Welcome to Historical Firearms, a site that looks at the history, development and use of firearms, as well as wider military history
The Five of Hearts
The Five of Hearts was one of 144 Renault FT light tanks operated by the US Tank Corps on the Western Front during World War One. During the Meuse-Argonne offensive in 1918, the Five of Hearts, the battalions of the Corps named their tanks after card suits, was supporting US infantry pinned down by German machine gun positions. The tank was armed with a 37mm gun and managed to destroy one set of German positions before the driver was wounded in the throat and the tank was immobilised and its gun mantlet and turret jammed by German small arms fire.
The Five of Hearts’ commander, Sergeant Arthur Snyder, later recalled defending the tank with his sidearm:
“My wounded driver kept filling pistol clips and I
produced as much fire as possible with our pistols and the crippled 37mm. I
paid more attention to the volume of fire than its accuracy for I fear the
enemy would close in if the volume diminished. Three machine guns were set up
at very close range, but just out of range of our piece with its limited
elevation.
The fragmentation of our shells did afford some protection but I
could not train this fire on the German field piece. The constant hammering of
these machine guns at close range was terrific. The hinges on the doors could
not stand up under it for long, but it was the mushroom ventilator on top of
the turret that gave way. I was hit in the back of my head with fragments of it
and bullet splinters.”
Luckily for Snyder the German infantry made no attempt to
rush the tank, content instead to pepper it from a distance, and they quickly retreated
when men of the 16th Infantry arrived.
In terms of protection Snyder felt that “the armor plate
on those old French Renaults was good, but when you came to close quarters the
splinters from bullets hitting around the vision slits did considerable damage.”
Two of Snyder’s drivers were badly wounded; one by bullet splash splinters and
the other in the throat.
In April 1919, a lone US-built M1917 light tank climbed over 11,000 feet up a mountain in Colorado. In this week’s TAB video we look at the story of this impressive feat!
In April 1919, a lone US-built M1917 light tank climbed over 11,000 feet up a mountain in Colorado. In this week’s TAB video we look at the story of this impressive feat!
During WW1 both sides dug beneath No Man’s Land to lay explosives to blow up enemy trenches. Sometimes opposing tunneler’s would meet and viscous subterranean fights would ensue. The myths around the use of ‘Obrez’ or cut-down rifles has ground over the years, and while its likely some were used, we’ll probably never know just how many were used.
I recently had a chance to look at a very handy SMLE, which while cut-down, still had its butt stock. I think this made this particular rifle a lot handier to use - still firing one of these in a narrow tunnel in the near-pitch black must have been horrific!
In this week’s TAB video I talk about the concept and realities of an Obrez SMLE and talk about what weapons British/Empire tunnellers used from their own accounts.
Check out the video:
Thanks for watching guys, check out the accompanying blog for more photos over on the TAB site, here!
During World War One massive railway guns were used to reach deep behind enemy lines and attack enemy infrastructure with both sides using the massive artillery pieces. In this Armourer’s Bench video I take a look at some archival footage of America’s massive railway guns ranging from 10 to 16 inches.
I found this amazing archival footage while doing some research in the US National Archives’ online catalogue. So thought I’d put together this short video showcasing some of these massive guns in action.
This week’s TAB video is a short one from my first trip to the range with a Remington M1917. Basically just getting a feel for the rifle and seeing how the zero was. We’ll have a more in-depth look at this rifle in the future, along with some videos on the M1917’s British predecessors. There’s a short accompanying blog here.
Full-length episode next week, which I think will be the 50th major Armourer’s Bench episode! Thanks for watching.
I came across a pair of sketches of US tanks and infantry in action by Captain George Harding. George Matthews Harding was a painter and illustrator who acted as an official US war artist during World War One. Harding had previously been a writer and illustrator with The Saturday Evening Post and Harper’s Monthly.
The first sketch depicts a platoon of FT light tanks, armed with Hotchkiss machine guns, advancing near between Avocourt and Montfaucon, during the Battle of St. Mihiel. The sketch was submitted in September 1918, while the second shows troops following up another FT, armed with a 37mm cannon, during an attack near Esseu. The second sketch is undated.
The sketches are beautifully dynamic with crisp, accurate, detail in the foreground and an ethereal conveyance of the atmosphere of battle in the background. Harding was one of eight war artists sent with the American Expeditionary Force. During World War Two, he commissioned with the USMC and again acted as a war artist. He died in 1959, aged 77.
In April 1919, a US-built M1917 light tank, climbed Pikes Peak in Colorado. At the time the road up to Pikes Peak was said to be the ‘World’s Highest Motor Drive’. In terms of publicity having the tank make it up the mountain would have been quite a feat.
The purpose of the stunt was to encourage American’s to purchase ‘Victory Liberty’ War Bonds in an effort to pay of the US’ national debt accrued by the war. This was the fifth, and final, round of Liberty Bond sales, began in mid-April 1919, and aimed to sell $4.5 billion of government bonds.
We can see that on the front of the tank the words ‘Pike’s Peak or bust’ have been painted in white – this is a reference to a phrase coined by prospector’s during the Pike’s Peak Gold Rush of the 1860s. The woman seen in the photograph above, smashing a bottle of local mineral spring
water over the bow of the tank, is Mrs W.H.R. Stote, the chairwoman of Colorado
Springs’ Victory Liberty loan committee.
A Pathe Newsreel featuring some footage of the tank’s ascent (source)
The tank was driven by
Corporal Howard Brewer and tended by a crew of mechanics and support vehicles. The road which climbed the 14,115 feet tall mountain was unsurfaced and had only been completed in 1916. The tank’s ascent began on April 14 and incredibly over the next two days the tank climbed to 11,440 feet, 13 miles along the road and through several deep snow drifts before a track plate snapped. After repairs the tank and support convoy pressed on – but the tank never made it to the summit. Not because of mechanical failure but unbelievably because it was needed to appear in other Colorado towns as part of the victory loan drive.
While the tank may not have reached the very top of the mountain, it undoubtedly broke the elevation record for tanks and set an impressive new bench mark possibly as high as 12,000 feet.
While the Imperial German Army’s T-Gewehr is relatively well know, it’s short-lived British counterpart is almost unknown. The Godsal Anti-Tank rifle, developed in 1918, represents an answer to a problem Britain did not yet face.
The name Philip Thomas Godsal is more frequently associated with another unusual firearm - the Godsal bullpup rifle developed in the early 1900s. Major Godsal was a British army officer, who joined the 52nd Light Infantry in 1869, eventually leaving the army in 1880. He became a well-known and respected rifle marksman winning a number of prestigious shooting competitions.
By 1918, it appears that working with Webley & Scott, who had also built his earlier bullpup prototypes, Godsal developed a bolt action rifle chambered in a large .5 inch calibre, perhaps as a response to the German T-Gewehr. At the time the rifle was being developed Godsal would have been around 68. It is unclear if the development of the rifle was a project requested or sanctioned by the British government or if it was a private commercial venture to be offered to the military when complete.
This rifle in particular is marked ‘1′ on its receiver and proof marked near its trunion with ‘.600/ 500′ referring to the British .600/500in round used in the early .5-inch aircraft Vickers machine guns before the switch to
12.7x81mm. The version of the round used with the Godsal used a bullet with a soft lead core.
The action seen in the photographs of the rifle held by the Royal Armouries’ collection bears a strong resemblance to an action patented by Godsal, in the US and UK, in 1914. It would seem that Godsal was able to scale up this action for use in a rifle chambered in a much larger cartridge.
The action appears to be a development of the one developed for use with his earlier bullpup rifles. In the anti-tank rifle the pistol grip and trigger have been moved back to a more conventional position and the anti tank rifle does not have a magazine and is likely a single shot weapon, much like its German counterpart. The prototype has a rather thin looking pistol grip made from a machined metal piece that extends from beneath the action, making up the the trigger guard and then projecting back down the wrist of the stock. This was no doubt to strengthen the wooden stock. The pistol grip itself has wooden panels held in place by a pair of screws. The buttstock looks to have a half inch thick butt pad, possible made from rubber, to aid with recoil.
The rifle’s sights are marked from 2 to 20, probably indicating a graduated range of up to 2,000 yards. The weapon has an exposed, dovetailed front sight.
Interestingly, the early .55 Boys Anti-Tank rifles, developed in the 1930s and eventually adopted by the British Army, had an almost identical muzzlebreak to the Godsal rifle.
The prototype appears to have a very large extractor on top of the bolt, held in place in a dovetail. Simpler but somewhat similar to that seen in the 1914 patent. Additionally corresponding to the patent is the location of what looks to be a safety catch on the right, top, side of the receiver. There are also signs that changes have been made to the prototype during development such as a scallop cut in the stock and receiver on the left, an exposed, empty slot and a number of holes drilled into the receiver. There is no sign of any wooden handguards being attached to the rifle and it likely used a bipod or a rest for testing.
It is likely that development of Godsal’s came to a halt when the First World War ended. With little money available for military research and development and no urgent need for an anti-tank rifle the project was probably shelved in early 1919. Godsal’s anti-tank rifle certainly intriguing and deserves to have its story investigated further. Godsal died in 1925, aged 75.
Introduced in early 1917, the Newton 6-inch Mortar replaced the earlier British 2-inch ‘toffee apple’ Trench Mortar. It fired a 52lb or 24kg high explosive shell. It was used by both the British Empire and the US.
Like the 2-inch Trench Mortar it replaced the Newton was manned by men of the Royal Field Artillery and formed part of a divisions artillery. They were deployed close to the frontline and were often used to support attacks or destroy enemy wire.
Canadian troops operating a Newton 6-inch Mortar, c. Nov 1918 (source)
The mortar was designed by Captain H. Newton in 1916, and was produced in both Britain and the US. Over 2,500 were produced before the end of the war. It had an effective range of up to 1,400 yards and a well trained crew could fire up to 8 rounds per minute.
The bomb used Amatol, Ammonal or Sabulite explosive and was detonated, not by an ignition system like the 2-inch mortar, but by a blank .303 cartridge included in the base of the mortar bomb. It was propelled by a variable cordite charge. After the war the Newton was subsequently declared obsolete with the lighter Stokes 3-inch mortar remaining in service during the inter-war period.
In late 1914, Princess Mary began a campaign to raise funds to send all British and Imperial troops a small gift for Christmas. On October 14th, the 17 year old Princess Mary launched her appeal writing:
‘I have delayed making known a wish that has long been in my heart for fear of encroaching on other funds, the claims of which have been more urgent. I want you now to help me to send a Christmas present from the whole nation to every sailor afloat and every soldier at the Front. On Christmas Eve when, like the shepherds of old, they keep their watch, doubtless their thoughts will turn to home . . . I am sure that we should all be the happier to feel that we had helped to send our little token of love and sympathy . . . something that would be useful and of permanent value and the making of which may be the means of providing employment in trades adversely affected by the war.’
The ’Princess Mary’s Christmas Gift Fund’ quickly became the post popular Christmas fund and the public call for donations eventually yielded an astonishing £162,591 12s 5d this staggering sum equals roughly £7,500,000 today.
The gift box was designed by Adshead and Ramsey, it included a 5 by 3 ½ inch by 1 ¼ inches deep embossed brass box with Princess Mary’s profile in the centre surrounded by the names of Britain’s allies including Serbia, Russia, Japan and France and the words ‘Christmas 1914’ at the bottom of the lid (see image #1). The contents of the box varied as the box was to be given to over 1 million men from all over the empire. The primary gift for British and Imperial troops from Australia, Canada and South Africa and the Gurkhas would include: a Christmas card, a picture of Princess Mary, a lighter, a pipe, one ounce of tobacco and a packet of twenty cigarettes or two packets of cigarettes.
However, the committee responsible for the gift boxes realised that not all men smoked and that other minority troops would not appreciate the same gifts for various religious and cultural reasons. As such there was an impressive amount of variation between the gifts. Non-smokers were to receive the Christmas card, picture of Princess Mary, a .303 cartridge shaped pencil, some acid tablets (vitamin C tablets) and a khaki writing case which contained paper and envelopes.
Indian troops of different religions receive a number of variations of the gift. Sikhs were given a box of spices and some sugared candies instead of the pipe and tobacco. Bhistis (from Northern British India) received a larger box of spices while other Indian troops were given a packet of cigarettes, candy and spices. Nurses were also given the gift box and they received chocolate in place of the tobacco.
A dozen British companies were involved in supplying the Christmas gift with firms including Harrods, Asprey & Co Ltd, De La Rue & Co and tobacco companies. However, even with all of these companies involved some orders were unable to be met in the short space of time and some men received alternate gifts such as tobacco pouches, shaving brushes & combs, scissors, packets of postcards, pocket knives and cigarette cases.
It was initially planned to only give front line troops the gift however, the large amount of money raised meant that every man in uniform regardless of where he was serving was able to be given the present. This meant just under three million soldiers, sailors and nurses were to be given the gift box. Priority was given to all troops on active service in Europe and at sea, second priority went to those serving in other theatres while finally all other uniformed personnel serving at home in Britain were given last priority.
By late December 426,724 gifts had been distributed with the remaining groups beginning to receive theirs during January 1915. The sheer magnitude of providing three million gifts meant that some troops were still receiving theirs in 1916. The troops receiving their gifts after Christmas 1914 were given a simpler ‘universal box’ which included a New Year’s Card and a Pencil (see card above). After 1914, the making of the gift boxes became increasingly difficult as tobacco became harder to come by and the brass used to make the boxes was needed for cartridge and shell cases. In 1915, an order for brass was made in the US with one shipment being sent on the Lusitania, it was lost when the ship was torpedoed in May 1915.
The box was gratefully received by most men, the tobacco and other gifts were welcome comforts at the front. In a war which had been expected to be over by Christmas a gift from home showing the public and monarchy’s appreciation for their efforts was greatly appreciated. Many soldiers used the boxes to store letters received from home, or other personal effects such as notebooks or photographs. Others kept the pipes and other gifts, smoked the tobacco and sent the their tins home to their families.
At this time of year with the centennial of the end of the Great War its important to remember December 1914, when Princess Mary’s box brought comfort and joy to many.
Crowds Around the World Celebrate the End of the War
As news of the signing of the Armistice broke crowds spontaneously took to the streets of towns and cities all around the world to celebrate. Above are photos of celebrating crowds in Paris, New York, London and Buenos Aires.
Here’s some footage of crowds celebrating and marching around London on the day of the Armistice:
For most people back home, regardless of country, it was the front pages of the local newspaper that announced the end of the war. Above are a collection of 10 newspapers from around the world: Britain, America, France, Canada, Ireland and Germany. These pages heralded the end of over four years of bloody conflict that saw tens of millions die and the world changed forever.
At the beginning of my WWI100 project I posted a similar collection of front pages that announced the beginning of the war, you can find that here.
Written by Canadian army doctor Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae, after the death of a friend in May 1915. McCrae didn’t survive the war, he died of pneumonia in January 1918.