...Railway artillery - Personal Page of GENE SLOVER

800 .
handwheel for four degrees of elevation. The elevating rack is
double, although cast in one piece. Identical pinions on the same
shaft and of the dimensions shown mesh with these racks. The
range of elevation is from zero to 45 degrees.
821. TRAVERSING MEOHANIsM.-The traversing mechanism is
quite similar to that found on the guns of the Battery Kaiser Wilhelm
II. Details of this traversing mechanism are shown on plate
527. .As with the 305-millimeter battery, there is no traversing rack
attached to the roller path. The operation is by hand only from a
large handwheel located on the left side of the carriage and about on
a level with the roller path. In the case of the 305-millimeter carriages
the single pinion meshed with spur gears attached to the face
of the two large rollers. In this case, the motion from the large
handwheel is transmitted directly to only one of the four rollers on
which the rear of the carriage is supported. Although the mechanism
was seriously damaged, it was possible to traverse the carriage just
far enough to indicate that one man could operate the mechanism
without difficulty.
822. CARRIAGE. -It was not possible to secure such a photograph
of these mounts as would show satisfactorily the construction of the
carriage. In general, the design is not unlike that of the carriages
for the 305-millimeter guns. There are two main girders, each of
which is in- three sections, a central section of uniform depth, a top
section for the trunnion support, and a bottom section carrying the
pivot. It is made of standard structural plates and angles throughout.
The racer is attached to a heavy yoke which is supported by
its trunnions in heavy trunnion bearings attached to the carriage.
The design of the racer connection with the carriage is not at all
unlike that found on the 28, 24, and 21 centimeter railway mounts.
823. EMPLAOEMENT.-The emplacement is quite similar to that
already described for the 305-Inillimeter guns. The traversing
roller path is practically identical and the general dimensions of the
pit are nearly the same. Again there is a raised section of concrete
in front of the gun, the purpose of, or necessity for, which is not
clearly understood. It is understood that unusual difficulties were
encountered in constructing these emplacements, inasmuch as the
ground is quite swampy, and it was necessary to drive numerous
piles in order that the emplacement might be sufficiently stable.
824. AMMUNITION SUPPLY SysTEM.-The ammunition supply system
for this battery is quite similar to that shown and described for
the 305-millimeter gun. The shot trucks are of the same design.
825. PROTECTION.-Each of these four guns is armored with 6centimeter
flat armor. In spite of the camouflage, the remains of
which can be seen on plate 524, legible air photographs were secured
on August 9, 1916, plate 528. The camouflage is carried on a framework
attached to the carriage and rotates with it. Most of the con-
Digitized by Coogle