be an ugly brawl.

 

As a Grunt, I loved Cannon Cockers unless they were sloppy and dropped their Ordinance short and hit us...Same with Zoomies.....

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You know, I've been in the Army for 17 years now, some active and some reserve, and have never even heard of a 175 mm. I've called for fire once in the real world, and seeing six 155mm rounds go off at a distance was rather disconcerting. I've also been on the receiving end of 107mm rockets and various sizes of mortars. Those were extremely disconcerting.

 

I'll hazard a guess that seeing a 175mm go off must be a sight to behold!

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I was in a couple Cannon Cocker Units over the years too. We had 105's 155's, 175's. My units didn't have any 8" Guns but they were out there in other's...

BTW, the 4.2 mortars are classified as Artillery.

 

 

As mentione earlier, Artillery brings dignity to what would otherwise be an ugly brawl.

 

As a Grunt, I loved Cannon Cockers unless they were sloppy and dropped their Ordinance short and hit us...Same with Zoomies.....

 

There is nothing quite like a short round lifting you up off the ground and dropping you back down again to make you want to check your shorts.

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When I was quite young, my family had a summer cottage on Peddocks Island in Boston harbor, which is by Hull Gut, the main entrance to the harbor. The end of the island had an active fort, "Fort Andrews." During WWII, a jeep would occasionally drive down the beach telling everyone to: "Open your windows" as they were going to practice firing the 12" guns at a scow being towed by a tug with a really long rope. This was followed by big booms and tall splashes.

 

I also remember them opening the sub nets and bringing convoys in/out.

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You know, I've been in the Army for 17 years now, some active and some reserve, and have never even heard of a 175 mm. I've called for fire once in the real world, and seeing six 155mm rounds go off at a distance was rather disconcerting. I've also been on the receiving end of 107mm rockets and various sizes of mortars. Those were extremely disconcerting.

 

I'll hazard a guess that seeing a 175mm go off must be a sight to behold!

 

 

April 1970.

It was about 2 or 3 in the morning. The temperature had finally cooled down to where your canteen water didn't feel like a warm bath. Things were quiet except for the occasional parachute flare popping off. After a shift in the TOC bunker I dragged myself back to my burrow for a few hours shut eye.

A few more puffs of air into my rubber bitch, I arranged my poncho liner pillow just right, made sure Mattel rifle and mags were in reach, and I drifted off to sleep in the bottom of my tidy hole.

 

Then the universe shifted. I awoke in a cloud of dust with my ears ringing.

"Crap, RPG or mortars", I thought. "Can't I just get some shuteye without somebody trying to kill me?"

Then another explosion rocked my world. I grabbed my steel pot and looked over the rim of my foxhole. No tracers. No screams. No trip flares. The firebase appeared quiet. Then I heard somebody faintly yell "Fire".

My world went all topsy turvy again!

 

I looked to my rear and in the dim light saw the humongous smoking barrel sticking up over some brush and pointing right over my position from about 50 yards away. It seems a battery of 175 SPs had moved in that afternoon and sometime during the wee hours they got a fire mission and swung around. Unfortunately my home excavated away from home was in the wrong place. As they loaded another Volkswagen-sized round again I grabbed my meager possessions and scurried away like a rabbit flushed from his hole.

 

Spent the rest of the evening waiting for the ringing in my ears to go away.

I'm still waiting. :angry:

 

The bodacious 175mm Self Propelled Gun

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