Two new pages of Western Desert images

[Gunner]

Thanks for the detailed reply.

I tend to use the British definition of a tyre as it is usually quite specific. I agree that the tyres are anything fitted to the rim; steel, solid rubber, pneumatic, or even, as shown in one of Dr Bill Gregg's books, cherry wood!

My question is about steel tyres on steel rims... all the references I have show that motor or horse drawn, the German made guns were fitted with solid rubber on stamped or cast rims. Field, medium and heavy guns with steel tyres would play havoc with metalled surfaces not to mention transfer all the vibration to the gun, accelerating wear. It wouldn't make sense to have a fleet of guns that had two different wheels as it would limit any upgrades to motorisation. It strikes me that bonding a rubber tyre or heat shrinking a steel tyre would cost about the same in time and energy.

German made guns I have examined seem to have, in part, dealt with shock absorption by fitting springs into the axle system. They also have complex mechanisms to lock out the suspension when the trails are opened.

It would be interesting to learn the assesment process that led to the Germans avoiding pneumatics as that decision impacted on all thier gun designs.

Cheers! Mike