mystery guns

[Les Freathy]

I thought i would start a thread dedicated to gun mysterys that need identification. I for one have a few bits that still remain open in my folders including these two photos of guns built in WW2 by the Baker Perkins company at the Westwood works. The first photo states a 2pdr gun, well its the strangest 2 pdr i have ever seen the second is a twin barrel A.A gun on a four wheel carriage

OK gunners its your call
cheers
Les

[Noel Burgess]

is, I think, a twin 6 pounder - this was an eary war attempt to produce a medium AA gun (light AA covered low-flyers and heavy covered the high flyer - something was needed to cover the gap)
They were developed from the 6pdr coast artilery and had a twin mounting on a three wheeled carriage. The main problem it seems was in developing an auto loader and, by the time a practical system was ready, Allied air superiority removed the need for it.

Info courtesy of "Artliiery" by Batchelor & Hogg
Noel

[Colin Macgregor Stevens]

This one is in excellent operating condition and is at Fort Rodd Hill opposite CFB Esquimalt. It was returnd from Norway where Canada had sent it as aid.Left to right: 1942 BSA airborne bicycle of Colin Stevens; twin-6 Pdr; WO Don Thomas, Colin Stevens

[Les Freathy]

never seen this A.A mounted on a Bofors type carrage, would this be the same gun or guns mounted on the early halftracks

[Godwin Hampton]

Les,

Here you have 2 Browning designed weapons built for the US Army. The artillery is a 37mm AA gun M1. It was relegated to substitute standard when enough Bofors guns were available to replace it, and possibly supplied to allied armies, as seems to be the case with this example.

The other Browning design are those 2 tube-like things on top, which happen to be 50cal. machine guns M2, the water-cooled version of the famous M2,HB heavy machine gun.

I would consider this a rather unusual set-up, and hopefully someone can shed more light on it.

[bram risseeuw]

lend-lease shipments 37 mm AA
432 British Empire
100 French Forces
48 Brazil
4 Bolivia
24 Chile
12 Ecuador
(The Bolivians have one in their museum)

Bram

[Les Freathy]

Interesting list there Bram the photo is shown as part of the AA defence of the island of Tonga, any body have any further thoughts on the halftrack question
cheers
Les

[Neil Ashley]

The first one looks like a 32 Pounder which was to be the 17 Pounder replacement if the war had lasted much longer.

Luckerly other than being fitted in the Tortoise it never saw any service. Its meant to be basicaly a modified 3.7" anti-aircraft gun.

[sapper740]

Originally posted by Les Freathy
never seen this A.A mounted on a Bofors type carrage, would this be the same gun or guns mounted on the early halftracks

This mount looks very similar to any one of the M2/M3 half-track based CGMC's (Combination Gun Motor Carriage) mounts, I wonder if it could have been the basis for the T28E1 CGMC? There's an M.V. collector in North Vancouver who owns an M15/M15A1 Half-track, unfortunately, despairing of ever finding the mount which had been removed, converted his CGMC to an M16. His Half-track is definitely M15 as evidenced by the muzzle blast deflector over the driver's compartment. He found it in the Cariboo region of B.C., not too far north of where Phil Waterman's convoy pics were taken where it was utilized as a skidder for a "Gyppo" logging outfit. I don't know where the original owner bought the Half-track. As an aside, I heard an interesting account of how the M15 was used by an American Veteran of the Italian campaign. Apparently, they would initially only use the shorter range .50's so enemy pilots became comfortable outside a certain range and would be more likely to fly straight and level, then the AA crews would open up with the cannon to greater effect. Not sure if it's true but it makes a good story. I'll include some pics of the mount on a half-track at Ft. Lewis, Wash.

[sapper740]

Originally posted by sapper740
This mount looks very similar to any one of the M2/M3 half-track based CGMC's (Combination Gun Motor Carriage) mounts, I wonder if it could have been the basis for the T28E1 CGMC?

One more pic: