I am looking for some information on the B type bus chassis converted by the RNAS to carry a 3pdr hotchkiss gun. Does anyone have any information, other photos, plans on the vehicle and / or gun? The chassis itself is well covered so that won't be a problem, it is everything else. John Lambert does plans for the 3pdr gun but I'm not sure if this is the same type of gun as there seem to be some slightly differing designs.
Took a couple of photos of a 3 pdr on display at Fort Nelson, UK last week if of interest? The 3 pounder was also fitted to the steam pinnaces which many large British warships had
Yes those would be useful I think, easiest would be to send to my email mail at mikejillmc dot plus dot com obvioulsy the at and dots are there so as not to get picked up by spammers so please replace accordingly
I have studied RNAS in 1914 for some time.. That's the only photo I've seen for this AEC Type B gun lorry. RNAS built in autumn 1914 two lorries with 3 pounders, this and 5 ton Mercedes.
They were used for support to RR, Talbot and Wolseley armoured cars until December 1914. Í don't know much details about them, but on the beginning of December Cmdr Samson destroyed a wind mill with a 3 pounder lorry. Germans used this wind mill for machine gun post. The story don't tell if it was Mercedes or AEC.
There were plans of RNAS AECs in old Landships, but they are not yet in Landships II. However, I copied it for study and attach here.
Mika
That's excellent, many thanks for the information and plans. I did think being a one off any more photos are unlikely, although personally I don't mind if information is scarce, it is harder for people to then tell you the model is wrong!
A gun mounted on the back of a lorry, crewed by the navy, used to destroy a windmill, now who wouldn't want a model of that?
Coming back to this one, I have been looking at the photo and compared it to drawings of the 3 pounder and other photos and I am quite sure the weapon on the Samson lorry was not a 3 pounder as generally accepted. It is a much bigger weapon than the 3 pounder, it has a longer, stepped barrel and the breech mechanism looks very different.
So, is it perhaps a 6 pounder? Can anyone supply any more information?
PDA - the weapon on the RNAS lorry has a barrel that looks to be at least 5 foot in length (judging it against the crew for comparison) and it is stepped around a third on its length. 3 pounders had a lot of different mounts, but the barrel seems to be consistently the same, so it isn't the same gun as in the last photo above. Also the left hand side of the breech mechanism is visible on the lorry photo, it seems to be open to this left side. All the 3 pounders had the same U shaped breech. So as I said before, not a 3 pounder and not a 3 inch either as it is too small. The shoulder rest was common to a number of guns so that is misleading.
I think Al is on the right line suggesting that it is most likely a naval weapon, probably lifted from some patrol craft.
I think this is a QF 3-pounder Vickers, a 50-calibres gun. The RNAS also used them.
Rod
mike_m wrote:
I am looking for some information on the B type bus chassis converted by the RNAS to carry a 3pdr hotchkiss gun. Does anyone have any information, other photos, plans on the vehicle and / or gun? The chassis itself is well covered so that won't be a problem, it is everything else. John Lambert does plans for the 3pdr gun but I'm not sure if this is the same type of gun as there seem to be some slightly differing designs.
