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Colonial Wars – 4.7 inch gun

  • Product Code: CE101
  • Availability: In Stock

£6.54

This product is sold as a kit and unpainted.

Additional Images:

1 and 2. Impressively atmospheric images of an Army on the march. Kind permission of Mr Anthony Vince.


CAPTAIN PERCY SCOTT RN AND IMPROVISED TECHNOLOGY IN THE SECOND BOER WAR

 

·         Improvised Carriage. ‘Captain Percy Scott RN, commanding HMS Terrible, was one of the most inventive gunnery specialists then serving in the Royal Navy. He had already designed and tested a field mounting for 12pdr guns, dismounted from ships. This mounting consisted of a baulk of timber as a trail secured to the wheels and axle of a Cape cart onto which the gun was seated. It was fitted with a telescopic sight. Elevation was by a simple screw mechanism and laying by shifting the trail. Spotting was by an officer with a large magnification telescope taken from the flag deck and mounted on a tripod adjacent to the gun position.’  

 

·         Armoured Train. ‘Scott constructed an armoured train with Maxim guns and a 7pdr manned with sailors and capable of carrying a company of infantry’. The train was used to conduct reconnaissance tasks.

 

·         Searchlights. ‘The Royal Navy provided two mobile searchlights, fitted with signal shutters, mounted on railway carriages which were used for long range communication.’

 

·         Long Range Guns. ‘Made aware of the army’s request for long range guns Scott asked for all the resources of the dockyard to be made available to him and within 24 hours had produced two ‘transportable’ mountings (later wheels) for 4.7inch guns consisting of four baulks of timber, fourteen-feet long and one foot square to be dug into the ground in the form of a cross to which the base plate was bolted. Onto this the mounting the gun was secured. Each gun required six wagons to transport it. Within 36 hours two of these 4.7inch guns were on their way to Durban in HMS Powerful.’   Scott also mounted a 6inch on wheels for use by General Buller.

 

Source: The Victorian Naval Brigades, Lt Cdr Arthur Bleby, Whittles Publishing, 2006. Despite its title this book is more of a general history of colonial campaigns with some highlighting of naval brigade operations as part of overall actions.

 

Jacklex Miniatures Colonial Nineteenth Century 20mm metal wargame figures.