Comments for Another Whatziss

Another Whatziss

2009-07-20T12:48:48Z

Of course, some of you are behind, having taken yesterday off, apparently. The official Army caption for this photograph reads: "Airborne artillerymen man a 75mm howitzer near the completed airstrip at Nadzab, September, 1943."

It's also probably wrong. So - anyone recognize this gun?

Comment from Ryan on 2009-07-24

2009-07-24T15:17:33Z

That's one of them Saw'd off 25 Pounders. The Big conical range drum is a dead givaway, so is the big conical 'flash hider'. Those must have been a hoot at supercharge.

Comment from SezaGeoff on 2009-07-20

2009-07-21T02:55:00Z

fdcol63 - I bow to your better knowledge. The photos held at the AWM confirm that at least some of the Aussies wore the US style tin helmets. See photos here.

Comment from fdcol63 on 2009-07-20

2009-07-21T02:37:47Z

I think they're really Aussies from a 31-man detachment of 54 Battery, 2/4 Field Regiment, that dropped with the US Army 503rd PIR:

http://www.awm.gov.au/units/unit_10368second_world_war.asp

"... The 25th Brigade was to lead the 7th Division’s advance but, in order to facilitate this, the American 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment had to first secure the airfield at Nadzab. In what was a first for Australian artillery, the part of a section from the 2/4th made the drop with the American paratroops. This was done in great secrecy and with only one practice jump but the 31 gunners from 54 Battery, led by Lieutenant John Pearson, and two 25-pounder shorts, safely made the drop into Nadzab on 5 September. ..."

Comment from Justthisguy on 2009-07-20

2009-07-21T02:34:29Z

Concur with wolfwalker. From my late Dad's accounts, and others I've heard, the USAAF was mostly improvised through '42 and into '43. I imagine it was much the same or more so in desperately fought-over places among the infantry and artillery.

Comment from wolfwalker on 2009-07-20

2009-07-21T01:20:42Z

SezaGeoff, the crew might well be US. Supply-wise, the Southwest Pacific Area was FUBAR for much of 1942 and 1943. It's not at all hard for me to believe that a US Army regular artillery unit might have picked up a few of these guns -- especially after they saw what Marine gunners could do with their 75mm pack howitzers.

Comment from SezaGeoff on 2009-07-20

2009-07-20T22:55:32Z

I recognised the 25 lb'er pretty quickly, as I have seen some around here in museums. But I think the crew are US, based on their hats. I guess with that barrel and flash-hider, they will still be walking around saying "What?" or "Pardon?" a lot.
General Motors Holden's at Fishermen's Bend in Australia (now part of the marvellous Government Motors) used to make parts of the twenty-five pounders, and during a clean up of the Engineering drawing vault, I found a rubber stamp for the Field Mounting drawings. Systems were obviously simpler then!

Comment from Spiff on 2009-07-20

2009-07-20T17:56:41Z

Perchance, a Jap Type 91 10mm Howitzer?
Spiff

Comment from 1IDVET on 2009-07-20

2009-07-20T17:05:42Z

I should have further stated that they mislabled it because it looks like the M1A1 Pack Howitzer.

Yeah, that's the ticket...

Comment from 1IDVET on 2009-07-20

2009-07-20T16:00:38Z

Looks like an M1A1 Pack Howitzer.

Comment from Boquisucio on 2009-07-20

2009-07-20T14:36:15Z

Heeeyyyyy - Who are you going to believe; Me or your lying eyes?

Comment from AFSister on 2009-07-20

2009-07-20T14:21:22Z

Hey- if all of the DoD captions were correct.... what would we have left to make fun of?

Comment from BillT on 2009-07-20

2009-07-20T13:50:51Z

Yup -- Kirk called it.

So, the DoD captioneers have a looooong history of getting it wrong, huh...?

Comment from fdcol63 on 2009-07-20

2009-07-20T13:32:48Z

I think Kirk has it. Perhaps these are Aussies from the 2/4 Field Regiment with an Ordnance QF 25-pounder Short, like the one at this link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ordnance_QF_25-pounder_Short

Comment from Kirk on 2009-07-20

2009-07-20T13:21:28Z

If it truly is Nadzab, then those are Aussies on New Guinea...manning their short-barreled 25 pounder, minus gun shield. Aussies supported the US airborne attack at Nadzab.

Comment from Neffi on 2009-07-20

2009-07-20T13:14:29Z

... it would appear to be much larger than 75mm...