USA 4.7in Gun Model of 1906

[Vasco Da Gama]

This case turned up recently in an antique shop, an unusual find on this side of the Atlantic. My understanding is that only 48 guns crossed the pond in time to take part in WW1. The primer indicates a date of manufacture of June 1917, very faint marking at the edge of the base are: AM LOT 736 BHCO. Maybe one of our US contributors could provide an indication of the manufacturer. The case is 120x 427 and the crimps would indicate fixed ammunition. Pictured alongside a standard M14 105mm case for comparison.

 

[HAZORD]

There were 4 projectile types for the 4.7 inch gun, Nose-fuzed HE, Base fuzed AP/HE Common, Shrapnel, and Chemical.

 

[water cart]

Hello- There was only US battery that had 4.9's during WW1, and they fired only once (as I remember) right at the end of the war. I have the regimental history if you are interested in knowing the unit.
water cart

 

[Vasco Da Gama]

Many thanks Water Cart, I think many others on the forum would be interested in knowing a little more about this history. If the battery only fired once in the war it would be good to know where it was at the time. I don't know of any other US designed artillery piece that saw action in WW1 on land.

 

[water cart]

Vasco- I will dig out the reference and post it. I am pretty sure that the 4.7" (not 4.9" as I mistyped) was the only type of field artillery ordnance that the US shipped for the AEF in France, unless you count 49 6" Newton/Stokes mortars. Not only were we behind in artillery design, but not usually considered is the availability of cargo space. It was a problem to get troops "Over There", let alone bulky ordnance.
water cart Ken

 

[water cart]

302nd Field Art.

I will provide the following from: The 302nd Field Artillery, 1919, (76th Div. AEF). I quickly found a few passages from the Battery History. (p.61) Upon arriving at Bordeaux...This time it was to organize as a motorized "4.7" rifle regiment,...twenty-four "4.7" arrived and the regiment started to master the operation.[9/5/18] (p.64) [10/5/18] [at the training range in France] "the 4.7's firing at the slower rate of two shots per minutes. For twenty minutes the roar was continuous". (p.68) "From all available reports, no shells for the 4.7 had arrived in France, though the supply of shrapnel was sufficient to meet the demands..." (p.72) The second of November [1918] saw all the organizations arrive in Rupt-en-Woevre,... (p.82) "Although the regiment as a unit was not completely in position...the second Battalion fired the first shot of the regiment at the Hun on the tick of midnight, November 6".[1918] "there was a flash, followed by a roar, and the projectile rushed of on its errand. The first shot of the regiment was on its way;...not only of the regiment, but the first shot ever fired at the Germans by American-made Field Artillery." They had to move again and were in place again on 11/11/18. They did not fire many more rounds. There is also a photo of a 4.7" hitched to a 10-ton Holt tractor, the guns prime mover. Enough of this information.

water cart

 

[US-Subs]

There were 4 projectile types for the 4.7 inch gun, Nose-fuzed HE, Base fuzed AP/HE Common, Shrapnel, and Chemical.

I've never found the common, it's a hard one to locate. Here are most of mine.

 

[water cart]

Thanks for the photos, I have no cases or projectiles in my collection. There are some of the guns around, have a friend who traded one to RIA, who provided an M-60 tank which was sold to buy a Civil War 12pdr Napoleon.
water cart