Canadian towed AA gun trials?

[sapper740]

Best title I could come up with for the next two pictures I've uploaded. Both show a bulldozer towing a tracked trailer in the snow. The first picture has the gun mounted directly onto the trailer while the second has the entire wheeled mount for the Bofors on the trailer. The first gun looks to be half-way in size between a 20mm Polsten and a 40mm Bofors. Perhaps a 37mm? (Where's Gunner when you need him?) I've never seen such a rig used operationally, hence the "trials" title. During my stint in the C.F., we used to borrow a very similar, although heavier duty trailer from 6th Field Engineer Co. to haul our DAREOD around. In any event, two interesting pics from Canada's military history. Enjoy! Derek.

[Les Freathy]

Hi Derek
That trailers looks identical to the Athey tracked trailer, if not its designed on those lines
cheers
Les

[Godwin Hampton]

Both are Bofors guns. The 'smaller' one is a static model, without the platform ( carriage ).
The 'mudguards' in the second picture are part of the lashing-down system to keep the gun in place while firing and travelling. No such provision for the crew!

[sapper740]

Originally Posted by Godwin Hampton

Both are Bofors guns. The 'smaller' one is a static model, without the platform ( carriage ).
The 'mudguards' in the second picture are part of the lashing-down system to keep the gun in place while firing and travelling. No such provision for the crew!

Today, gun crews are carried in air conditioned cabs, not so during WW II. They were made of sterner stuff back then, although I would have loved to have heard the comments from the crew if the cameraman down in the ditch muffed this shot and yelled,
"Cut! Master Bombardier, your nose is running! Wipe it, back the tractor up and we'll redo this shot. O.K. Take 23!"

[Roger Lucy]

These could be pictures from the trials that DND undertook in Petawawa in March 1942 at the behest of the Britsh Ministry of Supply to simulate the movment of a Bofors on a tracked mounting in arctic and mounntain conditions. DND agreed to send a Bofors gun to Petawawa where there was already an Atkey trailer and Loyd Carrier that could be used as the mountings. The trials are described on pp 62-5 of my Secret Weaposn of the Canadian Army (Service Publications, 2006) but I only found pictures of the trials with the gun mounted on the Lloyd Carrier.
The gun was tested on the Atkey trailer on 15 March, 1942 a D-7 Caterpillar tractor was used to tow it. The towing trials went well, the trailer being towed over 10 km of snow- covered roads and light bush. Drifts up to 1.2 metres presented no problems. It remained stable even when tilted up to 30degrees. The firing trials were not so encouraging. Four to six round bursts caused the trailer to sway, leading to wide dispersion. Single shots were only possible once every ten seconds as the sight had to be relaid. As a result, it was considered not feasible to engage ground or air targets with automatic fire, and only with carefully measured single shots.

[sapper740]

Originally Posted by Roger Lucy

These could be pictures from the trials that DND undertook in Petawawa in March 1942 at the behest of the Britsh Ministry of Supply to simulate the movment of a Bofors on a tracked mounting in arctic and mounntain conditions. DND agreed to send a Bofors gun to Petawawa where there was already an Atkey trailer and Loyd Carrier that could be used as the mountings. The trials are described on pp 62-5 of my Secret Weaposn of the Canadian Army (Service Publications, 2006) but I only found pictures of the trials with the gun mounted on the Lloyd Carrier.
The gun was tested on the Atkey trailer on 15 March, 1942 a D-7 Caterpillar tractor was used to tow it. The towing trials went well, the trailer being towed over 10 km of snow- covered roads and light bush. Drifts up to 1.2 metres presented no problems. It remained stable even when tilted up to 30degrees. The firing trials were not so encouraging. Four to six round bursts caused the trailer to sway, leading to wide dispersion. Single shots were only possible once every ten seconds as the sight had to be relaid. As a result, it was considered not feasible to engage ground or air targets with automatic fire, and only with carefully measured single shots.

Thanks for the info Roger, these pics are quite likely from that trial you described at Pet.