ARTILLERY REGISTER |
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| Historical Specifics: | Two anti-aircraft gun sites, each containing four guns, were constructed in the Lithgow region to protect the small arms factory. The Lithgow Council have commenced work on restoring one of these positions, at Bowenfels. Originally they were armed with Static versions of the 3.7 but these are now very rare in Australia and hence the guns now emplaced are the mobile versions.
This gun was used in the filming of the movie ‘Australia’ in 2007 The 3.7 inch anti aircraft gun was first produced in 1936 to replace the World War I vintage 3 inch gun in the British Royal Artillery. Australian Forces first received the 3.7 inch guns in the Middle East and production of a static model began in Australia in 1939. All the mobile versions of the gun were manufactured in either Britain or Canada. The running gear for the mobile mounting consisted of a limber and carriage, each riding on a two-wheeled axle. To come into action, the limber was detached and removed while the carriage was unlocked from the platform and hoisted up on small derricks with the object of achieving stability on firing. In later war years, this feature was discarded in favour of removing the carriage altogether. The total weight amounted to 9 tons 12 cwt, or 10 tons 6 cwt, according to the type of barrel fitted, both figures exceeding the specification. A complete 3.7-inch round of ammunition weighed 49 lbs. |
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