Hanno and Phil (et al.):
The 17 pounders were fitted with electrical brakes, however, I'm still not sure if it was at factory or if it was a modification ordered later in life. If a mod, I would really like to know when it was put in place. Yippee! More research!
If my memory serves me well, all the 17 pounders I have examined have the fitting for the electrical brakes on the left hand trail leg. Not all have the whole kit installed, mine for example. One monument in a village near my home has the full kit including all the cables and the actuators.
As for the towing of guns with undersized vehicles I quote my own post from 26 Aug:
Quote:
Hi All:
I thought I'd weigh in here as I'm a bit confused by some of the posts.
If I understand correctly, some 15 CWT were fitted as 17 Pounder tractors?
I question this based on 31 years practical experience in the artillery... the 15 CWT would make a poor tractor for the 17 pounder as you would end up with a combination where the gun almost outweighs the tractor, the brakes on the 15 CWT would be taxed with stopping the load, there would be little room for a full detachment and all the stores and ammunition.
Stranger things have happened but I suspect that a poor 15 CWT would near collapse from the load it would be asked to handle.
Six or seven strapping big Gunners @ 300 lbs apiece (soldier and kit) = 2100 lbs.
Gun Stores = 1000 lbs (tools, parts, cam nets, etc)
Ammunition (basic load of 50 rds mixed) = 2500 lbs
Tongue weight of 17 Pounder = 100 lbs
Vehicles stores = 300 lbs
So far, just rough order calculations mean we are asking the 15 CWT to haul just over 6000 lbs or damn near 60 CWT!
I haven't thought through the added complication of adding in the Trailer No. 27 (Limber) to this equation.
I certainly wouldn't want to ride in it (if I could find room!)
Cheers! Mike
I have followed up on this since and have learned that indeed 15 CWT were used as 17 pounder tractors but were intended only for airborne/light troops in limited circumstances. I stand by my earlier assertions that for routine use a gun tractor needs to have the capacity for the whole detachment, their kit, all the gun's stores and a basic load of ammunition. As enthusiasts we frequently fall victim to the LCF (look cool factor) and want to haul artillery with inadequate vehicles. Be safe guys... the police will never fault you for towing a small gun with a big truck but the reverse is asking for a disaster.
As for the six pounder and 15 CWT combo it doesn't meet the math as above:
Five strapping big Gunners @ 300 lbs apiece (soldier and kit) = 1500 lbs.
Gun Stores = 400 lbs (tools, parts, cam nets, etc)
Ammunition (basic load of 50 rds mixed) = 500 lbs
Tongue weight of 6 Pounder = 60 lbs
Vehicles stores = 300 lbs
So far, just rough order calculations mean we are asking the 15 CWT to haul just under 2800 lbs so, as Hanno noted, the specs for 15 CWT indicate that it can haul a six pounder (and the historical evidence is clear that they in fact did) but when you add in all the other weights above the bare bones gun weight, you can see that the trucks were grossly overloaded... kudos to their designers but could the brakes handle the load? At WWII speeds of 20 mph... sure... in a parade at 3-5 mph sure, but we always haul ours to and from events with a bigger truck or a modern one with good brakes.
As Phil has noted, safety chains may not be period but must be used. Muzzles lights, reflectors, turn signals and extra ratchet straps on trail latches all add to the safety factor. Forgive me for lecturing  but in my 31 years with the Guns I've seen or been in just about every kind of accident you can have while towing artillery; rollovers, jack knives, snapped wheel spindles, seperated trail legs, muzzles through idiots who follow too close, you name it. Even in parades, we leave the safety chains on as I would never want a loose cannon swerving into the crowd!
My 2 cents!
|
Mike