SFC Denham tellin' it like it is. Thanks as I'd never seen it.
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Pakmiran Reply
"Seems like there's always like fifteen people crowding around each gun in these videos."
Bunnies multiply. Busy gunbunnies especially.
Gunner, asst. gunner, #1 man will be at the weapon. Chief of section standing nearby. A man fuzing the next round. A man holding the unfired propellant charges. Maybe a guy cutting charges and a guy recording firing data on the RMF (Record of Missions Fired) form while handling the land-line. Might even be less than that now with digitized fire commands..
Whaddya we got? Maybe seven or eight guys? Bet it wasn't often that Gun Grape's gun sections were at full authorized strength. ."This aggression will not stand, man!" Jeff Lebowski
"The only true currency in this bankrupt world is what you share with someone else when you're uncool." Lester Bangs
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Originally posted by S-2 View Post"Seems like there's always like fifteen people crowding around each gun in these videos."
Bunnies multiply. Busy gunbunnies especially.
Gunner, asst. gunner, #1 man will be at the weapon. Chief of section standing nearby. A man fuzing the next round. A man holding the unfired propellant charges. Maybe a guy cutting charges and a guy recording firing data on the RMF (Record of Missions Fired) form while handling the land-line. Might even be less than that now with digitized fire commands..
Whaddya we got? Maybe seven or eight guys? Bet it wasn't often that Gun Grape's gun sections were at full authorized strength. .
I think 10 was T/O for the M-198. We would actually get up to that before a deployment. Of course included in that 10 were your quota for Mess Duty, Laundry duty, S-4 working party/Ships Platoon.
Once ashore you got back the mess and laundry guys but not the others. But then you rotated people on local security positions, plus the various working partys from Bn/BLT S-4. Normally at the ASP.
I never saw more than 8 on the guns. We were authorized to go as low as 6. That includes the Section Chief and the driver.
The 198 got pretty heavy with only 6 people.Last edited by Gun Grape; 22 Nov 10,, 03:09.
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Gun Grape Reply
Epic.
Completely epic.
Awesome scenes.
Thanks to the gun sections for their devotion to duty. Thanks to the camera crews for their hard-earned film. Thanks to you for finding this footage.
God bless marine artillerymen."This aggression will not stand, man!" Jeff Lebowski
"The only true currency in this bankrupt world is what you share with someone else when you're uncool." Lester Bangs
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Originally posted by Pakmiran View PostSeems like there's always like fifteen people crowding around each gun in these videos. Does it really take that many people to run a gun?
watch the vid below to give you some idea why large crews are nice to have on towed weapons.
Regards
Arty"Admit nothing, deny everything, make counter-accusations".- Motto of the Gun Crew who have just done something incredibly stupid!!!!
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On that note:
How come that in every single pic of a M107 i see firing or being prepped (not that there are all that many), i only see 2, at most 3 men outside? The official crew was 13 (5 in the M107, 8 in the accompanying APC). This is regardless of country operating it - 2-3 men, whether US, British, German or even Iranian.
The one attached is pretty much the only one i can find with more than 3 people - and again only 2 at the gun.
Israeli M107 on the Syrian Front 1973.Attached Files
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I never served in an M107 or M110 battalion but I think the short answer is two-fold, 1.) there's not much room on the vehicle itself. The gun carriage takes up virtually all the top surface area. That said, efficient shooting would still require that the gunner (panoramic telescope), asst. gunner (quadrant elevation) and either chief of section or #1 man be in close proximity to the lay, elevation, and firing mechanisms and 2.) the ammunition is heavy. While rate of fire is slow, consistent shooting would be fairly labor-intensive WRT preparation of charges, projos and fuzes. Further, those fuzes, propellant charges and projos must be off-loaded from the ammo carrier and either stored or immediately prepped before being carried to the gun.
A 175mm projo weighs 145lbs. A 203mm projo weighs 200lbs. Those are two man jobs just to get the round up to the loading tray for ramming. Chief of section plus those men on the weapon and two loading the tray is six men. IIRC there a auto ramming mechanism but timing may be an issue. If so, the round doesn't fully seat tight around the rotating band. If so, the danger of blow-by is increased. Likely, therefore that two more men are manning a ramming staff. Now eight. That leaves five to prep ammo, handle RTO duties, dispose unused propellant and dunnage and keep the ROMF (Record Of Missions Fired) form. Voila! Thirteen. Toss in sustained firing ops (such as Yom Kippur) and you've other issues like maintenence and fatigue.
Our resident gun chief, GySgt. Grape has, I believe, served in an 8" battalion. If so, he might expand or correct my thinking here.Last edited by S2; 11 Dec 10,, 11:01."This aggression will not stand, man!" Jeff Lebowski
"The only true currency in this bankrupt world is what you share with someone else when you're uncool." Lester Bangs
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With the M110 you commonly see more people on the gun though, usually at least 4-5. Like:
Or:
Also M115 too:
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Originally posted by kato View PostOn that note:
The one attached is pretty much the only one i can find with more than 3 people - and again only 2 at the gun.[ATTACH]23110[/ATTACH]
Israeli M107 on the Syrian Front 1973.
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Originally posted by Tarek Morgen View PostNot that I know anything about those things, but if your job in the crew allows you to keep some distance from the gun while it fires, would you not want to stay as far away from it as possible for the sake of your ears?
The quietest place on a howiter is directly behind the breech. Sound, and blast pressure goes outward and to the side, behind the gun is like riding in the car behind the locomotive when its blowint the train whistle. Its the Dopler effect
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