Com-Central.net

Bourbeau Memorial - 3" Gun - New Bedford, MA - Gallery
A forum dedicated for the discussion of all kinds of artillery topics.

Forum Index › Artillery Forum

View previous topic :: View next topic

Author

Message

vagabond
Power User

Offline
Joined: Dec 05, 2009
Posts: 1388
Location: Constantly moving across US

Posted: Mon Dec 16, 2013 8:16 pm Post subject: Bourbeau Memorial - 3" Gun - New Bedford, MA - Gallery
Hi All, We’ve added a gallery of photos of this M1902 3” Gun that I stumbled upon in New Bedford, MA. www.vgbimages.com/AFV-...718_W273mh

JG300-Ascout
Power User

Offline
Joined: Jan 05, 2005
Posts: 6257
Location: Cyberspace

Posted: Mon Dec 16, 2013 9:31 pm
Post subject: Re: Bourbeau Memorial - 3" Gun - New Bedford, MA - Gallery

Question: Is this not the same type of gun located on the campus of Oak Ridge Military Academy? Pictured with it's caisson.

www.waymarking.com/way...on_Caisson

Click link and small pics to enlarge.

Back in '66, this gun (without caisson) got wheeled during the hours of darkness a few hundred yards down the road and left in the Commandant of Cadets front yard, but I wouldn't know anything about that.... Rolling Eyes

_________________
"All facts go to clearly prove that Shades is a thrice-cursed traitor & mentally deranged person steeped in inveterate enmity toward mankind"

lovett155
Power User

Offline
Joined: Jun 14, 2007
Posts: 65
Location: Falls Church/Washington DC

Posted: Thu Dec 19, 2013 7:19 am Post subject: Re: Bourbeau Memorial - 3" Gun - New Bedford, MA - Gallery
The Oak Ridge 3-Inch M 1902 is not pictured with a Caisson. This is a Limber. A Caisson is only towed behind limbers and is the main ammunition carrier for the field piece. A limber is what the six horse team hooks to in order to tow both guns and caissons. R/ Ralph Lovett _________________ lovett155

JG300-Ascout
Power User

Offline
Joined: Jan 05, 2005
Posts: 6257
Location: Cyberspace

Posted: Thu Dec 19, 2013 3:31 pm
Post subject: Re: Bourbeau Memorial - 3" Gun - New Bedford, MA - Gallery

- lovett155

The Oak Ridge 3-Inch M 1902 is not pictured with a Caisson. This is a Limber. A Caisson is only towed behind limbers and is the main ammunition carrier for the field piece. A limber is what the six horse team hooks to in order to tow both guns and caissons.

R/

Ralph Lovett

Thanks. Can you tell I'm not arty? Laughing

Back in the '60's, there was only the gun, so the limber is an addition. I also see a note to the effect of a second gun there, but no pic. I may run by some nice day soon since it's only about an hour away.
That gun was fully functional as late as the '60's, and may still be. I've seen some buzz about ceremonial rounds being an issue now that the area around the school has been well developed. Back in the day, it was pretty remote except for the original community down highway 150.

_________________
"All facts go to clearly prove that Shades is a thrice-cursed traitor & mentally deranged person steeped in inveterate enmity toward mankind"

lovett155
Power User

Offline
Joined: Jun 14, 2007
Posts: 65
Location: Falls Church/Washington DC

Posted: Fri Dec 20, 2013 1:01 am
Post subject: Re: Bourbeau Memorial - 3" Gun - New Bedford, MA - Gallery

I was just looking back over the photos of the Oak Ridge 3-Inch M1902 Field Gun Limber. This is absolutely not the correct limber for this gun. It is one of the Russian 76.2cm Field Gun Limbers that were imported a few years back. Notice the wheels have 14 spokes not the 16 of the US Archibald Artillery Wheel. These Russian limbers have been all over the place and have been frequently falsely advertised as German Limbers. (there is almost no similarity between this limber and any US or German WW1 or WW2 Era limber) This is the first time I have seen this Frankenstein combination on a US Field Gun. I know that someone was trying to make the 3 inch gun look more complete by matching it with the Russian Limber but it is about as correct as putting a piper cub engine in a P51.

_________________
lovett155

JG300-Ascout
Power User

Offline
Joined: Jan 05, 2005
Posts: 6257
Location: Cyberspace

Posted: Fri Dec 20, 2013 1:15 am
Post subject: Re: Bourbeau Memorial - 3" Gun - New Bedford, MA - Gallery

- lovett155

I was just looking back over the photos of the Oak Ridge 3-Inch M1902 Field Gun Limber. This is absolutely not the correct limber for this gun. It is one of the Russian 76.2cm Field Gun Limbers that were imported a few years back. Notice the wheels have 14 spokes not the 16 of the US Archibald Artillery Wheel. These Russian limbers have been all over the place and have been frequently falsely advertised as German Limbers. (there is almost no similarity between this limber and any US or German WW1 or WW2 Era limber) This is the first time I have seen this Frankenstein combination on a US Field Gun. I know that someone was trying to make the 3 inch gun look more complete by matching it with the Russian Limber but it is about as correct as putting a piper cub engine in a P51.

Correctness was almost certainly not a priority. I remember when there was only the gun (which was subsequently "secured" from movement"). This addition was probably an effort to achieve the same effect, lest some rowdy cadets get into more hooliganism (of which there were several examples...the temporary disappearance of an M1911 .45 from the arms room being one example. It reappeared upon threats of calls to the FBI being made manifest).

This was a 3rd Army ROTC school, with a very complete arms room back in the day...and unthinkable in today's environment. The standard arms for the cadet corps was M1 Garands...only the drill team had Springfield '03's, all dressed up with white leather slings and some chrome. There was a mortar in the arms room, too. Something on the order of an 81mm. Also a BAR and some Browning MG's. Only thing we ever fired was .22 target rifles on the rifle team...there is a range under the gym.

_________________
"All facts go to clearly prove that Shades is a thrice-cursed traitor & mentally deranged person steeped in inveterate enmity toward mankind"

Forum Index › Artillery Forum
Page 1 of 1

All times are GMT - 6 Hours

You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
You cannot attach files in this forum
You cannot download files in this forum

Select Language

Login

`±`Recent Visitors

`±`User Info-big

Com-Central.net

Select Language

Login

±Recent Visitors

±User Info-big

`±`Recent Visitors

`±`User Info-big