Discussion Artillery relics

[Jack7171]

Aside from shells and fragments, why does there seem to be a very minimal amount of artillery relics dug? I think I've only ever seen one dug cannon worm, one vent punch and a hammer or 2 in my life. I know the wooden handles wouldn't survive for long, but if a sardine tin can survive 100+ years, and be dug from a campsite pit, why so few artillery implements, such as lifting tongs, calipers, quadrants, gimlets,,vent punches? Were artillerymen more careful with their equipment? Was it because they were farther from the close fighting? Or was there just such a relatively small percentage of artillery implements vs infantry accouterments? Or finally, have just not paid attention...

 

[redbob]

I've been fortunate to have been able to collect a number of dug Civil War Artillery implements, but I agree that they are few and far between.

 

[UCVRelics]

Most arty item's were needed to fire cannons so they were very important items so they were keep up with

 

[Elliot Crumblemuffin]

Most arty item's were needed to fire cannons so they were very important items so they were keep up with

If the military in the 1860s was anything like it is in modern times, there were probably officers and senior enlistmented men constantly tormenting artillery crews with "inventory" inspections .

I bet during the retreat from Gettysburg the whole wagon train was stopped multiple times to count every single piece of a battery, and it wouldn't start again until every set of calipers were accounted for!!

 

[Tom Hughes]

Aside from shells and fragments, why does there seem to be a very minimal amount of artillery relics dug? I think I've only ever seen one dug cannon worm, one vent punch and a hammer or 2 in my life. I know the wooden handles wouldn't survive for long, but if a sardine tin can survive 100+ years, and be dug from a campsite pit, why so few artillery implements, such as lifting tongs, calipers, quadrants, gimlets,,vent punches? Were artillerymen more careful with their equipment? Was it because they were farther from the close fighting? Or was there just such a relatively small percentage of artillery implements vs infantry accouterments? Or finally, have just not paid attention...

I think there were just fewer artillery artifacts to lose. Plus, the items you mention were valuable to the functionality of the artillery piece and more care would've been taken to keep up with such items. Heck, even friction primers are hard to find.

 

[UCVRelics]

Try having an M60 MG come off a M113 on a night road march. It ain't pretty

 

[redbob]

I had two WWI/WWII era EE-8 field telephones get run over by an M 109 Selfpropelled Howitzer and the USMC thought that it was a serious enough incident to bring in two NIS (forerunner to NCIS) agents to play twenty questions with me. I got a written reprimand, the unit got two new telephones and I'm just glad that I wasn't holding the two EE-8's at the time of the incident. So yes, the retention of artillery equipment is taken very seriously both then and now. I guess that they could replace a lowley E-4 easier than those telephones.

 

[Elliot Crumblemuffin]

I had two WWI/WWII era EE-8 field telephones get run over by an M 109 Selfpropelled Howitzer and the USMC thought that it was a serious enough incident to bring in two NIS (forerunner to NCIS) agents to play twenty questions with me. I got a written reprimand, the unit got two new telephones and I'm just glad that I wasn't holding the two EE-8's at the time of the incident. So yes, the retention of artillery equipment is taken very seriously both then and now. I guess that they could replace a lowley E-4 easier than those telephones.

Hmmm sounds earrily familiar..except mine were 2 PRC-117F radios . Some things never change .

 

[UCVRelics]

Hmmm sounds earrily familiar..except mine were 2 PRC-117F radios . Some things never change .

Jarheads don't know what a PRICK 117 or 25 are

 

[redbob]

Jarheads don't know what a PRICK 117 or 25 are

I know exactly what a PRC 25 is/was and how you felt like you had been ridden hard and put up wet after you had carried one for a few hours.