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ARTILLERY REGISTER |
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| Type of Gun: |
BL 155 mm M1 Gun (Long Tom) |
| Location: |
National Artillery Museum, North Fort, Manly, NSW |
| GPS Location: |
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| Serial Number: |
26 |
| Date of Manufacture: |
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| Manufacturer: |
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| Calibre: |
155 mm - 6.1 inch |
| Weight of Projectile: |
43.6 kg - 96 lb |
| Range: |
23,295 metres - 25,485 yards |
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| Historical Specifics: |
Australian forces held 24 of these guns and used then in New Guinea and the Islands. Introduced into service in 1943 they were withdrawn prior to 1959. In the 1990s defence require a stable platform to proof guns at Port Wakefield in South Australia. At that time the Italian Government were disposing of their Long Tom guns but would only sell them by lots. This gun is one of the surplus from the lot purchased by Australia.
The United States was poorly equipped with heavy artillery when it entered World War I and used French guns. After the war development work began in the United States on a design to improve upon the existing models of heavy gun and carriage. The projects were put on hold during the Depression until 1938 when a new gun was adopted.
The new design used a barrel broadly similar to the earlier French 155 mm GPF, but with an Ashbury breech. The new split-trail carriage featured four roadwheels, each mounting two tires. The wheels could be lifted, allowing the gun to rest on a firing platform. This made the gun very stable. |
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| General Information on Gun Type: |
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