1-Pounder Mk II Anti-Aircraft Gun
This is a World War I British light anti-aircraft gun, which was used during the first air raid on the City of London.
The 1-pounder belt-fed quick-firing gun was designed as a light field artillery piece by Sir Hiram Maxim in the 1880s. Originally turned down by the British government, it was adopted for use after being used by the Boers against British troops in the South Africa War of 1899-1902.
Early models on wheeled carriages were followed by naval versions on pedestal deck mountings, as seen above. During World War I they were instaled on ships for defence against torpedo boats. When converted for high-angle shooting they were also useful anti-aircraft weapons, becoming the forerunners of the 2-pounder 'pom-poms' widely employed on British warships during World War II.
This particular gun was issued in August 1914 to the anti-aircraft station at Gresham College in Holborn, where it was operated by officers and men of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve and the Royal Naval Air Service. It required a crew of six, had a calibre of 1.46-inches (37mm) and fired 120 rounds per minute to a maximum range of 4,938m.
On the evening of 5 September 1915, it fired several rounds, without success, at the German Zeppelin L13, which was carrying out the first air raid on the City of London. The officer commanding the gun was Sub Lieutenant Charles Ffoulkes, RNVR, who was later the first Curator and Secretary of the Imperial War Museum. The gun itself was moved to Ipswich in the autumn of 1915, where it fired another 150 rounds during a Zeppelin raid over East Anglia on 13 October.
Seen in the basement of the Imperial War Museum prior to the building's major renovation in preparation for the WWI anniversaries. I'm not sure where it is now located.
1-Pounder Mk II Anti-Aircraft Gun
This is a World War I British light anti-aircraft gun, which was used during the first air raid on the City of London.
The 1-pounder belt-fed quick-firing gun was designed as a light field artillery piece by Sir Hiram Maxim in the 1880s. Originally turned down by the British government, it was adopted for use after being used by the Boers against British troops in the South Africa War of 1899-1902.
Early models on wheeled carriages were followed by naval versions on pedestal deck mountings, as seen above. During World War I they were instaled on ships for defence against torpedo boats. When converted for high-angle shooting they were also useful anti-aircraft weapons, becoming the forerunners of the 2-pounder 'pom-poms' widely employed on British warships during World War II.
This particular gun was issued in August 1914 to the anti-aircraft station at Gresham College in Holborn, where it was operated by officers and men of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve and the Royal Naval Air Service. It required a crew of six, had a calibre of 1.46-inches (37mm) and fired 120 rounds per minute to a maximum range of 4,938m.
On the evening of 5 September 1915, it fired several rounds, without success, at the German Zeppelin L13, which was carrying out the first air raid on the City of London. The officer commanding the gun was Sub Lieutenant Charles Ffoulkes, RNVR, who was later the first Curator and Secretary of the Imperial War Museum. The gun itself was moved to Ipswich in the autumn of 1915, where it fired another 150 rounds during a Zeppelin raid over East Anglia on 13 October.
Seen in the basement of the Imperial War Museum prior to the building's major renovation in preparation for the WWI anniversaries. I'm not sure where it is now located.