Team GWF:

I am preparing an article for our community (Milton, Ontario CANADA) on the "War Trophy" that rests near our Victoria Park Cenotaph. It is a German 1917 made 77 mm Field Gun, as discussed elsewhere here and on other sites.

We have tracked the capture of this gun to September 27, 1918 when the British First Army (specifically the Canadian Corps) crossed the Canal du Nord to take Bourlon Woods at Cambrai. I have now read all of the war diaries for the (Canadian) 3rd Battalion, 1st Brigade and 1st Division as it relates to its capture. Interestingly enough, Lt. George Kerr was awarded a V.C. on that day for the capture of just such a gun - but I do not know "yet" if this specific gun was included. In total the 3rd Battalion captured 17 of the 77 mm guns on that day.

In going through all the war diaries, maps and historical documents I have been able to get a precise fix on the 3rd Canadian Battalion at the time of the capture but I have less reliable information on the placement of the German field guns at that time. It may be impossible to find out where they were, but I thought it worth a question. Not being a military man, I assume that these "field guns" are more or less moved with the infantry and not the artillery, which at that time was behind the Canal de Sensee and firing on the Hayencourt area. It may have been this field gun was on the east bank of the Canal du Nord in the direct path of the 3rd CEF Battalion.

I would be interested to hear from any members, allied or axis, as to what knowledge they have on the placement of specific field guns. Someone might also have information on the "manufacture of Filed Gun #9563" that I can use in the article. This is for history, not at all for profit. I hope in the end to arrange for and pay for a plaque to go with the gun so that the story will remembered by all our future generations. Many do not even know these are "war trophies" so the story needs to be passed on through the generations.

I would be most thankful for those that can provide additional information.

Gun #9563 can be viewed on Photobucket here:

http://s159.photobucket.com/albums/t149/ce...rophies/Milton/



Regards to all from Canada,

Richard
cefmatrix@gmail.com

In 1918, the Germans used 77mm field guns in two different ways. Some were located with artillery pieces of other sorts, well behind the forward positions occupied by the infantry. Others were co-located with forward infantry units, to provide direct fire against such targets as machinegun nests and tanks.

As a rule, the field guns that were co-located with the infantry were of the pre-war model (FK 96 n.A.), a relatively light weapon with a relatively short barrel. Likewise, the field guns of the type you are restoring (FK 16), a somewhat heavier piece with a longer barrel, were usually located with other artillery pieces.

I am a volunteer at the regimental museum of Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland.
I have recently been doing a bit of conservation and research work on our 77mm. German Light Artillery Gun. The gun was captured in Belgium by the Inniskillings of 36th Ulster Division and was retained as a war trophy. In 1919 it was converted by Royal Gun Factory at Woolwich for coastal defence use during WW11 . After the war it was returned to Regimental Depot of Inniskillings in Omagh (St. Lucia Barracks) until the barracks recent closure and the gun now resides at the museum.

The gun, no.229, was registered no. 40 by RGF Woolwich.

I see from your photos that there is a record of the fates of captured 77mm. guns. Is it only a record of those captured by Canadian Forces?

I would be interested to see what info. you got on your gun. Congratulations on the lovely condition of the gun.

Clive Johnston.

As Bruce correctly commented, the Germans diverted increasing numbers of their light field pieces to duty directly with the infantry; their terminology (in translation) called these "accompanying batteries", or "infantry guns", or "infantry gun batteries". This trend was accelerated by the increasing threat of Allied tank attacks. Toward the end of the war most German infantry regiments had one or two batteries of these guns assigned to them if they were in a combat posture. In addition, some field gun batteries in normal service were directed to conceal one of their guns carefully, and to not use that gun in normal fire missions, but to reserve it for emergencies, of course principally large tank attacks. Such guns, sometimes carefully concealed within ruined buildings, could often really tear up approaching tank formations if tenaciously manned.

50 "infantry gun batteries" were formed and given that designation, but the need was for many more later in the war, and many field artillery regiments also had one or more of their regular 77 mm batteries assigned to this duty, sometimes assigned to this duty for extended periods. Occasionally light field howitzers, 105 mm, were also assigned to this duty. The famed Sturm=Bataillon Nr. 5 (Rohr) , which helped develop this concept, eventually used four or five different light guns for this duty, one of their favorites being Russian 76 mm "parapet guns", captured on the Eastern Front in 1915, designed to be easily man-handled on the walls of fortresses to fire on assaulting infantry, and modified to some degree, including better German sights. My father fought with this unit several times and described the exceptional efficiency of this unit's battery to me when they were dealing with MG nests.

Some of these guns, especially those assigned to storm battalions, were physically modified, and that might be a clue to the usage of the gun. The principal modification was fitting smaller wheels, for increased mobility when being man-handled for short distances over the battlefield. Sometimes the barrels were cut down to lighten the weapon. But I think that these modifications were not done to most "infantry guns".

I have heard of a German scholar studying the 420 mm Krupp howitzers gaining access to presently existing Krupp archives, but I suspect that such access is not easily granted.

I have rambled about a bit, but I hope that this information is interesting, if not directly useful.

Bob Lembke