Darren Baker shares with us a thorough walk around of the British 3.7inch Heavy Anti Aircraft gun Mk III/I which served through World War Two into the late 1950''s.

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If you have comments or questions please post them here.

Thanks!

Cracking walkabout, thanks Darren.

Al

If you are wondering about the yellow spot on the barrel take a look at the following pictures for the answer.

Thanks for the photos, Darren.

Where is this example located? is it in a private collection or held in a public museum?

It is in private hands and belongs to "The Garrison" which is a re-enactment group located in Leeds, Tilbury, and Larkhill. This piece is down with us in Larkhill at the moment getting ready for the London show but will be returning to Leeds after that. I am a part of the Larkhill group where I enjoy getting my hands dirty but playing soldiers is not for me as my idea of sleeping rough is my own bed.

Thank you for the walk around pics and the interesting facts.

Hi Darren,
My father manned a stationary 3.7 inch AA gun during WWII. His gun was part of the heavy AA batteries defending Port Moresby in New Guinea in 1943.

He has told me that after each action they had to remove the breech block for cleaning. They had to manually lift the block onto a platform they had made for the purpose, and after cleaning, lift it back onto the gun. He has suffered back problems ever since!

Do you have any idea how much the breech block weighs? I have no idea which model the gun was, just that is was a 3.7 inch heavy AA gun. I have a photo somewhere of them dismantling the worn-out guns before his Unit returned to Australia.

Thanks
Bruce Ward
Australia

Thank you for the information Bruce and the truth of it is I have no idea but suspect I can find out. I find it incredulous that they would need to remove the breech for cleaning after each action as we clean this gun after each show and I cannot see what would be gained by removal. I suppose it could be something to do with moisture causing some issue or a particularly nasty officer. I suspect his bad back has more do with keeping the gun fed with ammunition as when in action it can throw up a lot of rounds and there is even an auto feed for this gun that needs feeding.

Bruce your post indicates that your father is alive and well other than a bad back so please thank him for his service and ask him for more details on this breech removal and also if there are any other memories he would like to share as the Garrison is always interested in the memories of Gunners in particular.

Darren,

Thanks for posting this! Out of curiosity, what color is it? I've gotta get ours repainted and refurbished and need an accurate color scheme for it.

Jon

Jon I will see if I can get you a paint ID ASAP. Is your 3.7 HAA complete? While I am at it do you know where you could lay your hands on a set of Brass plates for the inside of a Morris Quad Mk II early as one of ours is missing these items?

Bruce the breech of the 3.7 is about 50 lb and was removed it seems due to the amount of dirt that accumulates during use which cannot be got to easily when in place.

Jon Pre-war would be gloss bronze green, early war would have been a brown green, late war would be olive drab, however there is no such thing as an exact colour as they used what was to hand and thinned paint with all sorts.

Thanks Darren! Mine is the one that was at Aberdeen for years and it is in rough shape. I'd planned on shooting a walkaround of it fairly soon (along with all of the other Aberdeen pieces that recently arrived here) and will post pics when I'm done.

I do need to get the Accurate Armour kit, just for giggles...

The need to clean the breech as stated was to remove any dirt build up, especilaly at the extractors which would prevent the "ejection" of spent cartridges resulting in misfires.
Dirt around the extractors could also prevent the breech from closing.
Magnificent set of photos, well done.

Darren,

Do you have any idea who, and or or why the magslip dial pointers have been altered.

The dial pointers have a circular cut out which allows the dial sight pointer to align with and over the "split circle" as seen in photos.

To the best of my knowledge it is original and so I cannot help with your question. The work we have done it it is mostly cosmetic such as painting, changing the gators, and repairing the barrel.

Hi Darren,
Whilst the dials may have been like that, they are not correct/original.
If you look closely at your excellent photos you can see the remains of the pointer on each dial, bearing, elevation and fuze,upon which the white triangle has been afixed.
Have a photo but am new and don't know how to post the photo.

I will be asking questions and will get back to you ASAP.

Hi Darren,
Thank you.
Have sent an email, to the address shown on your profile page, with a photo attached showing dial pointer.

Many thanks to Darren for his Kind unselfish support and asssitance.
Very much appreciatted.
Thank you

No problem jack I hope the CD of pictures brought back memories.

Hi Darren,

Have now had some time to delve into the photos.
Absolutely outstanding as they say.

Very much appreciatted by this "mature" bird Gunner/Radar operator (FC).

You are very welcome Jack.

G'day guys

Interesting discussion. I had always wondered why, when the 3.7" was, like the 88, an anti-aircraft gun first and foremost, and of a larger calibre (94mm) it was not used as an anti-tank weapon as well, and suspected the answer was fossilised British thinking at the time (no offence, Darren).

However, I found an interesting comment recently (don't ask me where) that they were used in the A/T role during the siege of Tobruk (probably by Australians!)

Regards

Rob

The problem with firing the 3.7inch HAA in a flat trajectory is the trunnions position and the stresses placed on it in flat trajectory firing. That said a 3.7inch HAA is the gun fitted to the Tortoise and during trials put a round through the front and out of the rear of a King Tiger, if some documents are to be believed.

There is film evidence of them used in indirect fire in Europe I think its on a Pathe News link I will have to find it now