BIG GUNS

Shakethetrees · 16th June 2016, 04:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pukka Bundook

Andi,

The piece you show in post 15 above is a fantastic piece of engineering!!
How they cut the breech threads I do not know, but whoever did this work really knew his onions!

I think nowadays they would say it was impossible back then, but these craftsmen were brilliant. No other word for it!!

Thank you for posting.

Richard.

We tend to forget that people were just as smart, clever, and creative in every era as we are today. When a problem arose they solved it.

Pukka Bundook · 16th June 2016, 07:52 PM

I agree entirely STT.

I have always been opposed to the "present overweening intellectual conceit", as Andrew Murray put it so well at the end of the 19th century!
I think if anything, people these days are getting thicker. :-)

Today we can push buttons, and often that's about it!
Gradfather said many years ago, holding out his hands, "In 20 years time, anyone that can use these will be at a premium".

I think he was right.
Years ago here, a chap had his big steam engine break the crank right at the throw;
Took it to the local welding shop in town, and the two brothers there forge -welded it back together. Took them a week.
When done, it was as right as it was before it broke and balanced perfectly.

Today they'd say That was impossible as well!!

And it stay'd fixed. didn't break again.
Please pardon OT. :-)

corrado26 · 17th June 2016, 11:46 AM

Here an interesting vdeo of the biggest cannon ever built
corrado26

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=As3NzDQknVc

Hotspur · 17th June 2016, 08:49 PM

I would be remiss not to mention Gerald Bull, of the 20th century. I had first read of him in the 1960s when he suggested economical mortars using truck springs to hurl shells.

Later on. he was involved with Iran and the Babylon projuct, which while never finished would have been along the lines of the old rail guns. i had read about the Krupp guns in one of the histories of the company and had the impression the first targets were against the French and targeting Paris from Belgian held rails.

Cheers

GC

http://www.thewednesdayreport.com/twr/Gerry_Bull.htm

VANDOO · 19th July 2016, 05:24 AM

A FEW MORE NOTABLE BIG GUNS. #1. 274MM. GERMAN HOWITZER WW2
#2. ATLANTIC WALL BATTERY GERMAN WITH CREW
#3, #4. & #5. AMERICAN 36 INCH, OR 910 MM. MORTAR TESTED BUT NEVER USED IN COMBAT ONE OF THE LARGEST CALIBER GUNS EVER. SHOWN LAYING DOWN IN LOADING POSITION AND UP IN FIRING POSITION AND WITH PROJECTILE AS IT SITS TODAY.
#6. THE RUSSIAN TSAR TANK 1915 FAILED ITS TRIALS AND BOGGED DOWN.
#7. & #8. A GERMAN SUPER TANK NAMED THE RATTE IT WAS NEVER PRODUCED EXCEPT AD PLANS AND MODEL;S BUT WOULD HAVE MOUNTED GUNS AS BIG AS THOSE ONLY USED ON BATTLESHIPS.
#9. THRU #12. THE GERMAN SUPER GUN HOCKDRUCKPUMPE AKA MILLIPEDE. THEY WERE INTENDED TO BE USED TO BOMBARD LONDON FROM FRANCE BUT WERE NEVER SUCCESSFUL AND THE COMPLEX WAS BOMBED AND DESTROYED BEFORE IT COULD BE USED. THE UNDERGROUND COMPLEX WAS ORIGINALLY PLANNED TO HAVE SETS OF 5 GUNS IN EACH LINE AND UP TO 50 GUNS (SEE DRAWING ). MAXIMUM FIRING RANGE WAS PLANNED TO BE 165 KM. THE BARREL WAS 150 METERS OR 490 FEET LONG AND FIRED A 150 MM FINNED PROJECTILE WEIGHING 310 LBS. WITH A 25 KILO EXPLOSIVE CHARGE. THE PROJECTILE INITIALLY FIRED WITH AN EXPLOSIVE BUT SOLID ROCKET FUEL BOOSTERS FIRED AS IT PASSED EACH JOINT INCREASING ITS VELOCITY. THE BARREL WAS NOT RIFLED TO CAUSE SPIN AND THE PROJECTILES FINS STABILIZED IT IN FLIGHT. #12 IS A PICTURE OF A PROJECTILE

VANDOO · 19th July 2016, 05:37 AM

#1 DETAIL OF THE SECTIONS OF THE V-3 SUPER GUN. SECTIONS COULD BE REPLACED WHEN NEEDED. THE IDEA FOR THIS TYPE OF GUN WAS DESIGNED IN FRANCE IN THE 1800'S AND VARIATIONS HAVE BEEN TRIED UP TO THE PRESENT IRAQ'S SUPER GUN BEING THE MOST RECENT I KNOW OF BUT IT IS LIKELY SOMEONE IS EXPERIMENTING WITH SUCH A GUN SOMEWHERE AT PRESENT.
#2. JUST FOR FUN SUPER SOLDIERS ? NO JUST A INFLATABLE TANK TO FOOL THE ENEMY, LOTS OF TRICKERY IN WAR SOMETIMES EVEN SOMETHING SIMPLE OR SEEMINGLY SILLY CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

VANDOO · 29th December 2016, 05:24 AM

i HAVEN'T REVISITED THIS POST IN A WHILE AND HAVE FOUND A FEW MORE INTERESTING BIG GUNS. I WAS SEARCHING TO FIND OUT WHAT WAS THE BIGGEST CANNON THE CHINESE EVER BUILT. IT WAS A SURPRISE TO FIND LITTLE INFORMATION EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE THE ONES WHO INVENTED THE CANNON. PERHAPS WE WILL RUN IT DOWN LATER.
#1. LARGE GUN SHELLS THE FIRST ONE IS 800 MM. GUSTAV SHELL WEIGHS 4600 KG. AND PRODUCES A CRATER 30 FEET DEEP X 30 FEET WIDE IN SOLID GROUND. TH.
#2 & #3. DORA GUN SHELLS ONE WW2 PICTURE AND ONE DIAGRAM.
#4. LOADING MACHINERY FOR BIG GERMAN GUN
#5. GERMAN 42 CM. GAMMA HOWITZER
#6. A WHIRLWIND CANNON
AT PRESENT I HAVE NO INFORMATION ON #6 BUT IT IS AN UNUSUAL CONTRAPTION.

16th June 2016, 07:52 PM	#2
Pukka Bundook Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 803	I agree entirely STT. I have always been opposed to the "present overweening intellectual conceit", as Andrew Murray put it so well at the end of the 19th century! I think if anything, people these days are getting thicker. :-) Today we can push buttons, and often that's about it! Gradfather said many years ago, holding out his hands, "In 20 years time, anyone that can use these will be at a premium". I think he was right. Years ago here, a chap had his big steam engine break the crank right at the throw; Took it to the local welding shop in town, and the two brothers there forge -welded it back together. Took them a week. When done, it was as right as it was before it broke and balanced perfectly. Today they'd say That was impossible as well!! And it stay'd fixed. didn't break again. Please pardon OT. :-)

17th June 2016, 11:46 AM	#3
corrado26 Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: Black Forest, Germany Posts: 1,171	Here an interesting vdeo of the biggest cannon ever built corrado26 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=As3NzDQknVc

17th June 2016, 08:49 PM	#4
Hotspur Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Nipmuc USA Posts: 491	I would be remiss not to mention Gerald Bull, of the 20th century. I had first read of him in the 1960s when he suggested economical mortars using truck springs to hurl shells. Later on. he was involved with Iran and the Babylon projuct, which while never finished would have been along the lines of the old rail guns. i had read about the Krupp guns in one of the histories of the company and had the impression the first targets were against the French and targeting Paris from Belgian held rails. Cheers GC http://www.thewednesdayreport.com/twr/Gerry_Bull.htm

19th July 2016, 05:24 AM	#5
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	A FEW MORE NOTABLE BIG GUNS. #1. 274MM. GERMAN HOWITZER WW2 #2. ATLANTIC WALL BATTERY GERMAN WITH CREW #3, #4. & #5. AMERICAN 36 INCH, OR 910 MM. MORTAR TESTED BUT NEVER USED IN COMBAT ONE OF THE LARGEST CALIBER GUNS EVER. SHOWN LAYING DOWN IN LOADING POSITION AND UP IN FIRING POSITION AND WITH PROJECTILE AS IT SITS TODAY. #6. THE RUSSIAN TSAR TANK 1915 FAILED ITS TRIALS AND BOGGED DOWN. #7. & #8. A GERMAN SUPER TANK NAMED THE RATTE IT WAS NEVER PRODUCED EXCEPT AD PLANS AND MODEL;S BUT WOULD HAVE MOUNTED GUNS AS BIG AS THOSE ONLY USED ON BATTLESHIPS. #9. THRU #12. THE GERMAN SUPER GUN HOCKDRUCKPUMPE AKA MILLIPEDE. THEY WERE INTENDED TO BE USED TO BOMBARD LONDON FROM FRANCE BUT WERE NEVER SUCCESSFUL AND THE COMPLEX WAS BOMBED AND DESTROYED BEFORE IT COULD BE USED. THE UNDERGROUND COMPLEX WAS ORIGINALLY PLANNED TO HAVE SETS OF 5 GUNS IN EACH LINE AND UP TO 50 GUNS (SEE DRAWING ). MAXIMUM FIRING RANGE WAS PLANNED TO BE 165 KM. THE BARREL WAS 150 METERS OR 490 FEET LONG AND FIRED A 150 MM FINNED PROJECTILE WEIGHING 310 LBS. WITH A 25 KILO EXPLOSIVE CHARGE. THE PROJECTILE INITIALLY FIRED WITH AN EXPLOSIVE BUT SOLID ROCKET FUEL BOOSTERS FIRED AS IT PASSED EACH JOINT INCREASING ITS VELOCITY. THE BARREL WAS NOT RIFLED TO CAUSE SPIN AND THE PROJECTILES FINS STABILIZED IT IN FLIGHT. #12 IS A PICTURE OF A PROJECTILE Attached Images

19th July 2016, 05:37 AM	#6
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	#1 DETAIL OF THE SECTIONS OF THE V-3 SUPER GUN. SECTIONS COULD BE REPLACED WHEN NEEDED. THE IDEA FOR THIS TYPE OF GUN WAS DESIGNED IN FRANCE IN THE 1800'S AND VARIATIONS HAVE BEEN TRIED UP TO THE PRESENT IRAQ'S SUPER GUN BEING THE MOST RECENT I KNOW OF BUT IT IS LIKELY SOMEONE IS EXPERIMENTING WITH SUCH A GUN SOMEWHERE AT PRESENT. #2. JUST FOR FUN SUPER SOLDIERS ? NO JUST A INFLATABLE TANK TO FOOL THE ENEMY, LOTS OF TRICKERY IN WAR SOMETIMES EVEN SOMETHING SIMPLE OR SEEMINGLY SILLY CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. Attached Images

29th December 2016, 05:24 AM	#7
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	i HAVEN'T REVISITED THIS POST IN A WHILE AND HAVE FOUND A FEW MORE INTERESTING BIG GUNS. I WAS SEARCHING TO FIND OUT WHAT WAS THE BIGGEST CANNON THE CHINESE EVER BUILT. IT WAS A SURPRISE TO FIND LITTLE INFORMATION EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE THE ONES WHO INVENTED THE CANNON. PERHAPS WE WILL RUN IT DOWN LATER. #1. LARGE GUN SHELLS THE FIRST ONE IS 800 MM. GUSTAV SHELL WEIGHS 4600 KG. AND PRODUCES A CRATER 30 FEET DEEP X 30 FEET WIDE IN SOLID GROUND. TH. #2 & #3. DORA GUN SHELLS ONE WW2 PICTURE AND ONE DIAGRAM. #4. LOADING MACHINERY FOR BIG GERMAN GUN #5. GERMAN 42 CM. GAMMA HOWITZER #6. A WHIRLWIND CANNON AT PRESENT I HAVE NO INFORMATION ON #6 BUT IT IS AN UNUSUAL CONTRAPTION. Attached Images